Bernard George Barker

A Sergeant with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Bernard died on 4th of October 1944 aged 21. 

Bernard was born on 17 February 1923, a son of Frank Nelson and Lily Beatrice Barker. In 1939 his family lived at The Police Station, Mendham, where his father was a Police Constable. Bernard worked from the London and North Eastern Railway at Harleston Station and was a well known sportsman, playing cricket and football with local clubs. 
By 1944 Bernard’s parents were living at 10 Lorne Park Road, Lowestoft, and later they lived at 50 Worthing Road.    
In May 1944 Bernard went to Canada to train to be a Pilot and received his “wings” shortly before he died. In October 1944 Bernard was serving with 5 Operational Training Unit based at Abbotsford, Canada. 

On 3/4 October 1944 Bernard was a member of the crew of a Liberator VI aircraft, number EW127 ‘V’, that was taking part in a night navigation exercise. Early in the morning of 4 October the aircraft was found to be missing. The bomber had crashed some 12 miles north-west of Patricia Bay, Vancouver Island, and all of the crew were killed. The aircraft had caught on fire and exploded, possibly due to a leaking fuel tank. 

WITH THANKS TO: Malcolm Barrass