Dennis Lendrem (1923-2003)

Dennis Lendrem was at anchor in the Bay of Naples during the eruption of Vesuvius in 1944. Sadly the two spectacular photographs he took of the eruption at night have been lost.

John Bruce Atkinson (1922-1943)

John Bruce Atkinson was the only son of Mary Ann Lendrem.  A Flight Engineer on flight ED415 his Lancaster bomber was shot down by a Messerschmidt night fighter flown by Lt Heinz Bock, III./NJG1.  The plane exploded at altitude breaking up crashing at Ruchheim, 10km W of Ludwigshafen on the run in to Mannheim. 

Lt Bock died a few months later when his plane crash landed on returning to base.

"My brief sweet life is over; My eyes no longer see; No Christmas Tree, No Summer walks, No pretty girls for me; I’ve got the chop, I’ve had it: My nightly ops are done; Yet in another hundred years, I’ll still be twenty one."

Ralph W Gilbert

RAF Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire