Evans, David Christopher, 1922-1942

Person

Evans, David Christopher, 1922-1942

1922-1942

Evans, David Christopher, son of Charles Evans, publisher, of Walton-on-the-Hill, Surrey, and Rose Elizabeth, d. of William Callaghan of Leytonstone, Essex; b. 28 Mar. 1922; adm. Sept. 1935 (G); left July 1940; PO RAFVR Mar. 1942; killed in action in a raid on Bremen June 1942.

David Christopher Evans was born at Walton-on-Thames, Surrey on the 28th of March 1922 the fifth and youngest son of Charles Seddon Evans, a publisher, and Rose Elizabeth (nee Callaghan) Evans of Bilders Farm, Ewhurst in Surrey.
He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Grant’s from September 1935 to July 1940. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve where he trained as a pilot and rose to the rank of Leading Aircraftman before being commissioned as a Pilot Officer on the 7th of March 1942. He was posted to No. 15 Operational Training Unit as an instructor.
On the night of the 26th/26th of June 1942, Bomber Command dispatched 472 Wellingtons, 124 Halifaxes, 96 Lancasters, 69 Stirlings, 51 Blenheims, 50 Hampdens, 50 Whitleys, 24 Bostons, 20 Manchesters and 4 Mosquitos for an operation on Bremen. The force was intended to be a “1,000 bomber raid” but, in the event, 960 aircraft were sent, which included some aircraft from Operational Training Units to make up the numbers. The force was to attack the Focke Wulf factory, the A.G. Wesser shipyard, the Deschimag shipyard as well as other areas of the town and its docks. 572 houses were destroyed during the raid with a further 6,108 damaged, the vast majority of which were in the southern and eastern quarters of the city. 85 people were killed on the ground with another 497 injured and 2,378 were bombed out of their homes. Six buildings at the Focke Wulf factory were seriously damaged and one assembly shop was completely destroyed. Damage was also caused to buildings at the Atlas Werke, the Vulcan shipyard, the Norddeutsche Hutte and the Korff oil refinery.
David Evans and his crew took off from RAF Harwell at 10.41pm on the 25th of June 1942 in Wellington Mk IC DV737 for the operation. While flying in the target area at a height of 7,000 feet at 1.45am the aircraft was hit by anti aircraft fire and exploded, killing the entire crew. Parts of the wreckage fell on to the house of Frau Hoeber at 37, Stoeversand Strasse in Sebaldsbruck with the rest falling into the garden of the house where it burned out.
The crew was: -
Pilot Officer David Christopher Evans (Pilot)
Sergeant Ronald Idris Coffin (2nd Pilot)
Sergeant Thomas Phillip Morgan (Observer)
Sergeant Alfred George Leyland (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Michael Sweeney (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant John McRewin Kennedy (Air Gunner)
Theirs was one of forty eight aircraft which failed to return from the raid.
His father received the following telegram date the 25th of September 1942: - “Deeply regret to inform you that according to information received through the International Red Cross Committee your son Pilot Officer David Christopher Evans is believed to have lost his life as the result of air operations on 26th June 1942. Letter confirming this telegram follows. The Air Council express their profound sympathy.”
David Evans’ body and those of two of his crew were found on the road in front of the house, with another being recovered from the bottom of the garden. Another body was found near to the air raid shelter. The bodies of the crew were collected by the local undertaker, Herr Stubbe.
The crew was buried with full military honours at Waller Cemetery near Bremen on the 2nd of July 1942. Their bodies were exhumed by No. 4 Missing Research and Enquiry Unit, Royal Air Force on the 23rd of January 1947 and were moved to their present location.
He is commemorated on his parent’s grave
He is buried at Becklingen War Cemetery Plot 26 Row G Grave 13.

Pilot Officer 118100; No. 15 Operational Training Unit, Royal Air Force

GB 2014

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

Final

Full

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.