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Henry Stewart Farndale 1916 to 11
May 1945
FAR00832
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Headlines of Henry Farndale’s life are
in brown.
Dates are in red.
Hyperlinks to other pages are in dark blue.
References and citations are in turquoise.
Context and local history are in purple.
Geographical
context is in green.
Leeds
1916
Henry S Farndale, son of Henry and
Grace Elizabeth (nee Bell) Farndale (FAR00596B), was born in Leeds (census)
in 1916. His birth was registered in Leeds
District in the fourth quarter of 1916 (GRO
Vol 9B Page 586).
1921
Henry Farndale, head, 39,
accountant with the Royal Insurance Co Ltd, 10 Park Row, Leeds
Grace Elizabeth Farndale,
24, born Richmond, Surrey
Edward Francis Farndale,
son, 6, in full time education, born in Leeds in about 1915
Henry Stewart Farndale, son, 4, in full time
education, born in Leeds in about 1917
Bradford
1940
Henry S Farndale, married Maria
Patchett in the second quarter of 1940 at Bradford
District (MR).
Their son and daughter, Henry
Farndale (FAR00969)
and Ivy Farndale (FAR00970)
were born in the fourth quarter of 1940.
1941
London Gazette, 24
April 1941: TRAINING BRANCH. The undermentioned are granted
commissions for the duration of hostilities as Acting Pilot Officers on probation:
… Henry Farndale (63251) …
1942
Maria
Farndale, died age 27, Wharfedale District in the fourth
quarter of 1942.
Leeds
1943
Supplement to the
London Gazette, 17 August 1943: … The commissions of the
undernoted are terminated: …Pilot Officer H Farndale (63251), 30th
July 1943 …
Military records, 17
August 1943: 521789
Corporal Henry Stuart Farndale; Service: Royal Air Force; Corporal (Pilot under
training). Son of Henry and Grace Elizabeth Farndale of Roundhay, Leeds
No. 7 Flying Training
School (7 FTS) is a former Royal Air Force flying training school that operated
between 1935 and 1994.
On the outbreak of the
Second World War on 3 September 1939, the school at RAF Desford, Leicestershire
dropped the "Reserve" and became No. 7 Elementary Flying Training
School. At its peak there were 120 Tiger Moths based at Desford, in four flights.
In mid-1940 some of these were fitted with bomb racks, in case of a German
invasion. In October 1940 the municipal airport at Braunstone was requisitioned
by the military and became a satellite airfield of Desford, with some training
taking place there.
Apart from the Tiger Moths
several other aircraft made landings at Desford. On 23 March 1942 Avro
Lancaster "W4367", from No. 106 Squadron made a forced landing at
Desford while returning from an operation, suffering minor damage. On 5
September 1943 a Boulton Paul Defiant crashed at the airfield, and was so badly
damaged that it was scrapped. In October 1943 a B-17 Flying Fortress from 547th
Bombardment Squadron, based at RAF Grafton Underwood, became lost on returning
from a raid on Germany. It landed at Desford, but overshot the runway and
crashed into a hangar, injuring two of the crew. The aircraft was later
dismantled on site.
From January 1940 Desford
also housed units of the Civilian Repair Organisation, engaged in aircraft
repairs and modifications, originally the Boulton Paul Defiant, and later the
B-25 Mitchell. Vickers-Armstrongs also had a factory at Desford to manufacture
undercarriages for Supermarine Spitfires, and also carried out the assembly of
aircraft there, with about 1,000 Spitfires rolling out of the Desford factory.
Instructor
and pupil in front of a de Havilland Tiger Moth at No. 7 EFTS, Desford. Both
wear 1930 Pattern flying suits.
1945
521789
Corporal Henry Stuart Farndale, pilot under training, Tiger Moth T6910, died on
11 May 1945, aged 28, and buried at Leeds Lawnswood Cemetery - Section V Grave
265, Leeds (Lawns Wood) Cemetery (obit non sibi, sed patriae – Not for
Self but for Country). His unit was 7 EFTS. His aircraft crashed.
Henry S Farndale, died age 28 in the second quarter of 1945,
at Meriden District, Warwickshire (DR).
During
the First World War, the major hospitals in Leeds were the 2nd Northern General
with 1,800 beds and the East Leeds War Hospital with 1,900. Leeds was also one
of the principal hospital centres in Yorkshire during the Second World War.
Leeds (Lawns Wood) Cemetery contains 138 burial of the First World War, 88 of
them forming a war graves plot in Section W. As these graves could not be
marked individually, the names of the dead are recorded on a screen wall. The
rest of the First World War burials and all of the 67 Second World War burials
are scattered throughout the cemetery. A further screen wall bears the names of
105 casualties of both wars buried in Leeds General Cemetery, where their
graves could no longer be maintained. In all, there are now 222 First World War
casualties and 91 from the Second World War commemorated in the cemetery.
The cemetery also contains Leeds (Lawns Wood) Crematorium, where there is a
memorial to 94 Second World War casualties whose remains were cremated.