W.131 *  2nd Officer Mrs Sylvia Isabel Edwards 
 flag england b. 6 May 1919, London  9 Aug-43 to Sep-45 

 sylvia freshwater 1945   RAeC 1945

     

 

née Namias

Father: Lea Namias, a textile merchant, mother Hilda

m. 1939 in London, Flt-Lt David Harold Edwards (from Vancouver BC, of 144 Sqn, Bomber Command, RAF. d. 21 Jul 1940 when his Hampden was hit by flak and ditched in the North Sea during a minelaying operation against the Tirpitz and Von Scheer)

Address in 1939: 27 Woodfield Ave, Streatham

 prev. an ambulance driver for the LCC


ab initio trainee

Address in Oct 1945: 1 Hugo House, Sloane St., London SW1

exp: 185.15 hrs as ferry pilot

 Gained her RAeC 'A' Certificate No 20611 as part of the ATA 'Wings' scheme on 3 Oct 1945


m. 1945 in Westminster, Flt-Lt Richard Anson Freshwater, who had been a PoW in Stalag Luft III / Milag-Marlag Nord-Oflag L from 28 Aug 1942 after his Beaufighter was shot down

They moved to 9 Pasture Lane, Hathern, Loughborough, Leics, where Sylvia was the Unit Commander for the Junior Air Corps formed in 1955:

 

"Air-minded girls rolled up at the YWCA, Loughborough, last night to enrol in the newly-formed Junior Air Corps. The first recruit, Miss Ivy Whelden, signs on the dotted line for unit commander Mrs Sylvia Freshwater"

 

but they later emigrated to New Zealand, living at 51 Toroa St, Aukland.

  • Articles View Hits 421809

 

DSCI1060 1

Please feel free to send me your comments, requests, extra information or corrections.

Click here: Email Me