Harold was born in 1922 the son of Henry Joseph Healas and Amy Healas nee Hewitt
Harold was the nephew of Lance Corporal Harold Edward Hewitt who was killed in WW1 who is also on the Garforth Roll of Honour
He died 12th September 1944 aged 22.
He is Buried at
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery
Klever Landkreis
Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Plot: Coll. Grave 30. C. 6-8.
The Photo on the right was taken by Mick and Helen Ainsley during a visit in June 2019 The Remembrance Cross reads “With Grateful Thanks from the People of Garforth Mick and Helen Ainsley”
35 Squadron RAF
Harold served as a Navigator in 35 Sqd Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
35 Squadron RAF was one of the five bomber squadrons which formed the Pathfinder Force. The pathfinders were specialist crews, the navigator playing the most significant part, who flew to a target ahead of the main bomber force. The role of the pathfinder was to mark the target with flares and incendiary bombs. The squadron was based at RAF Gravely, 5 miles south of Huntindon, Cambridgeshire. They initially flew Halifax bombers but converted to the Avro Lancaster bomber in March 1944. (Incidentally many Lancaster bombers were constructed at Yeadon).
Mission
On 11th Sept 1944 he took off from Graveley as part of a 412 aircraft attack on three oil plants- Dortmund, Scholven-Buer and Wanne-Eickle.
His aircraft – Lancaster ND691 was one of seven No. 35 Squadron aircraft detailed to attack Wanne Eickel on the afternoon of the 12th September 1944 (Daylight Raid).
Its seven-man crew comprised :-
F/L Peter Coram Granger (Pilot) Son of Henry Horace and Selina Mary Granger; Husband of Jean Barbara Granger, of Dronfield, Derbyshire. F/L Granger CWG
F/O Harold Edward Hewitt Healas (Navigator) F/O Healas CWGC
F/O Kenneth Burdett Freer (Air Bomber) F/O Freer CWGC
F/O Douglas Arthur Foster (Wireless Operator) F/O Foster CWGC
Sgt Harry William Frederick Howe (Air Gunner) aged 23 – Son of Henry and Alice Rosina Howe of Lewisham and nephew of Mrs E Beavis Sgt Howe CWGC
Sgt Percy Froud (Air Gunner) Sgt Froud CWGC
Sgt Jack Murgatroyd (Flight Engineer)aged 22 – Son of John and Annie Murgatroyd, of Pontefract, Yorkshire Sgt Murgatroyd CWGC
The Dortmund raid was a particularly successful one but smoke screens prevented observation of the other two.
ND691 failed to return and the squadron’s Operations Record Book shows “This aircraft is missing, nothing being heard from it after take-off”
Various reports from Feb 1945 onwards changed the status of the crew from “Missing” to “Previously reported as Missing” to now “Presumed Killed in Action” to “Killed in Action”
In January 1946 Harold’s status was “presumed killed in action”.
Location of the original Burial
After the war an investigation used German documents, eye witness reports and burial records to establish the crash site as Gladbeck-Zweckel and original burial location of the seven crew members in Gladbeck Communal Cemetery
Graves Concentration
Their remains were exhumed, identified and reinterred on 24th September 1947 in REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY
Family Details
- Father – Henry Joseph H. (b Q3 1871 in Church Fenton) (d.Q1 1936 aged 64)
- Birth Record shows as Harry Joseph Healas – mother’s maiden name Ambler
- In 1901 Father Henry was an unmarried 28 year old Nursery gardener lodging with the Hart family in Beech Grove Terrace
- Mother – Amy Healas nee Hewitt (b.7th November 1883 )
- Amy’s Mother’s maiden Name -Walker
- Amy was the sister of Harold Edward Hewitt who was killed in Action in WW1
- Married April? 1906 in St Saviour Leeds
- Harold was the nephew of Lance Corporal Harold Edward Hewitt
- Brother – Fredrick Harry H. (b. 9th March 1907 in Garforth) (d Q2 2002)
- Brother – John Clarence H. (b 1909 in Garforth)
- In 1911 the family lived in a 5 roomed house No 6 Sabian (Salem?) Place Garforth
- Sister – Edith T. (b Dec Q 1917 Married Mr Howson Sept 1945
- Sister – Mary V. (b Dec Q 1917
