Henry Brener
Observer, 9 Squadron
Service number 110788
Died 27 April 1942
Buried Bergen-op-Zoom War Cemetery, Netherlands
Age 28
Headstone Inscription
‘IN PROUD AND LOVING MEMORY OF MY BELOVED HUSBAND. WIFE MARY AND DAUGHTER CAROL’
Henry was born in Nottingham on the 27 March 1914, the son of Russian born parents David and Alice née Kaufman. Husband of Mary née Segelman. Father of Carolyn. Henry’s father David worked as a hosiery dealer in Nottingham. Henry attended Nottingham High school from 1923 to 1930 as is commemorated on the school memorial.
Henry’s wife Mary lived in Burnley, Lancashire where she worked in a tailors and outfitters before their marriage in 1940. Their daughter Carolyn was born in 1941 and the family were living in Nelson, Lancashire when Henry was killed.
Henry was the observer in Wellington X3638 which took off from RAF Honington to Cologne on 22 April 1944 on an experimental ‘Gee’ operation. The aircraft was hit by flak and crashed at Ottermere Farm 6km south of Roosendaal at 02.30 killing two crew. Henry died from his injuries five days later.
The crew were:
Pilot, Owen Cicero Charles Barnes, age 30, killed
Pilot, Robert Harvey Armstrong, killed
W/Op A/G, J.P. McCrossan, POW 357 Stalag Kopernikus, Poland
W/Op A/G, R.P. Williams, POW 357 Stalag Kopernikus, Poland
A/Gnr, D.R.F. Wellock, POW 4b Stalag Muhlberg-Elbe, Germany