Arthur Lawrence Fairbrother – Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 77 Squadron

Sergeant Arthur Lawrence Fairbrother – Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 77 Squadron

Early Life and Family Background

Arthur Lawrence Fairbrother

Arthur Lawrence Fairbrother was born in 1918 in Sussex, the son of Percy William Fairbrother and Barbara Henrietta Middleton. His early childhood was shaped by the movements of a young family during the inter‑war years, though surviving records provide only a partial glimpse into his upbringing.

The Family in the 1921 Census

1921 Census

The 1921 Census records the Fairbrother family living at Todbem, Rydal Road, Elson, Gosport. Arthur’s father, Percy William, was absent from the household on the day of the census, while his mother Barbara, aged forty‑one and born in Ireland, was recorded undertaking household duties. With her were her two young sons — Arthur Lawrence, aged two, and John William, aged ten months. The census captures the family at an early stage in the boys’ lives, before later moves that would eventually bring them to South Wales.

The Family in Swansea

By the outbreak of the Second World War, the Fairbrother family had settled in Mount Pleasant, Swansea, where Arthur spent his final years before entering wartime service.

Service with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Arthur enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, training as an Air Gunner and attaining the rank of Sergeant. He was posted to No. 77 Squadron, a Halifax unit based at RAF Elvington, Yorkshire. By early 1944, the squadron was heavily engaged in Bomber Command’s strategic campaign against Germany, flying deep‑penetration night raids into heavily defended airspace.

Final Operation: 15 February 1944

Halifax V

On the night of 15 February 1944, Sergeant Fairbrother was serving aboard a Handley Page Halifax V during a major raid on Berlin. The operation involved 891 aircraft, the largest raid on the German capital and the largest non‑“1,000 bomber” operation of the war. A record 2,642 tons of bombs were dropped.

The bomber stream was tracked by German controllers soon after leaving the English coast, though a northern swing over Denmark helped avoid some night‑fighter concentrations. Despite orders to keep Berlin’s airspace clear for flak batteries, many German fighters ignored the instruction and attacked the bombers over the target. Although cloud covered the city, the bombing was reasonably concentrated, causing extensive damage: more than 1,000 houses and 526 temporary accommodation barracks were destroyed, and several major war industries were hit. The death toll of 320 reflected the large‑scale civilian evacuations already undertaken by this stage of the war.

Arthur Lawrence Fairbrother
Berlin 1939–1945 War Cemetery credit - findagrave

During the operation, Arthur’s Halifax was shot down and crashed at Buskow, four miles south of Neuruppin, failing to return to base. All on board were killed.

The Crew of the Halifax

Arthur was lost alongside his fellow airmen — Flight Sergeant Walter Harold Beere, Flying Officer Geoffrey Bodden, Flight Sergeant Norman Frederick Walter Gooding, Sergeant Joseph Leonard Green, Sergeant Ronald Charles Hall, and Sergeant James Smith. All were recovered and laid to rest at the Berlin 1939–1945 War Cemetery, where their graves stand together in honour of their shared sacrifice.