Missing photo of former Shoreham College student is the final piece in Commonwealth War Graves campaign

Sgt Edward Gedge was in the RAF Volunteer Reserve 12 Squadron and he died on February 20, 1944, aged 29. He is commemorated on a Roll of Honour at the school in Shoreham but no photograph of him has yet been found.

Thanks to help from an RAF volunteer archivist in England and an article printed in the Shoreham Herald in June 2021, the man who tends the 45 Commonwealth War Graves of Bomber Command in the Harderwijk General Cemetery in The Netherlands has been in touch with Edward's relatives.

Ruud Slangen, who lives in the city, has carried out research on all the airmen buried in Harderwijk and has co-written a book on the subject.

He said: "We only need one photo now, Sgt Gedge. Shoreham College has no photo, only a Roll of Honour."

Brenda Kelly, who served in the RAF, has been helping Ruud with the project from the UK and she visited him in Harderwijk at the weekend.

Brenda said: "It has been my privilege to meet up with Mr Ruud Slangen in Holland. Ruud tends the 45 Commonwealth War Graves of Bomber Command's brave young men and has also co-written a book about all the men.

"Over the past two years I have helped him search for relatives of some of the aircrew and also find the last few photos of the brave warriors. However, we still have to find a photo of Sgt Edward Gedge, of Connaught Terrace, Hove.

"We know so much about him and have had contact with his late wife’s family in Canada and USA, also some of his relatives in Sussex, Suffolk, Kent and North Wales, but to date we haven’t found his photo.

"He was at 12 sqn RAF Wickenby for a few weeks before he was Killed in Action aged 29 and he had been married for only a few months. If anyone could help us, we would be so grateful."

Edward was born in Steyning in July 1915, the son of storekeeper Edward Gedge and his wife Dora. The family later moved to 34 Leighton Road, Hove, and Edward joined Shoreham College as a pupil in 1928.

He went on to work as a chartered accountant and married Dorothy Bailey in Birmingham in July 1943. Their last known address was Padstow Road in Erdington, Birmingham.

The Bomber Command raid on Leipzig was at the beginning of the so-called 'Big Week’ and it proved to be one of the most costly of the war in terms of losses for the RAF.

Edward’s Lancaster bomber took off from RAF Wickenby and when it was shot down, all seven crew lost their lives. They were buried at Harderwijk and given Commonwealth War Graves.

Ruud began investigating the graves in March 2020 as he wanted to know who the men were, their ages, where they came from and most of all, what they looked like. He has been abled to source photographs for every one of them except Edward.

There were 35 British people, five Canadians, one South African and a New Zealander. Photos have been found for all but one. If you can help, email [email protected].