Cyril Joe Barton
Encyclopedia
Cyril Joe Barton VC
(5 June 1921 – 31 March 1944) was an English
recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
Cyril Barton volunteered for aircrew duties and joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
, RAFVR on 16 April 1941, qualifying as a Sergeant Pilot 10 November 1942. He then trained at No. 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit at Rufforth
, Yorkshire. On 5 September 1943, Barton and his crew joined no.78 squadron
, and Barton was commissioned as a Pilot Officer three weeks later. Undertaking their first operational sortie against Montlucon
, Barton completed 9 sorties with No.78 squadron until 15 January 1944, and was then posted to No.578 Squadron
at Burn in North Yorkshire. Their second sortie with the new squadron was to Stuttgart in Halifax LK797 (codename LK-E). By 30 March 1944, they had completed 6 sorties in LK797 - which the crew had named "Excalibur".
On 30 March 1944 in an attack on Nuremberg
, Germany
and while 70 miles (112.7 km) from the target, Pilot Officer Barton's Handley Page Halifax
bomber (serial LK797) was badly damaged by two night fighters, and two fuel tanks were punctured, both the radio and rear turret disabled, the starboard inner engine was on fire and the intercom lines were cut. Despite several determined attacks by a Junkers Ju 88
night fighter, and with the aid of his crew, Barton managed to avoid further attacks. A misinterpreted signal resulted in three of the crew bailing out, and Barton was left with no navigator, bombardier 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 out and with only one engine working he crashed trying to avoid the houses and pit head workings of the village of Ryhope
, near Sunderland. He was pulled alive from the wreckage but died before reaching the hospital. One miner died, when he was hit by part of the crippled plane, but the remaining three crew members survived.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon
, London
Barton Green in New Malden, Surrey, where he had attended Beverley Boys School, was named in his honour during the early 1950s and Barton Road at the Yorkshire Air Museum
in Elvington
, North Yorkshire
was named in his honour, on the 46th anniversary of his death. A housing estate in Ryhope, Barton Park, was also named after him, while a nearby street was named Halifax Place, after the bomber he flew. Kingston College
, which Barton attended, also offers an annual prize for the student of the year, which is named after him.
A painting in his memory hangs in the Wheatsheaf pub at Burn, North Yorkshire where 578 Squadron was once based.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(5 June 1921 – 31 March 1944) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Cyril Barton volunteered for aircrew duties and joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve consists of a number of groupings of individual military reservists for the management and operation of the Royal Air Force's Air Training Corps and CCF Air Cadet formations, Volunteer Gliding Squadrons , Air Experience Flights, and also to form the...
, RAFVR on 16 April 1941, qualifying as a Sergeant Pilot 10 November 1942. He then trained at No. 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit at Rufforth
Rufforth
Rufforth is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of the City of York in North Yorkshire, England. It lies about west of York. The village is mentioned in the "Domesday Book" and dates from Saxon times....
, Yorkshire. On 5 September 1943, Barton and his crew joined no.78 squadron
No. 78 Squadron RAF
No. 78 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Merlin HC3/3A transport helicopter from RAF Benson.Until December 2007 it was the operator of two Westland Sea King HAR3s from RAF Mount Pleasant, Falkland Islands.-History:No...
, and Barton was commissioned as a Pilot Officer three weeks later. Undertaking their first operational sortie against Montlucon
Montluçon
Montluçon is a commune in central France. It is the largest commune in the Allier department, although the department's préfecture is located in the smaller town of Moulins. Its inhabitants are known as Montluçonnais...
, Barton completed 9 sorties with No.78 squadron until 15 January 1944, and was then posted to No.578 Squadron
No. 578 Squadron RAF
No. 578 Squadron RAF was a heavy bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.-History:578 Squadron was formed at RAF Snaith, East Riding of Yorkshire on 14 January 1944 from 'C' flight of No. 51 Squadron RAF, equipped with Halifax Mk.III bombers, as part of No. 4 Group RAF in...
at Burn in North Yorkshire. Their second sortie with the new squadron was to Stuttgart in Halifax LK797 (codename LK-E). By 30 March 1944, they had completed 6 sorties in LK797 - which the crew had named "Excalibur".
On 30 March 1944 in an attack on Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and while 70 miles (112.7 km) from the target, Pilot Officer Barton's Handley Page Halifax
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
bomber (serial LK797) was badly damaged by two night fighters, and two fuel tanks were punctured, both the radio and rear turret disabled, the starboard inner engine was on fire and the intercom lines were cut. Despite several determined attacks by a Junkers Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
night fighter, and with the aid of his crew, Barton managed to avoid further attacks. A misinterpreted signal resulted in three of the crew bailing out, and Barton was left with no navigator, bombardier 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 out and with only one engine working he crashed trying to avoid the houses and pit head workings of the village of Ryhope
Ryhope
Ryhope is a coastal village along the southern boundary of the City of Sunderland, in Tyne and Wear, North East England. With a population of approximately 14,000, Ryhope is 2.9 miles to the centre of Sunderland, 2.8 miles to the centre of Seaham, and 1 .2 miles from the main A19.The older village...
, near Sunderland. He was pulled alive from the wreckage but died before reaching the hospital. One miner died, when he was hit by part of the crippled plane, but the remaining three crew members survived.
His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon
Hendon
Hendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
, London
Barton Green in New Malden, Surrey, where he had attended Beverley Boys School, was named in his honour during the early 1950s and Barton Road at the Yorkshire Air Museum
Yorkshire Air Museum
The Yorkshire Air Museum & Allied Air Forces Memorial, , is an air museum in England. The museum was founded, and first opened to the public, in the early 1980s....
in Elvington
Elvington
Elvington may refer to:*Elvington, Kent*Elvington, City of York**RAF Elvington, a deactivated RAF station...
, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
was named in his honour, on the 46th anniversary of his death. A housing estate in Ryhope, Barton Park, was also named after him, while a nearby street was named Halifax Place, after the bomber he flew. Kingston College
Kingston College (England)
Kingston College is a College of Further and Higher Education based in Kingston upon Thames, Greater London, England. It has five campuses in the town of Kingston. The main campus is the tallest building in the town and is based on Kingston Hall Road. The second campus is based on Richmond Road and...
, which Barton attended, also offers an annual prize for the student of the year, which is named after him.
A painting in his memory hangs in the Wheatsheaf pub at Burn, North Yorkshire where 578 Squadron was once based.
External links
- Burial location of Cyril Barton "Surrey"
- Location of Cyril Barton's Victoria Cross "Royal Air Force Museum"
- Cyril Barton remembered "Ryhope honours war hero"
- Victoria Cross recipients "the Victoria Cross.net"