Frederick John Edser (Service Number 1335488) I discovered Frederick or Frede, as he was known to his close friend Frank Eric Summers when I transcribed a series of 25 letters that Frank Summers had written to a cousin between 1941 and 1943.

Both Frederick and Eric hailed from Barnes, London SW13 and Franks Service Number was just a digit different 1335486.

These are the several mentions of Frede and his progress in the RAF in these letters. 27th February 1941 –“ I have signed for the Air Force and passed the first medical Grade 1. In fact all three of us did. That’s John, Frede and I. Hope you don’t mind me introducing my friends. John is a little shorter than I. Has curly hair and flashing teeth…. Frede stands about six foot high, wears a sky blue suit and a red tie. Speaks with a slight, if not absolutely profound accent of cockney. He runs, wrestles and also makes love. His motto ‘Take me or leave me. And if you take me I’ll leave you. He always has the upper hand. Nobody can reach that high…By the way we all weightlift and swim. Frede is a day younger that me. We hope to be called up for the flying medical round about this weekend. (1st March 1941) To go for educational test and before the selection committee. Where they dissuade you to join the aircrew. They want to find out if you are really keen. We know all the dodges. Several of our friends have passed through”.

23rd March 1941 – “Frede passed out with me but John failed on his maths. Hard luck”. April 1941 – “Just lately the boys and I have been painting the town red. Went to a local dance last Saturday. Hammersmith Palais on Sunday. Earls Court Exhibition dance on Monday and now the Palais tonight. What do you think of things out east? …But you’ll see the war end with an abrupt stop when Frede and I pass out as pilots”. 28th July 1941 – “When Frede and I went up for the Air Force we met a fellow named Dennis. Well, we have been going out with him a lot. He’s a real mad fellow. Born in Canada. Stands 6ft tall. One day we were leaving the entrance of the baths when he suddenly took a fit in his head to leap right over the top of Frede from behind. He failed. But he would have done it if Frede had known he was coming and had kept still. By the way the origin of the name Frede. Once upon a time we had a scout Troop and alas there were two Fredericks. One had to be altered so we thought. (We can) Fred Edser is Frede’s name so we called him Fred. E. Eventually merging into Frede”.

September 1941 – RAF Newquay – “You mentioned Frede last time: Yes, he is still his old self. He was out with a W.A.A.F. last night. I was studying navigation”.

12th October 1941 – RAF Newquay – “Well I’ve passed out of the first part of my course and am now at the initial training wing. So far Frede my friend has been posted here as well”.

December 1941 – RAF Newquay – “My exam marks giving an average of 76.5%. Frede soared ahead of me in Navigation by getting 92%, but on average he was about the same as me. We wanted to get about the same as we hope to be posted together. We have asked to be sent abroad together. While at home (on leave) Frede and I had a party that lasted well into the next morning. A grand party that will stand us in good stead until we have another which I hope will be in celebration of us getting our wings”.

3rd April 1942 – Turner Field Albany, Georgia, USA – “The day that I left Moncton (New Brunswick, Canada) I met Frede there, he had arrived from New York to do his training in Canada. We had quite a fine time before I left; and returned to camp in a very happy frame of mind. So happy in fact that we made quite a mess of one of the rooms. He’ll be finished before me - lucky dog”.

13th July 1942 – RAF Moncton, NB. Canada – “I am going to Edmonton, Alberta. My pal Frede is at Medicine Hat in Alberta so I should be able to see him. He has passed his E.F.T.S. and is well on with his S.F.T.S. He should be wearing his wings soon”.

May 1942 RAF Station, Upper Heyford, Oxon – “Last night I went to town and met Frede for he is stationed at Stanton Harcourt not far from here. We celebrated our birthdays and had quite a good time”.

At 1941 hours on the night of 5 September 1943 Halifax HR874 took off from Breighton East Yorkshire detailed to bomb Mannheim, Germany.

Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base.

HR874 was one of four aircraft from the squadron which failed to return from the mission. The aircraft was shot down by a night fighter flown by Obtt. Werner Baake flying a Bf 110 and crashed near the village of Hochstettin, which is approximately 9 miles north of Karlsruhe, Germany.

Four of the crew members, including the pilot Sgt Frederick John Edser were killed and three became Prisoners of War.

Frederick John Edser is buried in Durnbach War Cemetery 1.D.10.

The Army Graves Services collected the bodies of airmen from across Germany and they were interred at this cemetery which is 48km S of Munich. (Just over three months later on 24th November 1943 his pal Sgt F. E. Summers, a Navigator, took off from Oudna Airfield in Tunisia and was killed when his Wellington LN566 QT-D crashed during a disastrous operation to bomb a ball bearing factory near Turin, Italy.)