All members of the public are welcome to join members of the East Kent RAF Aircrew Association and the Maltby family at David Maltby’s grave in St Andrew’s Church, Wickhambreaux, Kent, at 11.30am on Monday 14 September 2009.
This annual event, commemorating the lives of all of David’s crew, takes place on the anniversary of their last flight. Weather permitting, local flyers led by David Maltby’s nephew George Foster, will be conducting a flypast and poppy drop.
The crew who flew on that last flight, in Lancaster JA981, was the same as that which had flown on the Dams Raid, almost exactly four months previously:
Sqn Ldr David Maltby DSO DFC (pilot) Baldslow, Sussex
Flt Sgt Vivian Nicholson DFM (navigator) Sherburn, Co Durham
Plt Off John Fort DFC (bomb aimer) Colne, Lancashire
Flt Sgt Antony Stone (wireless operator) Winchester, Hampshire
Sgt William Hatton (flight engineer) Wakefield, Yorkshire
Flt Sgt Victor Hill (front gunner) Berkeley, Gloucestershire
Sgt Harold Simmonds (rear gunner) Burgess Hill, Sussex
Warrant Officer John Welch (mid upper gunner) Chesham, Buckinghamshire, seconded from 218 Squadron, flew as an extra gunner.
(Picture shows the Aircrew Association’s 2007 tribute.)
Dambusters Blog 
While looking for pics of my old Prep School, Hydneye House, in Hastings, the picture of David Maltby sitting on the front steps turned up – a link from Google!
I was at the school when Gerald Brodribb was HM, but some older friends remember Mr Maltby as the HM in the fifties. Those steps seated many a young lad – it was a lovely spot – now sadly demolished of course!
Although this is not really a coincidence, I now live a few yards from Lillesden in Hawkhurst, which was formerly St Wilfrid’s school for boys! I know that building (now derelict), very well as my wife taught there, our two daughters were there, and their old Headmistress lives a few yards away too!
Hiya, I know you wrote this years ago but I really need information on St Wilfrid’s school for boys! It would be amazing if you could give me more information on it. Thanks 🙂
Morning to you!
I’m afraid here’s not much to tell you about St Wilfrids Hawkhurst now. It started just after WW1. There was a rumour around that it closed in the late thirties, after a boy was very ill and the parents sued the school, which then, through the burden of heavy costs, caused it to close!
The Lillesden building is still there, and has recently been converted into apartments!
If you Google ‘Lillesden, Hawkhurst’, you’ll find quite a lot about the building, especially in ‘images’!
By all means come back if you have any other queries!
Best wishes.