H. PLAYFORTH

FIRST NAMES. Herbert. UNIT RAF Bomber Command. NUMBER. 1052823 RANK. Sgt.WO/AG DOB 1920. ADDRESS. Brompton OCCUPATION. Clerk. DATE OF ENLISTMENT. 1940 STATUS. Crashed on training flight DATE OF DEATH. 30/10/1941 WHERE BURIED. Brompton Cemetery MEDALS. 1939-45 Star, Victory Medal, Defence Medal.

Herbert Playforth was born in Blue Yard Brompton and was the son of James and Portia Playforth and was one eleven sisters and brothers. Herbert attended Brompton primary school and then the Grammar School at Northallerton. Herbert was a choir boy at Brompton church and was a keen stamp collector and took great interest in caged birds.

On leaving school he worked at the county hall as a clerk for the North Riding County Council.

Herbert joined the RAF in early 1941 and after initial training was accepted for training as an air gunner in Bomber Command. He was posted to RAF Cottesmore in Rutland heavy bomber training school and it was here that he met Anne Goode who was a WAAF ground crew and they made plans to become engaged.

On the 30th October 1941 trainee bomber crew P/O Kerr Sgt Williams Sgt Statton and Sgt Playforth took off on a training flight from RAF Cottesmore in Hampden P1294. The Handley Page Hampden was a twin engined bomber used for training in late 1941. Flying and navigating over the Welsh mountains was part of the exercise and the Hampden crashed and caught fire near Llynclys Cross Roads near Oswestry Shropshire. Herbert died in the crash with the rest of the crew.

Herbert was awarded the: 1939-45 Star, Victory Medal and Defence Medal. He was buried with full military honours at Brompton Parish Church and is remembered in the Central Church of the Royal Air Force St Clement Danes London, on the Lych Gate War Memorial Brompton and the Grammar School Memorial Plaque. Also on the NALGO Memorial County Hall Northallerton.

Herbert was aged 21 years.