Sergeant (Air Gunner) 912784 Redvers Cyril Malcolm Parris, 215 Squadron, was born on the 3rd of November 1920 at Norlington Lane, Ringmer, Sussex,the son of Frank Johnathon Parris and Evelyn Margaret Shute. Following education at the local school, he worked at the Mansfield Garage, Lewes and joined the Royal Air Force in 1940.

Following training as an Air Gunner, he was posted to the Vickers Wellington equipped 215 Squadron in India. As the war progressed, the squadron moved to wherever it was needed to go and in July 1943, it was flying from Jessore.

On the 29th of that month he took off at 07.12 hours in Wellington BB506 “H” for a reconnaissance and intruder patrol off the Arakan Coast of Burma. Not long into the flight, an engine caught fire and set the whole plane alight and it crashed into the Bay of Bengal. Nothing was heard from the aircraft and the following day, four aircraft of 99 Squadron carried out an extensive search but found nothing and the aircraft and crew were assumed to be lost without trace.

However, after eight days in a dinghy, seven survivors - Sgt J.A. Gee; Sgt A.C. Tenneson; F/O R.F.N. Jones; F/S L.E. Baxter and Sgt L.E.G. Baldry came ashore on an island in the Sundarbans.

Sadly, Redvers was not among them. It would seem that he had been manning the front turret and failed to exit the aircraft after it ditched. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Singapore Memorial.

He is also remembered on grave of his parents in Ringmer churchyard. Evelyn, died on the 29th of March, 1944 and Frank, who died on the 21st of August, 1947.

The Sussex Express for the 6th of June 1947 records the placing of a memorial to Redvers within the cricket pavilion at Ringmer. Under the title “Cricketers remember”. The memorial reads “In memory of Redvers Parris RAF who gave his life in the world war 1939-1945. He played the game”. The memorial was dedicated by the Reverend J Victor.

The newspaper recalls that Redvers was the only member of the cricket club to have lost his life during the Second World War and that the memorial was close to that of the First World War that commemorated the deaths of three cricket club members. Unfortunately, Frank Redvers was unable to attend but Keith Parris, brother of Redvers, and also formerly of the RAF was able to be present.