Boggon, Michael Gordon, 1922-1942

Person

Boggon, Michael Gordon, 1922-1942

1922-1942

Boggon, Michael Gordon, son of Nicholas Gordon Boggon of Hampstead, and Ruth, d. of John Henry Morgan of Northfield, Birmingham; b. 19 Mar. 1922; adm. Jan. 1936 (R); left July 1939; RAFVR 1941-2 (FO); m. 20 Dec. 1941 Yvonne Patricia, d. of Maj. Raymond Hartmann; killed in action Apr. 1942.

Michael Gordon “Mike” Boggon was born at Richmond, Surrey on the 19th of March 1922 the eldest son of Nicholas Gordon Boggon, a company director, and Ruth (nee Morgan) Boggon of “Linkwood”, Radlett in Hertfordshire, later of 11, Constable Close, Hendon in Middlesex. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from January 1936 to July 1939.
He was married at St George’s Church, Hanover Square, London on the 20th of December 1941 to Yvonne Marion Patricia (nee Hartman) of Grovesnor Square, London.
He enlisted in the Royal Air force Volunteer Reserve where trained as a pilot and rose to the rank of Leading Aircraftman before being commissioned as a Pilot Officer on the 10th of April 1941. He was promoted to Flying Officer on the 10th of April 1942.
Michael Boggon and his crew took off from RAF North Coates at 12.20pm on the 21st of April 1942 in Hudson Mk V AM782 TR-O with other aircraft from the Squadron for a special training flight over the North Sea, codenamed “Exercise Strike”. The aircraft was carrying four 250lb general purpose bombs. At 2.05pm a message was received from Michael Boggon’s aircraft that it was under attack by enemy aircraft. His aircraft had been attacked by a Messerschmitt Bf110 flown by Oberleutnant Helmut Woltersdorf of 7./NJG 1 (on attachment from II./NJG 2) and was shot down into the sea to the west, northwest of Texel Island with the loss of the entire crew. Theirs was one of an eventual twenty four victories for Helmut Woltersdorf before he was killed in action on the 2nd of June 1942.
The crew was: -
Sergeant Nathaniel White RAAF (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant John Edgar Howell (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Squadron Leader John St. John Thomson (16 Group attached to 59 Squadron)
Pilot Officer Joseph Alexander St Ours RCAF (Observer)
Flying Officer Michael Gordon Boggon (Pilot)
When the aircraft failed to return to base an aircraft from 59 Squadron and others from 53 Squadron took off to search for it. At 5.07pm they spotted an enemy Junkers 88 some 80 miles off the Lincolnshire coast and saw it again at 5.29pm. That evening, a German radio broadcast reported that one of their aircraft had attacked and shot down a Coastal Command aircraft and that its crew had dropped a dinghy to the RAF crew who had ditched in the sea.
Michael Boggon’s body was washed ashore at Hensby Gap, near Caistor-on-Sea, Lincolnshire on the 28th of April and that of Joseph St Ours was recovered from the sea at Hemsby near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk on the 29th of April.
His wife received the following telegram dated the 29th of April 1942: - “Deeply regret to inform you that further information received states that your husband Pilot Officer Michael Gordon Boggon previously reported missing is now reported to have lost his life as the result of air operations on 21st April 1942. The Air Council express their profound sympathy, Letter confirming this telegram follows. His father is being informed.”
His cremation took place on the 4th of May 1942 and his ashes were scattered four days later.
He is commemorated at the Norwich and Norfolk Crematorium

Michael Gordon “Mike” Boggon was born at Richmond, Surrey on the 19th of March 1922 the eldest son of Nicholas Gordon Boggon, a company director, and Ruth (nee Morgan) Boggon of “Linkwood”, Radlett in Hertfordshire, later of 11, Constable Close, Hendon in Middlesex. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from January 1936 to July 1939.
He was married at St George’s Church, Hanover Square, London on the 20th of December 1941 to Yvonne Marion Patricia (nee Hartman) of Grovesnor Square, London.
He enlisted in the Royal Air force Volunteer Reserve where trained as a pilot and rose to the rank of Leading Aircraftman before being commissioned as a Pilot Officer on the 10th of April 1941. He was promoted to Flying Officer on the 10th of April 1942.
Michael Boggon and his crew took off from RAF North Coates at 12.20pm on the 21st of April 1942 in Hudson Mk V AM782 TR-O with other aircraft from the Squadron for a special training flight over the North Sea, codenamed “Exercise Strike”. The aircraft was carrying four 250lb general purpose bombs. At 2.05pm a message was received from Michael Boggon’s aircraft that it was under attack by enemy aircraft. His aircraft had been attacked by a Messerschmitt Bf110 flown by Oberleutnant Helmut Woltersdorf of 7./NJG 1 (on attachment from II./NJG 2) and was shot down into the sea to the west, northwest of Texel Island with the loss of the entire crew. Theirs was one of an eventual twenty four victories for Helmut Woltersdorf before he was killed in action on the 2nd of June 1942.
The crew was: -
Sergeant Nathaniel White RAAF (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant John Edgar Howell (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Squadron Leader John St. John Thomson (16 Group attached to 59 Squadron)
Pilot Officer Joseph Alexander St Ours RCAF (Observer)
Flying Officer Michael Gordon Boggon (Pilot)
When the aircraft failed to return to base an aircraft from 59 Squadron and others from 53 Squadron took off to search for it. At 5.07pm they spotted an enemy Junkers 88 some 80 miles off the Lincolnshire coast and saw it again at 5.29pm. That evening, a German radio broadcast reported that one of their aircraft had attacked and shot down a Coastal Command aircraft and that its crew had dropped a dinghy to the RAF crew who had ditched in the sea.
Michael Boggon’s body was washed ashore at Hensby Gap, near Caistor-on-Sea, Lincolnshire on the 28th of April and that of Joseph St Ours was recovered from the sea at Hemsby near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk on the 29th of April.
His wife received the following telegram dated the 29th of April 1942: - “Deeply regret to inform you that further information received states that your husband Pilot Officer Michael Gordon Boggon previously reported missing is now reported to have lost his life as the result of air operations on 21st April 1942. The Air Council express their profound sympathy, Letter confirming this telegram follows. His father is being informed.”
His cremation took place on the 4th of May 1942 and his ashes were scattered four days later.
He is commemorated at the Norwich and Norfolk Crematorium.

Flying Officer 64902 59 Squadron, Royal Air Force

GB 2014

International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition

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Prepared for import into AtoM by Westminster School Archive staff, 2019-2020. Updated by Bethany Duck, Archives Assistant, September 2022.

The Record of Old Westminsters: A biographical list of all those who are known to have been educated at Westminster School from Play 1919 to Election 1989, Volume 4, compiled by F.E. Pagan and H.E. Pagan, Padstow, 1992

Westminster School Second World War Memorial by John C. Hamblin, 2022.