Felix Owen Warboys Pauley

Served with Essex County Constabulary from Apr 26, 1937 and died on Feb 16, 1944.

Police Constable Felix Owen Warboys Pauley was born on 16th June 1913 at Oakington in Cambridgeshire. He joined Essex County Constabulary on 26th April 1937 having previously worked as a commercial traveller with Enver & Company Ltd. of Southend.

After training at Headquarters Felix was posted to Romford from 19th June 1937, and subsequently worked on mobile patrols at Headquarters, from 21st February 1938, and Clacton from 11th April 1938. Felix joined the R.A.F. on 29th September 1941.

He was killed on air operations in the early hours of Wednesday, 16th February 1944 whilst serving as Flight Sergeant (Air Bomber) 1392466 with 106 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He had been on board Lancaster Mk III JB534 (Squadron code ZN), which had taken off from RAF Metheringham at 5.20 p.m. the previous evening for an operation to Berlin. On its return to base the aircraft crashed at 12.10 a.m. at Timberland Fen, near the villages of Timberland and Martin, 11 miles south-west of Horncastle, Lincolnshire, while avoiding another Lancaster.

Four crew, including Felix Pauley, died at once, another succumbed later, and the two air gunners survived, both injured. Felix was buried at St Andrew Churchyard in his home village, Oakington, Cambridgeshire.