Bernard Kenneth Sparkes (1921 - 1944)

Born Mar 1921 in Peterborough, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Audrey Dorothea (Collins) Miller — married Jul 1943 (to 20 Feb 1944) in Bromley Kent

Died 20 Feb 1944 at age 22 in Hanover, Hanover, Prussia, Germany

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Nick Miller [send private message]

Biography

Bernard Sparkes was born in Peterborough,, Northamptonshire, England.

Sargent Bernard Sparkes served in the Royal Air Force in World War II
Service started: 1940
Unit(s): Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 625 Sqdn.
Service ended: K I A 20 February 1944

Sergeant RAFVR Bernard Sparkes was Killed in Action over Germany , 20 February 1944 during World War II.

Birth Registration
Registration Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar
Registration Year: 1921
Event Place: Peterborough, Northamptonshire, England
Mother's Maiden Name: Lambert

Sparkes family abode 1921

Sparkes family 1921 census

Transcript:
6 Hills Yard, Peterborough, Northamptonshire
Arthur George Sparkes, Head, 25 years 2 months, London, Shoreditch, Fireman, Fire Brigade, Great Eastern Railway Co, London, Peterborough Northapptonshire.
Edith Sparkes, Wife, 26 yers 8 months, Bradford Yorkshire.
Edith Sparkes, Daughter, 1 year 9 months, Bradford, Yorkshire.
Bernard Kenneth Sparkes, 0 years 4 months, Peterborough Northamptonshire.

Geographical Notes and Social context: Peterborough is an ancient cathedral city on the River Nene close to the GHreat North Road.
By 1901 the population of Peterborough stood at around 30,000. During the 20th century conditions in Peterborough improved. In 1900 it gained an electricity supply. Feoffee almshouses were built in Cumbergate in 1903 and between 1903 and 1930 electric trams ran through the streets of Peterborough. The first cinema in Peterborough opened in 1911. In the 1920s the first council houses were built in Peterborough. ^[1]
Peterborough in 1914 was a bustling mid-sized city, dominated by both its ancient Cathedral and by the railway, which was the biggest employer. It had been a small medieval market town until the coming of the railways in 1845, but had then expanded rapidly, its population multiplying tenfold in the next half century to 35,000. Other industries locally had benefitted or arrived here as a result of the railway, including the manufacture of bricks and a number of engineering companies.^[2]

Resided at 'Chalet du Bois', The Grove, Biggin Hill. His sister Edith Sparkes passed away in 1934 at Biggin Hill.
!939 Register
Bernard K Sparkes
DoB 1921
Residence: Hawthorns Edward Road, Biggin Hill
Orpington U.D. England^[3]

Marriage Registration
Event Place: Bromley, Kent, England
Registration Year: 1943
Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Spouse: Audrey D Collins

Buried Hanover Germany.
Note: Bio notes:
Parents Arthur George Sparks & Edith Lambeth
Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.

Avro Lancaster Serial Number JA862 Squadron 625 X1D CF-T
Lost Operation Leipzig Date 1 19th February 1944 Date 2 20th February 1944

JA862 was delivered to No.460 Sqdn at Binbrook 6 Jul 43, joining No.625 Sqdn 2 Dec 43.

Leipzig 19/20 Feb 44-Lost. When lost this aircraft had a total of 381.43 hours. JA862 was one of three No.625 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation.
Airborne 23.33 19 Feb 44 from Kelstern. Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed 02.43 20 Feb 44 6 km N of the airfield at Langenhagen and in the vicinity of Resse-Wiechendorf.

Crew:

S/L B. N. Douetil PoW
Sgt J. Gill KIA
F/s F. T. Price PoW (Included here but died later as a POW)
Sgt W. H. McMillan KIA
P/O B. V. Cude KIA
Sgt B. K. Sparkes KIA
F/O F. L. Hale KIA

In Memory of
Sergeant JOHN GILL
1675512, 625 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died age 20 on 20 February 1944. Remembered with honour HANOVER WAR CEMETERY

Warrant Officer FRED THOMAS PRICE
1509811, 625 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died age 23 on 30 April 1945. Remembered with honour BERLIN 1939-1945 WAR CEMETERY

Sergeant WILLIAM HENRY McMILLAN
1383001, 625 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died age 26 on 20 February 1944. Remembered with honour HANOVER WAR CEMETERY

Pilot Officer BASIL VINCENT CUDE
170096, 625 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died on 20 February 1944. Remembered with honour HANOVER WAR CEMETERY

Sergeant BERNARD KENNETH SPARKES
1320930, 625 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died age 23 on 20 February 1944. Son of Arthur and Edith Sparkes Of Peterborough; husband of Audrey Sparkes nee Collins. Remembered with honour HANOVER WAR CEMETERY

Flying Officer FREDERICK LESLIE HALE
146250, 625 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died age 39 on 20 February 1944. Remembered with honour HANOVER WAR CEMETERY

Commonwealth War Graves Sergeant BERNARD KENNETH SPARKES Service Number: 1320930 Regiment & Unit/Ship Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 625 Sqdn. Date of Death 20 February 1944 Age 23 years old Buried or commemorated at HANOVER WAR CEMETERY 16. C. 17. Germany Country of Service United Kingdom Additional Info Son of Arthur and Edith Sparkes; husband of Audrey Sparkes.

Sources

1. ↑ https://localhistories.org/a-history-of-peterborough/
2. ↑ https://peterboroughww1.co.uk/peterborough-druring-world-war-1/
3. ↑ https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/results?datasetname=1939%20register&firstname=bernard%20kenneth&firstname_variants=true&lastname=sparkes&yearofbirth=1921&yearofbirth_offset=2&sid=999

• "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV3W-NCZ7 : 2 October 2014), null in entry for Bernard K Sparkes, 1921; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, Peterborough, Northamptonshire, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.
• "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV8T-TFVJ : 8 October 2014), Bernard K Sparkes and null, 1943; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1943, quarter 3, vol. 2A, p. 1892, Bromley, Kent, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
• http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/lancaster-ja862-of-625-squadron.33605/
• https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2101035/name/
• http://www.aircrewremembered.com/douetil-barry-nicholas.html