Christopher Patrick MIDDLETON
Known as Pat

Serial Number: NZ413337
RNZAF Trade: Air Gunner
Date of Enlistment: 15th of June 1941
Date of Demob: 13th of December 1945
Rank Achieved: Warrant Officer
Flying Hours: hours
Operational Sorties: Ops

Date of Birth: 8th of November 1917, at Hora Hora, Cambridge
Personal Details:

Service Details: Pat joined No. 75 (NZ) Squadron on the 26th of December 1942, in the following crew as the Rear Gunner in Short Stirlings.

Also in his crew were:
P/O Raymond Frederick Bennett, (NZ415282, Captain)
W/O Stanley Leo Kanvanagh (NZ41403579, Wireless Op-Air Gunner)
F/Sgt Raymond Fraser Norman (NZ416145, Second Pilot)
F/Sgt James Allen Pirie (RCAF, R.108000, Mid Upper Gunner)
F/Sgt Frederick Alexander Bandy (RAF, 1318948, Air Bomber)
Sgt Alan Lloyd Davidson (NZ411864, Navigator)
Sgt J.B. Harrison (RAF, 1052295, Flight Engineer)

Other airmen who served with this crew at varying times included
F/O William Rosser Perrott (NZ416155, Second Pilot )
P/O William Barron Kane (RAF, 1312222, Air Bomber)
F/Sgt William James Henry Berriman (NZ411361, Air Bomber)
Sgt George Wood Cook (NZ412514, Air Bomber)
F/Sgt R.V. Weavers (RAF, 1290831, Wireless Operator)
Sgt Irvine Robert Furness (NZ412876, Wireless Operator-Air Gunner)

Pat's operational sorties with No. 75 (NZ) Squadron were as follows:

Date	Short Stirling	Target	Note
18/19 Jan 1943	BK624	Mine Laying ("Gardening") in Gironde Esturary	Night Op, were intercepted by three fighters but out manoeuvred them
5/6 Feb 1943	R9243	Mine Laying ("Gardening") at Frisian Islands	Night Op, no enemy contact
7/8 Feb 1943	N6123	Raid on Lorient U-Boat Pens	Night Op, Returned to base early after intercom failed
13/14 Feb 1943	BF398	Raid on Lorient U-Boat Pens	Night Op
14/15 Feb 1943	W7469	Raid on Cologne	Night Op
26/27 Feb 1943	BK647	Raid on Cologne	Night Op
27/28 Feb 1943	BK647	Mine Laying at St Jean de Lurz area	Night Op
1/2 March 1943	BK664	Raid on Berlin	Night Op
3/4 March 1943	W7469	Raid on Hamburg	Night Op
5/6 March 1943	BK664	Raid on Essen	Night Op, however not completed as crew suffered engine failure on take off and crashed, without injury
8/9 March 1943	W7513	Raid on Nuremberg	Night Op
12/13 Mar 1943	N3683	Raid on Essen	Night Op
27/28 Mar 1943	BF456	Raid on Berlin	Night Op
29/30 Mar 1943	BF456	Raid on Berlin	Night Op - Aborted Early
8/9 April 1943	BF465	Raid on Duisberg	Night Op - Forced to return early due to severe icing
10/11 April 1943	W7513	Raid on Frankfurt	Night Op
14/15 April 1943	BF465	Raid on Stuttgart	Night Op
16/17 April 1943	BK776	Raid on Ludwigshafen	Night Op
20/21 April 1943	BK776	Raid on Rostock	Night Op
22/23 April 1943	BK776	Mine Laying in Bay of Biscay	Night Op
12/13 May 1943	Unknown	Raid on Duisberg	Night Op
13/14 May 1943	BK776	Raid on Bochum	Night Op
23/24 May 1943	BK776	Raid on Dortmund	Night Op
25/16 May 1943	BK776	Raid on Dusseldorf	Night Op
29/30 May 1943		Raid on Wuppertal, the Ruhr Valley	Night Op, shot down

 

As noted above, on the night of the 29/30 May 1943 during a raid on Wuppertal, the Stirling that Pat and his crew was in was shot down by flak, in flames, and he was forced to bale out. The aircraft crashed at Odenspiel.

Raymond Bennett, James Pirie, Fred Bandy, Stanley Kavanagh and Raymond Norman were all killed. Pat was captured by the Germans and became a prisoner of war at Dulag Luft, then Stalag VI and finally Stalag 357. Also captured and made POW were Alan Davidson and J.P. Harrison.

Pat was repatriated to the UK on the 7th of May 1945.

Date of Death:
Place of Death: Tauranga

Connection with Cambridge: Pat lived in Cambridge before WWII

Note: I interviewed Pat some years ago via telephone and in due course I will get the interview recording transcribed and the details up here. If you ahve any queries please get in touch.

________________________________________________________________