Flight Sergeant Wallace Gale Arlidge

   Cause of his death was Previously reported as missing in air operations, now for official purposes presumed dead.

  Medical Notes:

Note that his brother Kent was killed when he was accidentally run over by his mother reversing the car over him.

Halifax V serial DK239 code NA-Q from 428 Squadron took off from RAF Middleton St George at 2223 on the evening of 29/07/1943 on Ops to Hamburg (see below) and was shot down by a night fighter ands exploded in the vicinity of Luneburg.

Sgnt Arlidge was attached from 35 Squadron for the mission, or was awaiting posting to 35 Squadron. Of the 7 crew members 6 were reported killed in action they were as follows

R/156931 Flight Sergeant (Nav.) Wallace Gale Arlidge RCAF


R/131551 Flight Sergeant (Pilot) David Henderson Bates RCAF. Son of Franklin Richard and Effie Corine Henderson Bates, of St. George, Utah, U.S.A. School Teacher.

R/135100 Flight Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Louise Joseph Roger Andre Pelland RCAF. Son of Albert and Jeanne Pelland, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.

1684906 Sergeant (Flt. Engr.) Thomas Idwell Hughes. Son of Thomas and Rebecca Hughes, of Holyhead, Anglesey.



1368326 Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr.) James Galloway. Son of James Galloway, and of Helen Paterson Galloway, of Grangemouth, Stirlingshire.

R/161983 Sergeant (Air Gnr.) George Conrad Nault RCAF. Husband of Kathleen Elizabeth Nault, of Capreol, Ontario, Canada.



One member of the crew managed to escape the crash and was taken prisoner of war
R/157401 Sergeant (Bm.Aim) P Demcoe RCAF who was taken to Stalag Luft L6



29/30 July 1943 Operations to Hamburg



777 aircraft took part in the raid including 340 Lancasters, 244 Halifaxes, 119 Stirlings, 70 Wellingtons, 4 Mosquitos. The marking for this raid was again all by H2S. The intention was to approach Hamburg from almost due north and bomb those northern and north-eastern districts which had so far not been bombed. The Pathfinders actually came in more than 2 miles too far to the east and marked an area just south of the devastated firestorm area. The Main Force bombing crept back about 4 miles, through the devastated area, but then produced very heavy bombing in the Wandsbek and Barmbek districts and parts of the Uhlenhorst and Winterhude districts. These were all residential areas. There was a widespread fire area - though no firestorm - which the exhausted Hamburg fire units could do little to check. 28 aircraft were lost in the raid including 11 Halifaxes, 11 Lancasters and 4 Stirlings

  Noted events in his life were:

• Residence: 66 Harper Avenue Toronto.

• Occupation: RCAF Navigator - Flight Sergeant, 1943.

• Military Service: 35 (RAF) Sqdn, 1943. Service Number R/156931 - In the summer of 1943 35 Sqdn flew Handley Page Halifax bombers