Trafford

Born on the 23rd July 1909, the birth being registered during the September
quarter 1909 in the Bucklow R.D. - ref: 8a/185, the son of Joseph & Alice
Madeline Goldstraw (nee Hohnen).

1911 Census - "Woodbine", 68 Park Road, Ashton upon Mersey.   Son - aged: 1
- born: Ashton upon Mersey.   Head of household - Joseph Goldstraw -
Married - aged: 31 - occ: Cashier - born: Tunstall, Staffordshire.   Also -
Alice Madeline Goldstraw - Wife - aged: 36 - born: London.  Plus 2 elder
sisters a visitor and a domestic servant.

1921 Census - "Woodbine", 68 Park Road, Ashton upon Mersey.   Son - aged:
11 - born: Ashton upon Mersey.   Head of household - Joseph Goldstraw -
Married - aged: 41 - occ: Departmental Manager (Iron & Steel Merchants for
Hall & Pickles Ltd - born: Tunstall, Staffordshire.   Also - Alice Madeline
Goldstraw - Wife - aged:54 - born: London.  Plus 2 sisters.

Attended Manchester Grammar School.   In business at Plymouth since 1935.

Only his father, a Cashier at an Iron & Steel Stockholder, his mother and
one of his two sisters (the other sister had married in 1937), are recorded
on the 1939 National Registration Census, so he must have already been
serving in the armed services.

Volunteered for the RAF in September 1939 [must have been before the
National Registration Day on the 29th September 1939 as he is not recorded
anywhere.  He was posted  to South Africa for training with their Joint Air
Training Scheme.   Gained his 'wings' at the end of 1941.   A navigator on
Lancaster bombers, he had been on operations for nearly a year including
bombing raids on Stettin & Turin.

Flying with 50 Sqn, they took off at 2203hrs from R.A.F. Skellingthorpe,
Lincolnshire, in a Lancaster Mk.III, No. ED472 VN on a bombing operation to
Bochum.   They were shot down by Oblt Dietrich Scmidt in a night-fighter
from III/NJG1 and crashed at 01300hrs at Ahaus, where the whole crew of 7
were buried on the 16th June.   At the cessation of hostilities, the bodies
were exhumed and re-buried in the Reichswald Forest Cem, Germany.

Death reported in the 18/06/1943 edition of the Sale & Stretford Guardian.

The 12/11/1943 edition of the local newspaper reports that his parents had
been informed that he had been buried together with five other crew of his
Lancaster bomber at Ahaus, Germany.