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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Theodore Ian Mardon Edwards

In memory of:

Flight Sergeant Theodore Ian Mardon Edwards

December 3, 1942

Military Service

Service Number:

R/97583

Age:

22

Force:

Air Force

Unit:

Royal Canadian Air Force

Division:

102 (R.A.F.) Sqdn

Additional Information

Son of Frederick Charles Osbourn Edwards and Margaret Anderson Edwards, of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Commemorated on Page 71 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.

Burial Information

Cemetery:

RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY
Germany

Grave Reference:

20. A. 26.

Location:

Rheinberg is 24 kilometres north of Krefeld and 13 kilometres south of Wesel, in the locality of Kamp Lintfort, Nordrhein-Westfal. The cemetery is 3 kilometres south of the centre of the town of Rheinberg on the road to Kamp Lintfort. From the motorway 57, turn off at Rheinberg and at the T junction follow the 510 in the direction Kamp Lintfort. The cemetery is a short way along this road on the right.

The site of Rheinberg War Cemetery was chosen in April 1946 by the Army Graves Service for the assembly of Commonwealth graves recovered from numerous German cemeteries in the area. The majority of those now buried in the cemetery were airmen, whose graves were brought in from Dusseldorf, Krefeld, Munchen-Gladbach, Essen, Aachen and Dortmund; 450 graves were from Cologne alone. The men of the other fighting services buried here mostly lost their lives during the battle of the Rhineland, or in the advance from the Rhine to the Elbe.

There are now 3,326 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War buried or commemorated at Rheinberg War Cemetery. 156 of the burials are unidentified. There are also nine war graves of other nationalities, most of them Polish.

Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Digital Collection

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  • Memorial– Flight Sergeant Theodore Ian Mardon Edwards is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

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    Memorial
    Memorial – Flight Sergeant Theodore Ian Mardon Edwards is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Memorial– Flight Sergeant Theodore Ian Mardon Edwards is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

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    Memorial
    Memorial – Flight Sergeant Theodore Ian Mardon Edwards is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Memorial– Father J P Lardie's comments as inscribed on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

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    Memorial
    Memorial – Father J P Lardie's comments as inscribed on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Photo of Theodore Edwards– Edwards, Theodore Ian Mardon - Flight Sergeant. Born 19th April, 1920, at Vancouver. Educated at Point Grey Junior High School and Prince of Wales High School, Vancouver. Entered the service of the Bank 10th October, 1939. Served at Vancouver city branches. Enlisted 15th April, 1941, from East Vancouver in R.C.A.F. Killed in action over Frankfurt-on-Main 3rd December, 1942, when the plane in which he was tail gunner was attacked by two German fighters. His plane was heavily loaded with incendiary bombs, and before it was brought to earth both gunners had been killed and the five other crew members had parachuted and were made Prisoners of War. Flight Sergeant Edwards was identified by his disc and given a military funeral at Laumerscheim, near Frankfurt. A letter from one of the crew reports the engagement as follows: "Mardon spoke over the inter-com. saying: 'Turn sharp right, skipper. There is a fighter on our tail.' We were hit immediately after this and the inter-com was put out of action. A few minutes later we were hit again. By this time the aircraft was blazing amidships, which made it almost impossible to get to the rear of the ship. Five of the crew then put on their 'chutes and all reached the ground. After they were taken prisoner they were told that both gunners had been badly shot up by bullets, and had died almost instantly." From a memorial booklet prepared by the Canadian Bank of Commerce.

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    Photo of Theodore Edwards
    Photo of Theodore Edwards – Edwards, Theodore Ian Mardon - Flight Sergeant. Born 19th April, 1920, at Vancouver. Educated at Point Grey Junior High School and Prince of Wales High School, Vancouver. Entered the service of the Bank 10th October, 1939. Served at Vancouver city branches. Enlisted 15th April, 1941, from East Vancouver in R.C.A.F. Killed in action over Frankfurt-on-Main 3rd December, 1942, when the plane in which he was tail gunner was attacked by two German fighters. His plane was heavily loaded with incendiary bombs, and before it was brought to earth both gunners had been killed and the five other crew members had parachuted and were made Prisoners of War. Flight Sergeant Edwards was identified by his disc and given a military funeral at Laumerscheim, near Frankfurt. A letter from one of the crew reports the engagement as follows: "Mardon spoke over the inter-com. saying: 'Turn sharp right, skipper. There is a fighter on our tail.' We were hit immediately after this and the inter-com was put out of action. A few minutes later we were hit again. By this time the aircraft was blazing amidships, which made it almost impossible to get to the rear of the ship. Five of the crew then put on their 'chutes and all reached the ground. After they were taken prisoner they were told that both gunners had been badly shot up by bullets, and had died almost instantly." From a memorial booklet prepared by the Canadian Bank of Commerce.
  • Cemetery– Entrance - Rheinberg War Cemetery - May 2015 Photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

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    Cemetery
    Cemetery – Entrance - Rheinberg War Cemetery - May 2015 Photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Cemetery– Cross of Sacrifice - Rheinberg War Cemetery - May 2015 Photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

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    Cemetery
    Cemetery – Cross of Sacrifice - Rheinberg War Cemetery - May 2015 Photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Cemetery– Rheinberg War Cemetery - May 2015 Photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

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    Cemetery
    Cemetery – Rheinberg War Cemetery - May 2015 Photo courtesy of Marg Liessens
  • Grave Marker– Grave marker - Rheinberg War Cemetery - May 2015 Photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

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    Grave Marker
    Grave Marker – Grave marker - Rheinberg War Cemetery - May 2015 Photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

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