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Squadron Leader George Roderick Hartwell BLACK (37373)
77 Squadron Royal Air Force Date of birth: 15th April 1913 Date of death: 15th October 1940 Killed in action aged 27 Buried at Barkby Cemetery Section W Grave 50
George Roderick Hartwell Black was born at Gunthorpe in Nottinghamshire on the 15th of April 1913 the son of George Hartwell Black OL, director of a printing works, and Gertrude (nee Tomlin) Black of 70 Mapperley Road, Nottingham. He was educated at Lancing College where he was in Olds House from May 1927 to April 1928. He went on to Nottingham High School from May 1928 to 1930 where he was a member of the Officer Training Corps. On leaving school he went to work for his father’s printing firm. He was granted a commission as a Pilot Officer on probation in the Royal Air Force Special Reserve of Officers on the 16th of March 1932 and was confirmed in his rank on the 21st of March 1933. He was awarded his "Wings" on the 20th of March 1933 and was promoted to Flying Officer on the 16th of September 1933. He was attached to the Royal Air Force from the Royal Air Force Reserve for the period 24th of April 1935 to the 23rd of October 1935 after which he relinquished his commission in the reserve to take a short service commission in the Royal Air Force with the rank of Pilot Officer on probation with effect from the 24th of October 1935. He was confirmed in the rank of Pilot Officer on the 24th of October 1936. He was promoted to Flying Officer on the 24th of April 1937 and to Flight Lieutenant on the 24th of April 1939. He was married in 1940 at Barrow-upon-Soar in Leicestershire to Vera Kathleen Charlotte (nee Brown) and they lived at 7 Bristol Wood, Cranwell in Lincolnshire. He was promoted to Squadron Leader on the 1st of September 1940. He was serving at RAF Cranwell when he applied for a transfer to Bomber Command. The move was approved and he was granted ten days leave before joining 77 Squadron a week before he died. On the night of the 14th /15th of October 1940 78 Hampdens, Wellingtons and Whitneys were despatched by Bomber Command on operations to Berlin, Stettin, Bohlen, Magdeburg and Le Havre. George Black and his crew took off at 5.40pm on the 14th of October 1940 from RAF Topcliffe in North Yorkshire flying Whitley Mk V T4206 KN-A for the Stettin raid to attack the nearby synthetic oil plant, Hydrierwerke Politz AG. It was his first operational mission. As the formation crossed the enemy coast at Cuxhaven they came under heavy anti aircraft fire but continued to towards the target. They then flew around the defences at Stettin to attack the oil installation where sixty high explosive bombs and a large number of incendiaries fell on the plant causing large fires which did so much damage that production was stopped for four weeks. Some returning crews reported that during their return journey, that they could see the fires from the plant when they were a hundred miles away. At 3.30am the following morning the aircraft returned to base to find weather conditions of a 500 feet cloud base and visibility of 1,000 yards. The airfield's flare path had been lit, as had the hanger observation lights. When the pilot attempted to land he made a very tight circuit, evidently with the intention of keeping the flare path in sight. He overshot the flare path and was forced to make another circuit. As they came in to land for the second time the pilot approached very slowly and was on the edge of stalling when he undershot the landing area and hit a tree before crashing. The impact threw Sergeants Coogan, Boddington and Garwood clear of the wreckage while the rear gunner escaped through a hatch. It is thought that George Black was rendered unconsious and died in the ensuing fire. The rest of the crew were injured but not seriously. The crew was: - Squadron Leader George Roderick Hartwell Black (2nd Pilot) Sergeant Thomas Edward Coogan DFM (Pilot) (Killed in action on the 16th of March 1942) Sergeant P. Boddington (Observer) Sergeant George James Garwood (Wireless Operator) Sergeant James William Woodroffe (Air Gunner) (Killed in action on the 30th of April 1941) Although no aircraft were lost during the raid two others also crashed while returning to their bases. His wife received the following telegram dated the 15th of October 1940: - "Deeply regret to inform you that your husband Squadron Leader George Roderick Hartwell Black is reported to have lost his life as a result of air operations. Letter follows. The Air Council express their profound sympathy." He is commemorated on the war memorial at Nottingham High School and on the memorial at St Mary's Church, New Barkby in Leicestershire.

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