Son of Walter and Elizabeth Pass, of Sheffield. Husband of May Pass, of Sheffield.

Find A Grave record

Sgt Walter Patrick Pass

My Grandad was no stranger to service having served with the 2 nd Battalion The

Leicestershire Regiment from 1927 to 1935 then the territorial army until 1939.

In1943 (even though in a reserved occupation as a railway shunter) he applied for and was

granted release from his duties and joined the Royal Air Force (625 Sqn Bomber Command)

as a volunteer reserve. The squadron was based at RAF Kelstern in Lincolnshire. His

position in the crew was air-gunner/mid-upper gunner.

On 14 th February 1945 his aircraft (Lancaster Mk 1 serial NF996) took off from Kelstern for

the target of Chemnitz.

He died along with his fellow crewmen as follows:-

Flight Lieutenant R Cunliffe

Sergeant D W Hayes

Flight Officer A J Slocum (Royal Canadian Airforce) no known grave and remembered at

Runnymede Air Forces Memorial in Surrey

Flight Officer F J Lowther

Sergeant D Williams – also remembered at Runnymede

Sergeant T H Hatton

Blue skies to you all……and especially to my Grandad of who I am so proud.

Never known……forever loved.

This beautiful poem was written by Fiona Grayson's Grandfather Sgt Walter Patrick Pass to her Mum, Eileen, during his service with Bomber Command

To Eileen from Daddy

There are times when you’re happy

There are times when you’re sad

There are times when you’re lonely

But what of your Dad?

He’s happy, sad and lonely too

He’s happy when he thinks of you

He is sad to know that you’re far away

Although he knows there there’ll come a day

When the world will be free and happy and gay

But when he feels lonely although in a crowd

He longs to be with you but feels mighty proud

To know that each night you kneel by your cot

And ask God to forgive those who started the

rot

Dad knows that you pray for his safety too

God answers the prayers of children like you

These thoughts bring a silent tear to his eye

But they give him the courage to hold his head

high

Your Daddy is fighting to make the world free

And to make sure that the future forever will be

An age of contentment and freedom and bliss

For millions of people like you, little miss

But fighting alone will not win this mad war

Your prayers to God are much better by far

So pray hard darling on them we depend

To help us fight on and the right to defend

So Darling remember when you’re feeling blue

Your Daddy is always thinking of you

Try to be happy and above all be good

Mummy will help you whatever your mood

Then when the great day comes which come it

must do

We’ll be happy together Dad, Mummy and you

By Sgt Walter Patrick Pass (killed in action 14 th February 1945)