Henry Foy

Rank:Sergeant (W.Op/Air Gnr)Number:1684642
Ship/Rgn/Sqn No:031 (S.A.A.F.) Sqn RAFVR
Name of Rgt or Ship:Royal Air Force V.R.
Died:13/10/1944Age:21
Country of burial:ItalyGrave Photo:No
Cemetery or Memorial:Milan Cemetery
Town Memorial:Not Listed
Extra Information:
Born on the 18th November 1922, the birth being registered during the
December quarter 1922 in the Chorlton R.D. - ref: 8c/1308, the son of
Thomas Wilfred & Ada Broster Foy (nee Jones).

1939 National Registration - 11 Stamford Street, Old Trafford, Manchester. 
  Son - Born on the 18th November 1922 - Single - occ: Brewer's Loader.  
Head of household - Charles E. Pendleton - Married - occ: Brewery Drayman. 
Also Ada B. Pendleton - Wife - and their three children.   Henry's younger
brother - George Foy was also residing at this address. Born: 31st July
1924 and employed as a Milk Delivery Boy.   No trace of his parents.

Died 12th - 13th October 1944.    One of eight crew members 31 Sqn SAAF -
Liberator KG999 which was one of five Liberators that crashed that night
whilst taking part in the same mission to drop supplies to partisans in the
north of Italy, near to Lake Maggiore.   The weather was bad with poor
visibility and high winds and the aircraft crashed into a mountainside NW
of Turin - possibly blown off course & crew unable to see the mountain
until too late. 

Manchester Evening News appeal 11/01/2003 by an Anne Storm of Wiltshire -
Tel: 01672-520-575   e-mail: storm04@globalnet.co.uk.

E-Mail message from her - "My Australian RAAF father was a crew member of a
31 SAAF Liberator KH158 which disappeared, with 8 crew [5 SAAF, 2 RAF, 1
RAAF] while on a sortie to drop supplies to Italian partisans on 12/13th
Oct 1944, wreckage never found, possibly in the Med. sea.    I have been
researching his disappearance & the squadron, wartime history & events of
12/10/44 .      4 other planes of 31 & 34 sqdns crashed on that mission &
their wreckage was eventually found.The 6th, my father's was never found.  
   Twenty planes had taken off, each with 8 crew, so 48 men were lost that
night -8 from 34 SAAF [1 aircraft] & the rest from 31 SAAF [5 aircraft]
 
I have been trying to find relatives of the RAF crew of KG999 for a friend
in SA who is the nephew of the Liberator's pilot, CP Nel.    I know Henry
Foy came from Old Trafford because of the "sortie missing" report & the
CWGC debt of honour site.    His mother may have remarried as her Ada
Broster name is different on the missing report to that on the CWGC site -
but may be a mistake.    Perhaps the mother moved from Old Trafford after
Henry died & did not get his name put in the Memorial Book - or did the
town council do that sort of thing ? 
 
31 SAAF was a Sth African Sqn based in Celone, Foggia, Italy 1944-45.    
They lost a lot of crew during the Warsaw supply drops & were joined by RAF
crews.     My father had been in Italy with 104 Sqn RAF from Jan 44 to July
44 when he was seconded to 31 SAAF.     He was a F/O & Observer & had left
Sydney in 1943 to train for war in England /Scotland".



Memorials found on:
St.Bride's (Old Trafford)
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