Flight
Sergeant Robert Nelson Parham
(1922
– 1942)
ROBERT NELSON2 PARHAM (LEWIS CLEVELAND1) was born
21 January 1922 and died 21 June 1942. He and his fellow crewman of Stirling Aircraft # 7472
were engaged in a night operation to attack a target in Emden when they were
shot down and lost in the North Sea. This particular Mk.III Stirling, tail
number W7472 MG-C, was taken on charge by 7 Squadron on 16 February 1942 and
had completed 12 operational sorties before being lost. The aircraft was shot
down in the sea off Kastricum, Holland by the Luftwaffe night-flyer, Oberleutnant Rudolf Sigmund. The German “Ace” would be credited with a
total of 28 victories in 150 missions before he himself was shot down and killed in his Messerschmitt Bf 110
during aerial combat
southwest of Göttingen.
Prior
to that fateful day, the Stirling Bomber Research Library records five other
sorties in which Sgt Parham took part. Click
here to view details of these particular sorties.
In
addition to the aircraft’s rear gunner, Sgt R.N. Parham, two other Canadian
perished (P/O J.R. Heslop & P/O B.A. Trapp) as well as five RAF members of
the crew. Sgt Parham is commemorated by name at the Runnymede Memorial
Cemetery in the United Kingdom alongside over 20,000 others who gave their
lives during the Second World War.
To
view the letter sent to the Parham family, the day that Sgt. Parham was listed
as missing, click here.
Military
Service:
Service
Number: R/78112
Age: 20
Force: Air Force
Regiment: Royal Canadian Air Force
Unit: 7 Squadron (RAF)
Flight
Sergeant R.N. Parham is commemorated on
Page
104 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance.
Commonwealth
War Graves Commission
In
recognition of his courage and dedication to his duty, Flight Sergeant Robert
Parham was awarded the following War Medals:
Canadian
Volunteer Service Medal (with Clasp)
Sgt R.N. Parham receives well wishes from HRH King George
Cemetery:
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
(Commonwealth War Graves Commission Pamphlet – PDF File (1 Meg))
Surrey,
United Kingdom
Grave
Reference: Panel 106.
Location: During the Second World War more than
116,000 men and women of the Air Forces of the British Commonwealth gave their
lives in service. More than 17,000 of these were members of the Royal Canadian
Air Force, or Canadians serving with the Royal Air Force. Approximately
one-third of all who died have no known grave. Of these, 20,450 are
commemorated by name on the Runnymede Memorial, which is situated at Englefield
Green, near Egham, 32 kilometres by road west of London.
The
design of the Runnymede Memorial is original and striking. On the crest of
Cooper's Hill, overlooking the Thames, a square tower dominates a cloister, in
the centre of which rests the Stone of Remembrance. The cloistered walks terminate
in two lookouts, one facing towards Windsor, and the other towards London
Airport at Heathrow. The names of the dead are inscribed on the stone reveals
of the narrow windows in the cloisters and the lookouts. They include those of
3,050 Canadian airmen.
Above
the three-arched entrance to the cloister is a great stone eagle with the Royal
Air Force motto, "Per Ardua ad Astra". On each side is the
inscription:
IN THIS CLOISTER ARE RECORDED THE NAMES OF
TWENTY THOUSAND AIRMEN WHO HAVE NO KNOWN GRAVE. THEY DIED FOR FREEDOM IN RAID
AND SORTIE OVER THE BRITISH ISLES AND THE LANDS AND SEAS OF NORTHERN AND
WESTERN EUROPE
In
the tower a vaulted shrine, which provides a quiet place for contemplation,
contains illuminated verses by Paul H. Scott.
ROYAL AIR FORCE – No 7 Squadron
Motto: Per
diem, per noctem - 'By day and by night'
Badge: On a hurt, seven mullets of six points forming a representation of the
constellation Ursa Major - approved by King George VI in June 1939.
Battle
Honours
Western Front 1915-1918
Ypres 1915
Loos, Somme 1916
Ypres 1917
Fortress Europe 1941-1944
Biscay Ports 1941-1944
Ruhr 1942-1945
German Ports 1942-1945
Berlin 1943-1945
France and Germany 1944-1945
Normandy 1944
Rhine
Kosovo
7 Squadron History
No sooner had No 7
Squadron formed at Farnborough on 1 May 1914 , when it was disbanded to bring
other Squadrons up to strength. After reforming in September, the Squadron
moved to France in April 1915 immediately joining the Second Battle of Ypres
with RE5s and Vickers FB5 fighters. In July 1915, Capt J A Liddle MC and his
observer Lt RM Peck were hit by ground fire. Liddle suffered a broken thigh,
but managed to return his aircraft home. Sadly, four weeks later Liddle died of
septic poisoning, but was awarded the VC for his determination and gallantry in
saving Pecks life.
