No. 567298, 218 Squdaron. Died 07/08/1942 aged 23.

Harold is buried in Jonkerbos War Cemetary, Nijmegen, Netherlands.

He was born in 1919, son of Philip and Margaret Gardiner. He was husband of Margaret O Gardiner of Hasketon.

Harold was a member of 218 Squdaron RAF Bomber Command, flying the Short Stirling heavy bomber. He was a Flight Engineer – essentially in charge of aircraft functionality. On the night of 6-7th August 1942 an attack was undertaken by a force of over two hundred aircraft against Duisburg. Harold’s aircraft was shot down over Holland. The raid is mentioned on the 218 Squadron website:

The first major operation in August was undertaken by a force of over two hundred aircraft against Duisburg on the 6/7^th. It was another disappointing attack, which managed to destroy only eighteen buildings, giving a tally over the five raids of 212 houses destroyed for the loss of forty three aircraft from 1,229 sorties. Just five aircraft failed to return, among them the squadron’s N6072, which was despatched by a nightfighter over Holland, killing four of the crew, while Sgt Laidlaw and two others survived as PoWs.