Photo: Dorothy Hall
Photo: Dorothy Hall
In Ropery Lane Cemetery is a family headstone which reads:-
Across the top
Hetherington
Everlasting and loving memories of
Left side: Florence
a dear mother
died 7th August 1980
aged 77 years
Right
Also George
a dear father
died 4th March 1961
aged 70 years
Both the above at peace with Dennis
a loved son killed in action
with R.A.F. Bomber Command
May 1944 aged 20 years
He was the son of George and F.A.A. Hetherington, of Chester-le-Street, Co. Durham.
Flight Sergeant George Denis Hetherington was serving with 207 Sqdn. He was a crew member of Lancaster III LM540 EM-Q which took off from Spilsby on a mission to Braunschweig. All were killed except one who was taken prisoner.
On this night of 22-23rd May, 38 aircraft were lost, with an average of 7 crew per aircraft.
Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War: 1944; W.R. Chorley; 1997; Midland Counties Publications; ISBN 0 904597 91 1
Tony Hibberd adds that the aircraft "was possibly intercepted at 3000M above Salzwedel by a Night-Fighter captained by Oblt Jakob Schaus (IV/NJG4) and shot down at 0235 for his 11th Abschuss". Nacht Jagd War Diaries Vol 2; Dr Theo Boiten
George Dennis Hetherington is remembered at Chester-le-Street in C105.05, C105.38 and C105.40