Flight Sergeant ‘Jimmy’ Bonner (1917 - 1944)

Alfred James ‘Jimmy’ Bonner married Constance Whitehead in July 1943 in Ledbury. Constance was serving with the WRAF at the time. Her family were farmers and in 1939 were lived at Sunfold, Walwyn Rd. Jimmy’s occupation in 1939 was listed as “Felling Trees and Cutting Pit Props” in Alton, Hampshire.

Jimmy was assigned to 230 Squadron which was based RAF Koggala in Sri Lanka. He became a wireless operator on a Sunderland Flying boat No. JM763 codenamed 'P' ("Black Peter").

The Sunderland JM673 'P' was detailed to carry out an Anti-Submarine patrol off the East coast of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) on the 28th November 1944. The aircraft took off at 06:45 local time and was expected back at 20:00 hours local time the same day. Due to inceasing bad weather the aircraft was recalled at 12:45, but the aircraft did not return to base and neither was a wireless signal received from it from the time it took off. Extensive Air Sea Rescue searches were carried out on the 29th and and 30th of November, together with one Destroyer. In addition all shipping in the area was warned to keep a look for survivors or wreckage. Nothing was found.

Jimmy Bonner is one of 24,000 names on the Singapore War Memorial. He was 27 when he died. His wife remarried in 1950 to Ronald James who was also in the RAF.