KENNETH WALTER BANYARD
Born: 1931, Ipswich.
Died: 6th November 1956; age 25; Nicosia, Cyprus.
Residence: 23, Turner Road, Ipswich.
Rank: Flying Officer; Service Number: 2430304.
Regiment: Royal Air Force, 9 Ferry Crew Squadron – attached to 139 Squadron (Jamaica)
Grave Reference:
23.C.16.
Wayne’s Keep,
British Military Cemetery,
Cyrpus.
Father: Walter James Banyard, born April 1904, Ipswich.
Mother: Ivy Winifred Banyard (nee Young), born February 1908, Ardleigh, Essex.
In 1953, at Ipswich, Kenneth married Audrey Lisette Patricia Roberts, born 1930, Ipswich.
6th November 1956
Aircraft: English Electric Canberra B.6 (BS); serial number: WT371. The 9 Squadron were based at R.A.F. Binbrook, Lincolnshire. On the 19th October 1956, 9 Squadron departed from Binbrook as an alacrity squadron to R.A.F. Nicosia, in Cyprus. They were attached to 139 (Jamaica) Squadron, R.A.F. who now were at full strength with 12 English Electric Canberra B. 6’s, and 14 three man crews. On the 6th November, the pilot of WT371, shut down the starboard engine due to a fire, the controls were lost on an asymmetric approach to R.A.F. Nicosia, the aircraft rolled and dived before crashing just short of the runway. All three crew members were killed.
Fellow Crew:
Leslie Ian Collins; Flying Officer; age 24 – from Ulverston, Lancashire.
Morris Allen Rhodes; Flight Sergeant; age 32 – from Kirk Hammerton, North Yorkshire.
Suez Crisis 1956
On 29 October, Israel invaded the Egyptian Sinai. Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to cease fire, which was ignored. On 5 November, Britain and France landed paratroopers along the Suez Canal. The Egyptian forces were defeated, but they did block the canal to all shipping. It later became clear that the Israeli invasion and the subsequent Anglo-French attack had been planned beforehand by the three countries.
On the 5th of November the British launch an air born attack and attempt to take El Gamil Airfield in Egyptian hands, then on the 6th a beach landing taking the Port of Said.
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