The Airmen's Stories - Sgt. G Southall

George Southall, of Wolverhampton,was born in 1920, the son of Thomas Bertram Southall and Dorothy Southall (nee Arnold).

He joined the RAFVR in October 1939 as an Airman u/t Air Gunner. He completed his training and joined 23 Squadron at Ford on 5th October 1940.

Above image courtesy of Grant Cornwell.

He was a member of the crew of Blenheim L6686 which ran out of fuel returning from an offensive night patrol over France on 22nd December 1940 and crashed into the Channel off the Isle of Wight.

The three men on board baled out. The pilot, F/Sgt. Loveridge, landed safely at Shanklin on the Isle of Wight. Southall and the observer, Sgt. A Newman, landed in the sea and both were drowned. Their bodies were washed ashore.

Southall was 20 and is buried in St. Philips churchyard, Penn Fields, Wolverhampton.