Cyril Joe Barton
Pilot Officer, 578 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve to
- Register No.
- 58 (Alf's numbering, from The Register of the Victoria Cross, 1997)
- Rank
- Pilot Officer all Pilot Officers →
- Unit
- 578 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve to (register: No. 578 Squadron RAF) all No. 578 Squadron RAF VCs →
- Date of action
- 30 March 1944 on this day → all of 1944 →
- Conflict / campaign
- Second World War
- London Gazette
- 27th June 1944 on this day → all of 1944 →
- Born
- 5th June 1921 at Elveden, Suffolk
- Died
- 31st March 1944 at Ryhope, County Durham
- Award
- Posthumous all posthumous VCs →
- Memorial / grave
- us at Kingston upon Thames cemetery, that the village war memorial at Ryhope and a memorial plaque in New Malden Church, Surrey
- Medal held by
- the RAF Museum, Hendon, London
Digest of citation
On the 30th March 1944 in an attack on Nuremberg, Germany and while 70 miles from the target, Pilot Officer Barton's Halifax bomber was badly damaged by enemy aircraft. A misinterpreted signal resulted in three of the crew bailing out and Pilot Officer Barton was left with no Navigator, air bomber or wireless operator. He pressed on with the attack, however, releasing the bombs himself. On the return journey, as he crossed the English coast, the fuel ran short and with only one engine working he crashed trying to avoid the houses of a village, and was killed
From Alf Askin's research notes
Reproduced as Alf wrote it, c. 2000–2005. Spelling and abbreviations are his own.
BARTON, Cyril Joe. (Reg. No. 58)
Pilot Officer 578 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve to.
London Gazetted on 27th June 1944.
VC Medal's Custodian is the Royal Air Force Museum.
Born on 5th June 1921 at Elveden, Suffolk.
Died on 31st March 1944 at Ryhope, County Durham.
Memorial us at Kingston upon Thames cemetery, that the village war memorial at Ryhope and a memorial plaque in New Malden Church, Surrey. VCs Medal's Custodian is the RAF Museum, Hendon, London.
Digest of Citation reads: On the 30th March 1944 in an attack on Nuremberg, Germany and while 70 miles from the target, Pilot Officer Barton's Halifax bomber was badly damaged by enemy aircraft. A misinterpreted signal resulted in three of the crew bailing out and Pilot Officer Barton was left with no Navigator, air bomber or wireless operator. He pressed on with the attack, however, releasing the bombs himself. On the return journey, as he crossed the English coast, the fuel ran short and with only one engine working he crashed trying to avoid the houses of a village, and was killed
Visit the grave or memorial
Alf recorded the memorial as: us at Kingston upon Thames cemetery, that the village war memorial at Ryhope and a memorial plaque in New Malden Church, Surrey
Map links open a search for the place name Alf recorded; please check opening times and exact locations before travelling. Many VC graves have since been restored by the Victoria Cross Trust.
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