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Cruickshank, Raymond Alfred

    Date of birth:
    September 27th, 1917 (Newport/Monmouthshire, Great Britain)
    Date of death:
    May 3rd, 1941
    Buried on:
    Commonwealth War Graves Newport-Christchurch Cemetery
    Plot: Ext.. Grave: 287.
    Nationality:
    British (1801-present, Kingdom)

    Biography

    Service number: 33364, Royal Air Force.

    Raymond was the only son of Raymond and Gladys Cruickshank, born many months after his father's death in the First World War.
    Educated at Newport high school, he obtained a Viscount Wakefield Scholarship, and went to the RAF College at Cranwell on the September 10th, 1936. He graduated from Cranwell on July 29th, 1938 and was posted to 149 Squadron, RAF Mildenhal l, Suffolk on July 30th, 1938.
    Raymond Cruickshank had Crash landed at Stambourne, Essex on April 21st, 1941 while flying sterling Bomber no N6009 on return from Ops to Koln - non of the crew were injured)
    He was married on April 26th, 1941 to Section officer Daphne Garrod WAAF
    Within a week of his marriage on the night May 2nd/3rd 1941 he was a pilot aboard sterling aircraft N6012, operating with 7 Squadron based at Oakington, Cambridgeshire, the crew were returning from operational duties to Hamburg when the aircraft hit trees when circling to make an approach and continued for 200 yards, crashing on it's back at Dry Drayton, Cambridgeshire, at 02:31 hours. Sadly the entire crew lost their lives as a result of the crash.
    Other members of the crew were: - 969726 Sgt R S Harvey, 944678 Sgt GW Smith, 625698 Sgt S A Hives, 755776 Sgt E Barratt, 755698 F/Sgt J MacIntyre, 572032 Sgt K F Wilson.
    He was buried in Christchurch Cemetery Newport on May 8th, 1941,the funeral service was held at St Mark's Church, Newport.

    Promotions:

    30 July, 1938: Pilot Officer;
    30th January 1940: Flying Officer;
    30th January 1941: Flight Lieutenant (War subs.).

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    Period:
    Second World War (1939-1945)
    Rank:
    Pilot Officer
    Unit:
    No. 149 Squadron, Royal Air Force
    Awarded on:
    February 20th, 1940
    Received for gallantry and devotion to duty in the execution of air operations.
    Mentioned in Dispatches
    Period:
    Second World War (1939-1945)
    Rank:
    Flying Officer
    Unit:
    No. 149 Squadron, Royal Air Force
    Awarded on:
    June 7th, 1940
    Citation:
    "This officer has been engaged on operational flying since the beginning of the war and has carried out many raids, security patrols and North Sea sweeps. One night in May 1940, he was ordered to make a bombing attack on bridges over the Meuse in one of the most heavily defended points in the operational area. In spite of almost impenetrable fire, by which his aircraft was hit, he descended to a low altitude and withheld his bombs until certain of the position of the target which he successfully hit. His coolness, determination and dogged disregard of danger enabled him to inflict severe damage on the enemy communications under most difficult conditions."

    Published in the London Gazette dated 7th June 1940.
    Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)
    Period:
    Second World War (1939-1945)
    Rank:
    Flight Lieutenant
    Unit:
    No. 149 Squadron, Royal Air Force
    Awarded on:
    October 22nd, 1940
    Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)
    Citation:
    "This officer has been continuously engaged in operations since the outbreak of war, and since April has proved himself an outstanding captain of aircraft. In recent night raids, he has pressed forward in spite of unfavourable weather conditions and on all but one occasion has managed to reach and bomb his target with great success, although this has often meant flying at low altitude in the face of severe anti-aircraft fire. On these occasions Flight Lieutenant Cruickshank's skilful avoiding action has prevented casualty [sic, "casualties ?] to his crew or serious damage to his aircraft."

    Second DFC awarded as a bar to be worn on the ribbon of the first DFC.

    Sources

    Photo