During
1916, the Squadron standardised on BE2s and then received RE8s in 1917 still in
its observation role. The Squadron returned home in 1919 and disbanded at the
end of the year.
After reforming
with Vickers Vimys in 1923 at Bircham Newton, it was designated a heavy bomber
unit. The Vimys were replaced by Virginias in 1924 and the unit transferred to
Worthy Down in 1927. In the following decade the squadron gained a reputation
for outstanding accuracy and won many bombing competitions.
Heyford
bombers arrived in 1935, but it wasn't until 1938 that monoplanes in the form
of Whitleys arrived. No 7 was the first squadron to received the first of the
RAF's four-engined heavy bombers, the Stirling in 1940, but serious problems
meant that operational sorties could not be carried out until the night of
10/11 February 1941 when the squadron attacked oil storage tanks at Rotterdam.
In 1943, No 7 was one of the initial squadrons which formed the Pathfinder
Force and converted to Lancasters .
The Squadron took
part in operations in Malaya in 1949 equipped with Lincolns and in 1956
reformed with Valiants as part of the famous V-Force, flying them until
disbandment in 1962. In 1970 the Squadron reformed, this time flying Canberras
on target-towing tasks.
In 1982,
the Squadron re-equipped with Chinook helicopters, and has kept these since
then. Currently based at Odiham, the Squadron, in conjunction with other
Chinook units, has seen a number of operational deployments in recent years to
such areas as the former Yugoslavia , Afghanistan and Iraq.
Letter to Mrs. L.C. Parham from Wing Commander B.D. Sellick, dated 21
June 1942
Previous Sorties …
8 June 1942
Target: Essen. Bombed alternative at Dieppe
Stirling N3760. MG-D. 7 Squadron
Take off: Oakington 2337. Landed: 0316.
Crew:
·
P/O E.D. Calvert.
Pilot.
·
F/O Miller. 2nd
Pilot.
·
Sgt J.H.
Williams. Flight Engineer.
·
P/O B.A. Trapp.
RCAF. Navigator.
·
Sgt G.B.
Granshaw. Mid Upper Gunner.
·
Sgt R.N. Parham.
RCAF. Rear Gunner.
·
Sgt A. Cadden.
Front Gunner.
·
P/O J.R. Heslop.
RCAF. Wireless Operator.
Bomb Load: 9 x 500lb GP. 9 x 500lb GP T2.
Pilot Report: Bombed in harbour mouth and on the
Island. Burst seen.
Notes from Squadron Operational Record Book:
7 sorties detailed but 2 aborted. P/O Caldwell had
inter-com failure and P/O Hart was sick and his observer P/O Green had to
assist flying the aircraft back to base. P/O Matkin could not penetrate the
defences and jettisoned his bombs in the Zuider Zee.
Bomber Command Report:
170 aircraft detailed for this raid, 19 lost. The
target was not identified accurately and bombing was scattered over a wide
area. Essen only suffered light damage. 13 killed and 42 injured.
16 June
1942
Target:
Essen. Bombed alternative at
Renne
Stirling N3760. MG-D. 7 Squadron
Take off: Oakington 2317. Landed: 0417
Crew:
·
P/O E.D. Calvert.
Pilot.
·
P/O Dallenger. 2nd
Pilot.
·
Sgt J.H.
Williams. Flight Engineer.
·
P/O B.A. Trapp.
RCAF. Navigator.
·
Sgt G.B.
Granshaw. Mid Upper Gunner.
·
Sgt R.N. Parham.
RCAF. Rear Gunner.
·
Sgt A. Cadden.
Front Gunner.
·
P/O J.R. Heslop.
RCAF. Wireless Operator.
Pilot Report: 180 bundles of Nickells dropped in Renne
area.
Notes from Squadron Operational Record Book:
6 aircraft detailed to attack Essen. Severe icing
conditions effected (sic) 2 aircraft, 1 had a burst tail wheel. F/Sgt Templeman
failed to return.
Bomber Command Report:
106 aircraft detailed 8 lost. Only 16 crews reported
that they had identified Essen and 56 bombed alternatives.
17
June 1942
Target: St Nazaire.
Stirling N3760. MG-D. 7 Squadron
Take off: Oakington. 2312. Landed: 0458
Crew:
·
P/O E.D. Calvert.
Pilot.
·
P/O Dallenger. 2nd
Pilot.
·
Sgt J.H.
Williams. Flight Engineer.
·
P/O B.A. Trapp.
RCAF. Navigator.
·
Sgt G.B.
Granshaw. Mid Upper Gunner.
