Add Information to Record of a Person who served during the Second World War on The Wartime Memories Project Website
Add Information to Record of a Person who served during the Second World War on The Wartime Memories Project Website
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231161
P/O Peter Denys Parkes
Royal Air Force 37 Sqn
from:Banstead, Surrey
(d.5th May 1944)
Peter Denys Parkes was the son of Major Denys Parkes and Mrs Dorothy Parkes of Lingfield, formerly of 15 Green Curve, Banstead, Surrey.
He was born on the 22 September 1924 and attended The Priory, a boys’ school at the western end of Banstead village and then Sutton County Grammar School. In 1940 he joined the RAF Voluntary Reserve and spent part of 1942 and 43 training in Canada. Following the end of his training, Peter went to RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland to 20 Operational Training Unit.
His training completed, Peter joined 37 Squadron in North Africa. At the end of December 1943, the Squadron moved to Tortorella. During the early months of 1944, 37 Squadron was kept busy conducting bombing raids against the enemy, often in an attempt to disrupt supply lines to the front line. In May, roads, railways, marshalling yards and docks were again to be targeted by the Squadron.
Peter Parkes and his crew failed to return from a mission to bomb the Ploetsi oil refinery in Rumania on the 5th May 1944.