FREARSON Frederick John

Frederick Frearson was born on 19th March 1922.  He entered Kings School in Form L4 in September 1936 as a King’s scholar under School House.  At the time of his admission to the school his parent is recorded as F.H.F., Shipton Farm, Woodstock, Oxon.  Frederick had previously been educated at New Coll: Sch: Oxford Prep.  He left Kings School from Form L4 on 27th July 1937.  Remarks: Farmer.

The following information is courtesy and copyright of Andrew J. Begent:
On 2nd November 1944 Frederick was on board a Lancaster I aircraft HK612 (markings LS-L) that took off at 11.03 a.m. from R.A.F. Mildenhall in Suffolk for a precision daylight bombing raid on the oil plant at Homberg.  At 2.17 p.m. their aircraft was in collision at an altitude of 20,000 feet with a Lancaster III aircraft PB115 (markings LS-W) also from 15 Squadron.  Both aircraft fell to the ground at Erp in The Netherlands.  All on board Frederick’s aircraft were killed, as were five of the seven men in PB115.  Of the 184 Lancaster aircraft that took part in the raid five were lost.  At Homberg the raid resulted in large fires and a thick column of smoke.

Frederick, along with his crew mates was buried at the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Erp at 7 a.m. on 4th November 1944.  The service was attended by a large number of officers and airmen from the local Royal Air Force unit. There were also many civilians and a Church of England chaplain present.

Further information on Frederick’s fellow crew members including photographs can be found on the excellent website relating to Chelmsford at War on the webpage for Flight Sergeant Peter Woollard, one of Frederick’s crew mates on the ill-fated flight:
http://www.chelmsfordwarmemorial.co.uk/second-world-war/chelmsford/ww2-woollard-peter.html

The following information is courtesy of Mark Hathaway:
John Frederick Frearson is also listed on the war memorials of Shipton on Cherwell Oxfordshire (as John Frearson) and of New College School Oxford:

https://www.newcollegeschool.org/_site/data/files/documents/E52CA9552B7CD11ED43CB0D92545BE0A.pdf
[p.77]

Taken from the publication: Jenkinson, M., New College School, Oxford. A History (Oxford: Shire Publications, 2013), p. 77.

The Shipton on Cherwell war memorial is in the parish church of Holy Cross in the village.