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flying. From this base he carried out eight operational flights, the targets being Hanover, Dusseldorf, Hamborn, Frankfurt, Berlin (2) Cologne, and Bonn in Germany. He then proceeded on the 13th November to No. 627 Squadron then at Oakington, Cambridge, and later at Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, from which Unit he carried out a further 46 operational flights bringing his total to 54. The targets included Berlin (12), Cologne, Hamburg (3), Liepzig, Madgeburg (2), Kiel (2), Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Schweinfurt (2), Dusseldorf, Essen (2), Hanover (3), Munich, Brunswick, Darmstadt (2) in Germany, Claremont-Ferrand, Toulouse, Mantes, Nantes, Maisy, Limoges, St. Leu, Villenuve, Wizernes, Chatterault, and Givors in France and Antwerp in Belgium. This completed his first tour of operations and in September 1944 Flying Officer Parlato was awarded the D.F.C. the citation reading as follows:-
(indented) "FLYING OFFICER PARLATO HAS COMPLETED MANY SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS, DURING WHICH HE HAS DISPLAYED HIGH SKILL, FORTITUDE AND DEVOTION TO DUTY."

On the 6th October 1944 Flying Officer Parlato was posted to No. 1690 Bomber Development Training Unit, Metheringham, Lincolnshire, and flew Hurricane aircraft. On the night of 11th March, 1945 he was the pilot of a hurricane aircraft engaged in a night flying exercise with a Lancaster bomber. The two aircraft collided in mid-air, Flying Officer Parlato losing his life. He was buried in the Royal Air Force Regional Plot, (was Boroguh) Borough Cemetery, Cambridge.

Find a Grave link with a photo of Flying Officer Parlato: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/32379226/sidney_frederick-parlato

5/2/5891 AS2,
837 hours as Pilot.

Mrs. P.M. Parlato (W) (right aligned)
1 Community Flats, (right aligned)
Rangitikei Street (right aligned)
PALMERSTON NORTH. (right aligned & underlined)