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405515 Sergeant Denis Henry EDWARDS
PARENTS: Mr. & Mrs. Edwards of Hastings

Denis Edwards was born at Dannevirke on the 7th September,
1919. He received his secondary education at the Hastings High
School, afterwards taking up employment as a cycle mechanic with
Mr. F. R. Garton of Hastings.
Sergeant Edwards was enlisted at the Inital Training
Wing, Levin, on the 21st December, 1940, and embarked for Canada
on the 27th February, 1941, to train under the Empire Air Training
Scheme.

Shortly after arrival in Canada he was posted to No. 3
Wireless School, Winnipeg, and then on the 4th August to No. 6
Bombing and Gunnery School, Mountain View, Ontario. Here, on the
1st September he was awarded the Wireless Operator Air Gunner's
Badge and promoted to the rank of Sergeant, afterwards proceeding
on the 7th of the same month to No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova
Scotia, for embarkation to the United Kingdom.

Sergeant Edwards arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception
Centre, Bournemouth, on the 29th September, and commenced a
refresher course at No. 2 Signals School, Yatesbury, Wiltshire,
on the 31st October. He was then posted to No. 11 Operational
Training Unit, Bassingbourn, Hertfordshire, on the 3rd March
and to No. 22 Operational Training Unit, Wellsbourne, Mountford,
Warwickshire on the 19th May. Here, he crewed up and completed
his training on Wellington Bomber aircraft.

Sergeant Edwards was the bomb aimer of a Wellington Bomber
aircraft engaged during the night of the 30/31st May, 1942 in an
attack on Cologne in Germany. The aircraft failed to return to
its base and all the crew, including Sergeant Edwards were class-
ified as missing. In due course his death was officially presumed
to have occurred on the 31st May 1942, as the result of Air
Operations.

Mrs. L.G.E. Edwards (M)
404 Alexandra Street,
HASTINGS

5/3/2034 AS2