BROPHEY, Burton Orval

NAME                    BROPHEY          Burton Orval
RANK                    Sergeant             191541                                                                                                                                            Group 3     Bomber Command                                                                                            SQUADRON         RAF No. 15 Squadron
                              “aim sure”
                              Mildenhall in Suffolk
                              Squadron markings LS A                                                                                                        Born                       July 5, 1924 - Parkhill - Township of McGillivray - County of Middlesex                        Residence             Parkhill - Ontario                                                                                                                      Died                      March 26, 1944          19 years   8 months
Memorial               Runnymede Memorial - Englefield Greeen – Edham - Surrey - England.
                              Panel 255
Parents                 Mr.  Arthur and Vera Brophey - Parkhill                                                                              Brothers                Clarence and Hugh Brophey - Parkhill                                                                                  Sisters                   Miss Karen Brophey - Parkhill                                                                                                                                    Mrs. Pearl Bloomfield - Parkhill                                                                                                                                    Mrs. Doreen Shank - Parkhill

Burton was born in the County of Middlesex (McGillivray Township) on July 5, 1924. He was a farmer and worked for his father on the family homestead prior to his enlistment and he enjoyed baseball and swimming. He had the measles and the mumps growing up. He grew up United and would have attended Parkhill United Church. He received his public schooling and left school at the age of 13 following his Grade VIII - 1931-37.

Canada
                                                                                                                                                                                  He enlisted into the Royal Canadian Air Force during the fall of 1942 on September 7. He received the rank of Aircraftsman 2. At this time he stood 5' 8" tall and weighed 135 pounds. He had a fair complexion with blue eyes and dark brown hair. He was sent to No. 1 Manning Depot in Toronto where he stayed until November 4 at which time he was posted to the Technical Training School in St. Thomas.                                                                      Then in the spring of 1943 on April 4 he was posted to Trenton to No. 2 Air Gunner Ground Training School where he stayed until the end of May. While here he received the rank of Leading Aircraftsman. His next posting then took him to No. 3 Bombing and Gunnery School at MacDonald in Manitoba. He received his Air Gunner Badge while here. He also received the rank of Sergeant while posted here. This completed his training in Canada and on July 24 he was posted to the "Y" Depot in Halifax in preparations for going overseas. On August 2 just prior to going overseas he volunteered to go to the RAF Training Pool.

Overseas

On April 2 as well he embarked from Canada and travelled by train to New York City and on August 3 he departed New York City and a week later on August 11 he disembarked in the United Kingdom. He travelled to Bouremouth and reported to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre. His first posting overseas was on August 24 when he went to RAF No. 12 Operational Training Unit based at RAF Edgehill in Warwickshire. In the autumn of 1943 on November 5 Sergeant Brophey was posted to RAF No. 1657 Heavy Conversion Unit Based at RAF Stradishall in Suffolk.                                                                                                                                                In early February of 1944 he was posted to RAF No. 15 Squadron based to RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk. 

In the Field

The last mission for Sergeant Brophey and his crew was a mission to Essen in Germany where the Krup
works were located. They were airborne at 20:16 hours. Sergeant Brophey was the mid upper gunner on this
mission. His Lancaster L 7527 had logged 353:14 hours of flying time and this aircraft exploded over Veert and
crashed 2 ½ miles from Geldhern which is near the Dutch /German frontier. 
On this mission 705 aircraft departed their bases and when over the Ruhr the formation made a swift course
change for Essen and this caught the Germans by surprise. Essen was covered by cloud, but the sky markings had marked the target and the result was 48 industrial buildings were destroyed in the raid.
No. 15 was equipped with Blenheims, Wellingtons, Stirlings then Lancasters and were one of the few
squadrons equipped to do precision daylight bombing through cloud cover with radar equipment known as
G-H.
This particular aircraft was a test aircraft before being assigned to 1654 HCU in November 1942. In May
1943 this aircraft had a flying accident. It eventially ended up with RAF 15 Squadron 23 days prior to the mission which claimed the life of Sergeant Brophey..

During December 45 Burton's mother  Vera was awarded the Memorial Cross. In January of 1947 the medals awarded to Sergeant Brophey were awarded to his family and included the 1939-45 Star, the Aircrew Europe Star, the Defence and War Medals plus the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and clasp.

Burton is honoured and remembered on the RAF Squadron 15 Memorials, on the Memorial Plaque of Parkhill United Church, in the Books of Remembrance which are located in Ottawa at the Parliament Buildings, on the Memorial Plaques of RCAF Bomber Command and on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.