·
Sgt R.N. Parham.
RCAF. Rear Gunner.
·
Sgt A. Cadden.
Front Gunner.
·
P/O J.R. Heslop.
RCAF. Wireless Operator.
Bomb Load: 16 x 500lb GP.
Pilot Report: Visibility good. Bombed SW corner of
docks. Holed in mid upper turret. One photograph taken.
Notes from Squadron Operational Record Book:
3 aircraft and crews detailed to attack St
Nazaire. 2 bombed target 1 brought
bombs back.
Bomber Command Report:
27 Stirlings and Wellingtons sent to St Nazaire but
only 6 aircraft bombed in poor weather.
19 June
1942
Target: Emden.
Stirling W7472. MG-C. 7 Squadron
Take off: Oakington. 2321. Landed: 0343
Crew:
·
P/O E.D. Calvert.
Pilot.
·
F/Lt A.W. Bevan.
2nd Pilot.
·
Sgt Carter.
Flight Engineer.
·
P/O B.A. Trapp.
RCAF. Navigator.
·
Sgt G.B.
Granshaw. Mid Upper Gunner.
·
Sgt R.N. Parham.
RCAF. Rear Gunner.
·
Sgt A. Cadden.
Front Gunner.
·
P/O J.R. Heslop.
RCAF. Wireless Operator.
Bomb Load: 1980 x 4lb and 16 x 30lb incendiaries.
Pilot Report: Bombed west of target area. Two big
fires observed.
Notes from Squadron Operational Record Book:
7 aircraft sent to the target but cloud prevented
accurate observation. Fires seen and 1 aircraft attacked the alternative target
– Osnabruck.
Bomber Command Report:
194 aircraft detailed for this raid. 9 lost. 131 crews
claimed to have bombed the target but photographs showed that part of the
Pathfinders had started a raid on Osnabruck 80 miles from Emden. It appears
that 29 Main Force bombers joined in this attack. Emden recorded only 5
high-explosive bombs and 200 – 300 incendiaries with no structural damage or
casualties.
20 June
1942
Target: Emden.
Stirling W7472. MG-C. 7 Squadron
Take off: Oakington 2325.
Crew:
·
P/O E.D. Calvert.
Pilot.
·
F/Lt A.W. Bevan.
2nd Pilot.
·
Sgt J.H.
Williams. Flight Engineer.
·
P/O B.A. Trapp.
RCAF. Navigator.
·
Sgt G.B.
Granshaw. Mid Upper Gunner.
·
Sgt R.N. Parham.
RCAF. Rear Gunner.
·
Sgt A. Cadden.
Front Gunner.
·
P/O J.R. Heslop.
RCAF. Wireless Operator.
Aircraft failed to return. Shot down by night-fighter
flown by Oblt Rudolf Sigmund, II./NJG2 and crashed 0205 in the sea west of
Bergan-aan-Zee. All crew killed.
Notes from Squadron Operational Record Book:
5 aircraft took part in this raid on Emden and engine
trouble caused 3 to return early.
Bomber Command Report:
A total of 185 aircraft took part in the raid with 8
lost. Partly successful as only a small number of aircraft identified the
target. Emden reported about 100 houses damaged and 1 person injured.
Particulars
of the Crew of Stirling W7472. Lost on 21 June 1942
- P/O Calvert age 20 came
from Darton, Yorkshire. Remembered on Runnymede Panel 68
- F/Lt Bevan. Age 27.
Married to Helen Bevan from Bishop’s Lydeard, Somerset. Buried Plot 1, Row
B, Grave 4. Bergen General Cemetery.
His body was not recovered until 11 July when it was washed ashore
on the Dutch coast
- P/O Trapp age 23 from
Saskatchewan, Canada. Remembered on the Runnymede Memorial Panel 101
- P/O Heslop age 24 from
Outrement, Quebec, Canada. Buried Plot 1, Row B, Grave 7. Bergen General
Cemetery. His body was washed ashore on 13 July
- Sgt Cadden. No other
details available. Buried Plot 1, Row B, Grave 10. Bergen General
Cemetery. His body was washed ashore on 16 July
- F/Sgt Parham age 20 from
Ganges, British Columbia, Canada. Remembered on Runnymede Panel 106
- Sgt Granshaw age 18 from
Guildford, Surrey. Remembered on
Runnymede Panel 84
- Sgt Williams age 21 from Bury
St Edmunds, Suffolk. Buried Grave 29.B.11. Bergen Op Zoom War Cemetery.
His body was washed ashore on 8 July near Callancsenj
Stirling Information Courtesy of Mr. John Reid:
The
Stirling Bomber Research Library
Bacup, Lancashire
England
Email: john.reid27@ntlworld.com