Photo: Derek Haynes
560443 Sergeant
A. Vincent
Royal Air Force
18th October 1939 Age 30
Lord your thorns
Are my roses
And your suffering
My paradise
Derek Haynes has provided the following:-
Arthur was born 19th October 1909 in Sunderland the son of William Albert and Dorothy Jane Vincent (nee Murtha) who were married September Q 1907 in Sunderland. His father William was employed as an Iron Moulder.
By the 1911 census Arthur is living at 11 Gill Bridge Avenue, Sunderland with his parents and elder brother Albert (born March Q 1908 Sunderland). William and Dorothy would go on to have another son Cyril (born September Q 1913 Sunderland). The family of four were living in one room.
On the 19th January 1926 Arthur joined the RAF straight from school as an Aircraft apprentice, and then on the 19th October 1927 at the age of 18 he signed on for 12 years and was given the service number 560443.
It would appear that the family moved from the North East around the time Arthur joined the RAF, on his records he gives his father as next of kin living at 5 Birdhurst Road, Easthall, Wandsworth, and his own residence as 119 The Grove, Wandsworth.
On the 1st August 1932 at Holy Trinity Church, Southwick Arthur married 20-year-old Olga Brass the youngest child of Thomas Lindsay & Martha Ann Brass (nee Laws). Olga was born December Q 1911 in Sunderland
There were two children from the marriage: Gerald A. – born 27th March 1933 and baptised 16th April 1933 at Holy Trinity Church, Southwick and Vivien Olga Vincent – born 30th October 1937 and baptised 21st November 1937 at Holy Trinity Church, Southwick.
At the time of both births the family was residing at 5 Cicero Terrace, Southwick.
As mentioned above Arthur went straight into the RAF from school what RAF record is available gives a brief description of Arthur, his height is 5feet 4¼ inches, with a chest of 30½ inches. He has auburn hair, hazel eyes and a fresh complexion and also has a scar on his left thumb.
At the outbreak of World War 2 (3rd September 1939) Arthur had attained the rank of Flight Sergeant and was serving with the R.A.F. in 41 Squadron based at Catterick, North Yorkshire. On the 18th October 1939 No. 41 Squadron were in the process of moving from Catterick to Wick in Scotland, a Whitley aircraft of 102 Squadron was being used. Not only carrying a crew of four and the ground party of five 41 Squadron personnel the plane was loaded with rounds of ammunition and engine equipment. As the aircraft attempted to take off it climbed vertically to about 70 feet then stalled and plunged to the ground, where it exploded and burst into flames. All four crew members were killed as well as well as three of the 41 Squadron passengers, one of which was Arthur. A later crash investigation revealed that the way the stores were loaded made the plane tail heavy resulting in the crash.
Arthur was laid to rest on the 23rd October 1939 in Section D, Grave no. 1243 of Southwick Cemetery. A CWGC headstone marks his final resting place.
The following was placed in the Roll of Honour section of Arthur’s local newspaper the Sunderland Echo
On active service October 18, aged 30 years, Sergeant A. Vincent of the Royal Air Force, the dearly loved husband of Olga Vincent (nee Brass). Internment Southwick Cemetery on Monday, cortege leaving residence 5 Cicero Street, Southwick at 2 p.m. for service in Southwick Parish Church. Friends please accept this (the only) intimation. Deeply mourned.
After the death of Arthur, Olga with two young children to care for remarried in the December Q 1942 to Thomas J. McGorian. Have found no record of any children from this marriage.
With special thanks to Richard Allenby for allowing me to use the information from his website (www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk)
Arthur Vincent is remembered in Southwick in Peter Gibson's Book and in a RAF Book of Remembrance
