Harold was born in 1922 the son of Henry Joseph Healas and Amy Healas (nee Hewitt). Harold was the nephew of Lance Corporal Harold Edward Hewitt, who was killed in WW1 on 9th April 1917, who is also on the Garforth Roll of Honour [CWGC Ref: 786364].

Harold served as a Navigator in 35 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.

35 Squadron RAF was one of the five bomber squadrons which formed the Pathfinder Force. The pathfinders were specialist crews, the navigator playing the most significant part, who flew to a target ahead of the main bomber force. The role of the pathfinder was to mark the target with flares and incendiary bombs.

The squadron was based at RAF Graveley, 5 miles south of Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. They initially flew Halifax bombers but converted to the Avro Lancaster bomber in March 1944. (Incidentally many Lancaster bombers were constructed at Yeadon near Leeds)

On 11th Sept 1944 he took off from Graveley as part of a 412 aircraft attack on three oil plants- Dortmund, Scholven-Buer and Wanne-Eickle. His aircraft - Lancaster ND691 was one of seven No. 35 Squadron aircraft detailed to attack Wanne Eickel on the afternoon of the 12th September 1944 (Daylight Raid).

Its seven-man crew comprised:

Flight Lieutenant Peter Coram Granger (Pilot) (CWGC Ref: 2031742) 

Harold Edward Hewitt Healas (Navigator)

Flying Officer Kenneth Burdett Freer (Air Bomber) (CWGC Ref: 2031467) 

Flying Officer Douglas Arthur Foster (Wireless Operator) (CWGC Ref: 2031414) 

Sergeant Harry William Frederick Howe (Air Gunner) (CWGC Ref: 2055632) 

Sergeant Percy Froud (Air Gunner) (CWGC Ref: 2031481) 

Sergeant Jack Murgatroyd (Flight Engineer) (CWGC Ref: 2040612) 

The Dortmund raid was a particularly successful one but smoke screens prevented observation of the other two. ND691 failed to return and the squadron’s Operations Record Book gives:

“This aircraft is missing, nothing being heard from it after take-off”

Various reports from Feb 1945 onwards changed the status of the crew from “Missing” to “Previously reported as Missing” to now “Presumed Killed in Action” to “Killed in Action”.

In January 1946 Harold’s status was “presumed killed in action”.

After the war, an investigation used German documents, eye witness reports and burial records to establish the crash site as Gladbeck-Zweckel and original burial location of the seven crew members in Gladbeck Communal Cemetery.

Their remains were exhumed, identified and reinterred on 24th September 1947 in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve Klever, Landkreis, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

The inscription on the Remembrance Cross reads “With Grateful Thanks from the People of Garforth - Mick and Helen Ainsley”

Father - Henry Joseph H. (b Q3 1871 in Church Fenton) (d.Q1 1936 aged 64) Birth Record shows as Harry Joseph Healas - mother's maiden name Ambler. In 1901 Father Henry was an unmarried 28 year old Nursery gardener lodging with the Hart family in Beech Grove Terrace.

Mother - Amy Healas nee Hewitt (b.7th November 1883 ) Amy's Mother's maiden Name -Walker Amy was the sister of Harold Edward Hewitt who was killed in Action in WW1. Henry & Amy Married April 1906 in St Saviour, Leeds.

Brother - Fredrick Harry H. (b. 9th March 1907 in Garforth) (d Q2 2002)

Brother - John Clarence H. (b 1909 in Garforth)

Sister - Edith T. (b Dec Q 1917) Married Mr Howson Sept 1945

Sister – Mary V. (b Dec Q 1917)

In 1911, the family lived in a 5 roomed house No 6 Sabian Place Garforth