Sergeant 1549534 Edward Heaton

Family details:
Son of Cecilia Heaton, of St. Helens, Lancashire.

Census details:
1939 Register. Unfortunately Edward and two other members of the household are redacted. Mother Cecilia P M Heaton (single) born 11/01/1900 an Unpaid Domestic. Uncle Joseph A Heaton (single) born 20/01/1901 a Sorting Clerk Telegraphist General Post Office (Postal) are living at 20 Vincent Street, St Helens the home of widowed grandfather Richard G Heaton born 10/08/1863 an Upholsterer (Old Age Pensioner Retired). Also at the address are Bert Maddison (married) born 23/10/1883 a Comedian and Alice A Yelding (married) born 31/05/1904 a Music Hall Artist (On Tour).

No 161 Squadron was a "special duties" Squadron formed in February 1942. It operated a variety of aircraft including Lysanders, Havocs and Hudsons for Landing and picking up agents from Occupied Europe and its Whitleys, Halifaxes and Stirlings for supply dropping missions. These missions where top secret and highly risky with losses of aircraft running as high as one per week. The SOE (Special Operations Executive) used 161 & 138 Squadrons from their base at RAF Tempsford to deliver and pickup their agents from Europe. [pic]imgs/WW2_misc/WW2_ROH_1549534_Heaton.jpg[/pic] [pic]imgs/sppics/runnymede231.jpg[/pic][caption]Edward is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial (Picture by PaulC)[/caption]