United Reformed Church, Evington Road, Leicester

We have a framed picture of who we believe to be members of the congregation from this now closed church who served during WW2.

There is also a memorial plaque commemorating Keith Carter and Harry Hopkins being the two members of the church who died during that war.

Keith Carter was a Sergeant (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) 1164195, in 150 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and died on 20th October 1941. He is buried in a joint grave in Durnbach War Cemetery, Bayern, Germany, his inscription saying with pride the Royal Air Force motto – “Per Ardua ad Astra”.​

Harry Hopkins was a Flight Lieutenant 65997, in 158 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. In 1944, he was stationed at RAF Lissett in East Yorkshire. Harry joined the squadron on 11 July 1944 and on the afternoon of Friday, 14 July 1944 he was the pilot of a Halifax bomber (HX338) taking part in a training mission. At 19h55, the Halifax was abandoned over the south Wales coast in an incident which killed Harry, his flight engineer and the mid-upper gunner.  Our thanks to Kevin Bryett and Rolph Walker of the 158 Squadron Association for their assistance in providing us with details of Harry’s service with that squadron.