Sergeant (Flight Engineer) 1014741, 214 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died while on board Stirling Mark I R9350 BU-T, 17 September 1942, lost during a raid on Essen.; the aircraft took off at 20:58 hours on 16 September 1942 from R.A.F. Stradishall and was shot down by Hauptmann Walter Ehle, flying an Me Bf 110 nightfighter, Stab.11./NJG1, and crashed at 00:08 hours. Aged 29. Eldest son of George and Eva Melton, of 44, High Street, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. Buried in HEVERLEE WAR CEMETERY, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium. Plot 2. Row J. Grave 1.

Note: Five of the crew, including Sgt Melton, were killed and two taken POW. The overall mission consisted of 369 aircraft of which 40 in total failed to return including 21 Wellingtons, 9 Lancasters, 5 Stirlings, 2 Halifaxes and 1 Whitley. Average loss for the mission was 10.6%, high compared to the average rate of 5% but the target (Essen) was heavily defended. Damage caused: 33 large and 80 medium fires; 8 industrial and 6 transport premises hit, including the Krupps armament works; and much housing damage causing at least 79 fatalities in Essen, Bochum, Wuppertal and Cochem.