The Airmen's Stories - Sgt. S W Merryweather

Sydney William Merryweather was born in July 1914 in Barnet, London, the son of Sydney William Merryweather and Nellie Merryweather (nee Snell).

He joined the RAF about August 1934 as an Aircrafthand. He later applied for pilot training and was selected.

With his training completed, Merryweather joined 229 Squadron at its formation at Digby in early October 1939.

He married Phyllis Margaret Davies in Blackpool in January 1940.

He was posted to France with a 229 detachment in May 1940 and claimed a Me109 destroyed. Over Dunkirk in late May he destroyed another.

Above: the photo caption says '...taken two days before he was killed'

After a combat with Me110s over Southampton on 26th September 1940 Merryweather made a forced-landing at Hambledon in Hurricane V6745. He was wounded and slightly burned.

He was killed on 5th June 1942 as a Warrant Officer with 174 Squadron, operating in Hurricanes from Manston. He was practicing strafing on a wreck on the Goodwin Sands together with F/Lt. CD Hunt when it is presumed they had a midair collision. Hunt was also killed, his body was recovered but Merryweather's was not and he is commemorated, age 27, on the Runnymede Memorial.

Merryweather was awarded the DFM (gazetted 26th June 1942).

Above image courtesy of Dean Sumner.