The Airmen's Stories - P/O F N Hargreaves

Frederick Norman Hargreaves was born on 19th April 1917 in Whitefield, Lancashire, the son of James Frederick Raymond Hargreaves and Annie Hargreaves.

His father died in 1923, as he had been a benefactor of Cheadle Hulme School Frederick was admitted there as a boarder aged seven.

He was active in the Scouts, the cricket team and the dramatic society. After leaving in 1934 he joined Threlfalls Brewery as a stocktaking clerk.

Hargreaves joined the RAF on a short service commission in June 1939. After completing his training he was posted to 92 Squadron at Croydon on 22nd March 1940.

Having lost his bearings during night flying from Bibury on 27th August Hargreaves baled out and landed at Red House Farm, Blaxhall. His aircraft, Spitfire P9548, crashed near Marlesford, Suffolk.

Hargreaves failed to return from a combat over Dungeness on 11th September and was reported 'Missing'. His Spitfire, K9793, is presumed to have gone into the sea.

He was 21 and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, panel 8.

Above image courtesy of Dean Sumner.

For three years one of his fellow boarders at Cheadle Hulme School was Arthur William Clarke, who went on to serve with 504 Squadron and was killed on the same day as Hargreaves, he lies at the crash site on Romney Marsh and is also commemorated on this website.