Date of birth:

September 3rd, 1920

Nationality:

British

Sharp was a navigator, flight sergeant in the NZ squadron. Born 3rd sept 1922, and joined the RAF in July 1938.

Flgt Sgt Sharp took place in active service throughout the war. He dropped bombs on barges preparing for operation Sealion and dropped chaff on D Day in the English Channel.

He completed 3 tours (90 raids) on the enemy. Crash landed on the 20th October 1940 after War Ops.

"I was swapping stories with my Mum earlier and Dad had told us he was on one a raid on the 5th July 1940 (not crew) with NZ J Ward who won the VC by climbing out on the wing to put out a fire. Interestingly the J Ward citation has the raid on the 7th July, and not the 5th, but I would trust my Dad’s log book over a civil servant.

My Dad also noted the raid was "dead easy". Dad told me that he mentioned to Jimmy Ward he was going into Norwich and Jimmy asked my Dad to pick a VC ribbon to wear before he received his medal. My Dad was mobbed in the shop when he asked for the ribbon and had to calm the shop assistants down. Sadly Jimmy Ward died very shortly afterwards.

My Dad credited his survival to his pilot who repeatedly crash dived his plane to the right if they were caught by the search lights when climbing into the clouds after a raid. Once they did this 12 times in a row. Most pilots intuitively pulled their places to the left because their right arm was stronger. He said that the German gunners were much slower at turning their guns to the right because it was a harder movement to make with their shoulders.
- Robin Sharp

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• Photo 1: Robin Sharp
• - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/36131/supplement/3631/data.pdf
  - Robin Sharp