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The Airmen's Stories - P/O B H Herrick

 

Brian Henry Herrick was born in Hastings, New Zealand on 1st February 1915, the son of Edward Jasper and Ethne Rose Herrick.

He attended Wanganui Collegiate School from 1929 to 1933. He later travelled to England to study accountancy in London but abandoned this to join the RAF on a short service commission.

Herrick began his flying training at 3 E&RFTS Hamble on 6th March 1939, moved to 12 FTS Grantham on 13th May and joined the newly-formed 236 Squadron at Stradishall on 6th November. He served with it throughout the Battle.

 

 

On 1st November 1940 Herrrick was posted to 272 Squadron. On the 24th Blenheim IV Z5734 XK-D was airborne from Aldergrove on a convoy escort. It may have misidentified a Fulmar in the area or engaged in a practice dogfight with it but in any case eyewitnesses on HMS Vesper reported that the Blenheim stalled off a turn and dived into the North Channel.

Herrick, Sgt. PR Smith and Sgt. JG Hair were all lost.

Herrick is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, panel 6.

One of six brothers, he was the elder brother of P/O MJ Herrick, who flew with 25 Squadron in the Battle and was killed in action on 16th June 1944.

Another brother, P/O DT Herrick, was shot down attacking shipping in Blenheim V6087 PZ-O of 53 Squadron on 26th June 1941.

He was rescued by the Germans and taken to the German Naval Hospital at Lorient. He died aged 29 on the 30th June and was buried in Lorient (Kerentrech) Communal Cemetery.

His crewmembers Sgt. GFW Gahagan and Sgt. GL Wells were reported Missing.

 

 

Above image courtesy of Dean Sumner.

 


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