DONALD WILLIAM MUNSON

Donald as a child in 1934 – Image courtesy of Brian Coleman

Born: 1922, Ipswich.

Died: 29th January 1944; age: 21; aircraft crashed shortly after take-off.

Residence: 6, Ernleigh Road, Ipswich.

Rank: Sergeant/Navigator; Service Number: 1395912.

Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 76, Squadron.

Grave Reference:

X.C.3. 83.

Old Ipswich Cemetery,

Ipswich,

Suffolk.

Relatives Notified & Address: Son of William Charles & Ruby Emma Munson, of Ipswich.

Father: William Charles Munson, born April 1885, Ipswich.

Mother: Ruby Emma Munson (nee Pallant), born November 1897, Aldeburgh, Suffolk.

Donald with his Family Audrey & Hazel Munson in 1934.

29th January 1944

Aircraft: Halifax Mk; serial number: DK245; Code: MP-G; based at R.A.F. Holme-on-Spalding Moor, East Riding of Yorkshire. DK245 took-off from Holme-on-Spalding Moor airfield at 00:07hrs on a bombing mission to Berlin, Germany. The aircraft failed to gain height and crashed into trees. Donald and Gordon were killed, 5 other members of the crew were injured.

Fellow Crew:

Gordon Channon; Sergeant/Mid Upper Gunner; age 19; R.A.F.V.F.

Leslie Wilkins, Sergeant/Air Gunner; R.A.F.V.R.

James Dawber Ashton; Flight Sergeant/Bomb Aimer; R.A.F.V.R.

William Barlow Ward; Flight Sergeant/Pilot; R.A.F.

A. Ferguson; Sergeant; R.A.F.

J.L.WIlkinson; Sergeant; R.A.F.

Donald is also remembered on the war memorial at the Town Hall, Ipswich.

Note:

2019 – A family friend Brian Coleman recalls his youth: Donald was slightly older than I, but we both joined the RAF, I trained in radar systems on Lancaster Bombers. While I was serving the family got the call that the plane had crashed and that Donald had been killed. He was engaged to a WRAF girl who apparently witnessed the crash.