• Short Stirling

Date of death:

April 11th, 1944

Buried on:

Commonwealth War Cemetery Mazargues
Plot: 3. Row: D. Grave: 13.

Service number:

1227253 (NCO)/162782 (Officer)

Nationality:

British (1801-present, Kingdom)

Having taken part in many bombing raids over Germany and survived a crash landing at sea and becoming a member of the Goldfish Club P/O Northover was shotdown on the 10th/11th of April 1944. During the run up to the Allied invasion of German occupied France P/O Northover was acting as Navigator in the MKIII Short Stirling OJ-G, serial no. EF-502, 149 Squadron, which was running an SOE sortie codenamed PIMENTO 68. Please note the specific mention of "special missions" in the citation. The operation was to drop supplies to the PIMENTO Resistance circuit in Southern France. One of the most successful and largest Resistance networks PIMENTO was a prolific executor of acts of sabotage against the German run rail network. On route to a drop off at Boyeux Saint Jerome Northover’s Stirling was hit by Flax just outside St Rambert and crashed at St Jean Le Vieux. Two of the crew, Pilgrim and Cadge managed to parachute to safety and evaded capture to return to Britain. Northover and the rest of the crew were eventually interred in Mazargues Cemetery, Marseilles. A monument dedicated to the crew can be found in St Jean Le Vieux.

Promotions:
? Flight Sergeant
15 October, 1943: Pilot Oficer on probation (emergency)

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Pilot Officer

Unit:

No. 149 (East India) Squadron, Royal Air Force

Awarded on:

December 21st, 1945

Citation:
"As a Navigator, Pilot Officer Northover has completed many operational sorties against the enemy. They have been of varied nature and include attacks on such heavily defended targets as Cologne, Frankfurt and Berlin. He also participated in a number of special missions. On one occasion this officer’s aircraft was forced down onto the sea, Pilot Officer Northover was trapped inside the fuselageand only extricated half a minute before the aircraft sank. Undeterred by this hazardous experience, he has continued to display keenness for operational flying, setting a splendid example to all by his fine fighting spirit and devotion to duty."

• - The London Gazette Publication date:7 January 1944 Supplement:36323Page:214
  - The London Gazette Publication date:18 December 1945 Supplement:37399Page:6207
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Short Stirling