In Memory of
Raymond Frederick Charles DEAN
Sergeant
1167919
Pilot
501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died on
Monday 17 November 1941
Cemetery
BREVANDS CHURCHYARD, Manche, France.
Location Information
The village and commune of Brévands (now part of Carentan-les-Marais) is 6 kilometres north-west of Carentan, a town on the Cherbourg-Paris road (N.13) and railway line. There is 1 Commonwealth burial of the 1939-1945 war here, 27 metres north of the north-eastern corner of the church.
Circumstances
Extracts from the memorial at Brévands:
Ray was born and grew up in Woodlands Cottage, Ripley, in the New Forest in the UK. He joined the Royal Air Force as soon as he turned 18. At the end of his training he was posted to Royal Air Force (RAF) Ibsley, also in the New Forest. There, he joined 501 County of Gloucester RAF Reserve Squadron.
On the fateful day, he was flying Red 2 (*) next to Pilot Officer Phil Stanbury on Operation Rhubarb (**). They had successfully attacked several targets around Cherbourg before sighting some fortifications near Brévands. Unknown to them, an anti aircraft battery had been set up in the grounds of a castle in Brévands the previous day.
Phil Stanbury flew into cloud losing sight of Ray who was below the cloud and an easy target for the battery. Ray was shot down and killed by the anti aircraft guns.
Ray was buried at the crash site the night of November 17, 1941 before being buried in Brévands Churchyard the following day, by the German troops, with fully honours.
(*) In Spitfire Vb AD129 SD-‘K’
(**) Rhubarb: Small scale freelance fighter sorties against ground targets of opportunity.
A Facebook group has been created to honor Sgt RAYMOND DEAN and THE PILOTS of IBSLEY GROUP where more photos and details can be found.
© The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
© RAF WWII 38 Group Squadrons Reunited