Hegarty, Patrick W

Name: Patrick William HEGARTY

Born  6 January 1915

Birthplace: Essex, West Ham

Age at arrival in Buchenwald: 29

Died January 2020, Tower Hamlets, London, age 105

Service: Royal Air Force

Service ID: 1894062

Service Rank: Flight Sergeant

Duties: Gunner

Air Group: 51 Squadron

Airbase: Marham, Norfolk, UK

Aircraft: Halifax bomber LV880

Date shot down: 11 April 1944

Fate of crew: 4 KIA, 3 evaded, 2 later captured (Hegarty and FAIRCLOUGH)

Evasion summary: Sheltered in church, sheltered near Breteuil for ten weeks.

Date captured: 15 July 1944

Capture summary: The trap was organized by two French traitors working for the SD in Beauvais. More than ten airmen were stashed by this resistance cell. Robert Moulet (FFI) and his assistant collected Hegarty, DOWDESWELL, FAIRCLOUGH, and BENNETT, who were hiding in several places around Breteuil. The airmen were arrested soon after and sent to Beauvais' prison, then Fresnes.

Boxcar Transport: 15-20 August 1944, in boxcar #1 or #2.

Buchenwald ID: 78421

Notes on Buchenwald internment:

Transferred from Buchenwald to: Stalag Luft III

Kriege ID: 8095

Notes on SLIII internment:

Subsequent transfer to: Stalag IIIA, Luckenwalde

Notes on internment:

Liberation: 22 April 1945 by units of the Red Army but held for negotiated release in mid-May.

Repatriation from ETO:

Discharged:

Veteran status:

Notes on Post-War period: