Frank Edward Slade – Royal Air Force, 604 Squadron

Flight‑Sergeant Frank Edward Slade – Royal Air Force, 604 Squadron

Frank Edward Slade

Frank Edward Slade was born in 1913 in Dorchester, Dorset, the son of Fred Porter Slade and Harriet Jane Lynham, who had married in Axbridge, Somerset, in 1907. His early years were shaped by movement across the West Country and South Wales as his father advanced in public service.

Family Life in 1921 – Mayfield House, Neath

1921 Census

By the 1921 Census, the Slade family were living at Mayfield House, Rhyddings, Neath. Fred Porter, aged 38 and born in Somerset, was employed as a Road Engineering Main Roads Inspector with the Road Department of Glamorgan County Council. His wife Harriet Lydia, aged 37 and also Somerset‑born, undertook household duties. Their children—Rosie Lydia, 11; Frank Edward, 7; and John William, 4—were all present, with the older two attending school. A visitor, Anna Davies, aged 58, was also staying with the family, adding to the busy domestic setting in which Frank spent his childhood.

1939 Register

Early Adulthood

By the 1939 Register, Frank was living at 35 Maelog Place, Cardiff, employed as an H.M.O.W. Architects, indicating a professional path in technical or administrative work before wartime service reshaped his future.

Wartime Service – From Artillery to the Air

Frank’s military career was marked by determination and adaptability. As reported in the South Wales Evening Post in 1942, he first served as a Sergeant in the Royal Artillery before transferring to the Royal Air Force, where he earned his coveted “wings” in Canada. His progression from artilleryman to airman reflected the resolve shown by many young men of Swansea during the war, and his achievements stood alongside those of his brother, Flight‑Lieutenant Jack William Slade, as part of the family’s notable contribution to the national effort.

Marriage

In 1943, Frank married Doreen E. M. Nener of Swansea, establishing a home even as his duties with the RAF intensified.

Beaufihter VIF

Service with 604 Squadron – RAF Scorton

Frank served as a Flight Sergeant with the Royal Air Force, 604 Squadron, based at RAF Scorton, Yorkshire. On 6 March 1944, he was flying a Beaufighter VIF when the aircraft swung and crashed on take‑off, losing control as it set out on a practice interception exercise. Frank was killed in the accident; his navigator survived.

Death and Community Mourning

The Herald of Wales reported on 11 March 1944 that news had been received of the death of Sergeant‑Pilot Frank Edward Slade, describing him as a Swansea airman whose promising career ended tragically. The paper noted that he had built a distinguished record in the RAF after earlier Army service, earning his pilot’s qualification and contributing to the war effort with skill and dedication. His death brought sorrow not only to his family but to the wider Swansea community, where his name had become associated with courage, advancement, and the quiet determination shown by so many young men of the town. He left a widow, whose loss was felt with particular poignancy amid the continuing sacrifices of wartime.

Frank Edward Slade
Oystermouth Cemetery, Mumbles
credit - findagrave

Burial

Frank Edward Slade was laid to rest at Oystermouth Cemetery, joining the long roll of Swansea servicemen whose lives were claimed during the Second World War.