Namias, Richard Henry, son of Lea Namias of Streatham and Hilda, d. of Robert Diaz of Paris; b. 29 Oct. 1921; adm. Jan. 1935 (A); left July 1939; RAFVR 1941 (Flt Lieut.); killed in action 20 Sept. 1941.
Mayer Henry Richard “Dickie” Namias was born at Streatham, London on the 29th of October 1921 the only son of Lea Namias, manager of the Argonaut Marine Insurance Company, and Mathilda (nee Diaz) Namias of 27, Woodfield Avenue, Streatham, London SW16. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Ashburnham from January 1935 to July 1939. He was a member of the 1st Rowing VIII in 1939.
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 13th of April 1941.
On the 28th of August 1941, 18 aircraft from 21, 88, 110 and 226 Squadrons were dispatched for a low level attack on enemy shipping in the docks at Rotterdam.
Mayer Namias and his crew took off from RAF Wattisham at 5.20pm for the attack. One of the Blenheims from his Squadron crashed on takeoff. Two squadrons of Spitfires joined them a short time after takeoff to act as their fighter escort. The formation crossed the Dutch coast and came under heavy anti aircraft fire as it approached the Nieuwe Waterweg, the canal leaving to the docks at Rotterdam. Having passed through the flak they were attacked by enemy fighters but these were chased away by the fighter escort. The Blenheims reduced their height to between 20 and 50 feet as they approached the docks, flying just above the rooftops in line abreast, all the time under machine gun fire and fire from light flak guns. Mayer Naimias dropped a bomb on a 10,000 tom ship which missed, bounced off the dockside and exploded under its stern, sinking it.
Seven aircraft failed to return from the raid.
On the 20th of September 1941, Bomber Command dispatched 48 Blenheims and 6 Hampdens for a series of daylight sweeps across the sea and for escorted attacks on targets just behind the French coast.
Mayer Namias and his crew took from RAF Wattisham on the 20th of September 1941in Blenheim Mk IV Z7310 with seven other aircraft from the Squadron for an anti shipping patrol. The aircraft was carrying two 500lb bombs and four 25lb incendiaries. During the mission they were flying off the coast of Holland when they spotted an enemy convoy of fourteen merchant ships, flying protective barrage balloons. Mayer Namias was the second aircraft to make its attack, the first having been lost when it was destroyed by the explosion of one of its own bombs. As the aircraft made its run towards one of the enemy ships, and was a quarter of a mile from the vessel, it was hit in the starboard engine by anti aircraft fire and it caught fire. Despite this, he dropped his bombs before ditching the aircraft into the sea. Although the aircraft appeared to make a “good landing” on the sea, and floated for a while, none of the crew or the aircrafts dinghy was seen.
The crew was: -
Sergeant Kenneth Frederick Hood (Observer)
Flight Lieutenant Mayer Richard Henry Namias (Pilot)
Sergeant John Joseph Robson (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
When the six remaining aircraft left the scene four of the merchant ships were seen to be emitting smoke with one having broken its back.
Theirs was one of three aircraft which were lost during these operations.
His father received the following letter dated the 27th of September 1941: - “Sir, I am commanded by the Air Council to express to you their great regret on learning that you son, Acting Flight Lieutenant Mayer Richard Namias, Royal Air Force, is missing as the result of air operations on 20th September, 1941. The only information available is that your son was captain of a Blenheim aircraft which was engaged by the enemy whilst over the sea off the coast of Holland and has failed to return. This does not mean that he is killed or wounded, and if he is a prisoner of war he should be able to communicate with you in due course. Meanwhile enquiries will be made through the International Red Cross Society and as soon as any definite information is received, you will be at once informed. If any information regarding your son is received by you from any source you are requested to be kind enough to communicate it immediately to the Air Ministry. The Air Council desire me to convey to you an expression of their sincere sympathy with you in your present anxiety.”
The bodies of Kenneth Hood and John Robson were recovered from the sea later that day and were buried at Crooswijk Cemetery, Rotterdam.
He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 29.
