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Sir,

I was delighted to find your website whilst carrying out research in to my father in Law, who was David Henry Simpson Bromley of 297 Squadron, who finished a Warrant officer and was a trained pilot and navigator. .

David was able to pass on some background to his flying days and asked me to visit Muneville Sur Mer in 2003 to find the grave of one of his closest freinds in the war and collegues, Arthur Braybrook. They normally flew toghether apparently but for this op he volunteered to assist the other plane crew. He of course is one of the 3 buried in the churchyard.

I was able to tell David of his friends resting place before he passed on to join Arthur a week later.

I have now decided to research his friends who died, such as Flight Officer Jerry Garnett who died in 1945 when he crashed into Bodmin moor. Jerry and David were a team and had volunteered unsuccessfuly for Mosquitos toghether.

Other names I am looking into are Ken Shay, who crashed in an albemarle on 27.8.1944.

I have had sight of his box of flight maps many of his missions, notably Arnhem, several drops in Norway, the Rhine crossing drop and some the French resistance.

He said that he would fly into France, be signalling to the resistance and then drop supplies at very low level. He also said that by the time D Day was announced on the BBC he was already back in England having cooked breakfast.
He was full of anecdotes

Perhaps we can correspond more?

David Bannister

Score : 10/10

I am 65 and finaly i can see something tangible to do with my father who i never knew.1582137,Flight Sergeant Frank Edward Reed.It is hard keeping tears at bay suddenly after a life time of unresolved grief It is almost like i can touch him.Is it possible to trace anyone who knew him after so many years 27/9 Stirling,sergeant Carey.Thank you so much.

Score : 8/10

I am trying to gain some information for my father George Grinstead who served in 620 Squadron or later known as 113 squadron. He was in Palestine in 1947 as ground crew and would love to know if anybody else is still around who remembers this time. Jerry Lantry who was a flight sergent was a good friend. If anyone has any photo's or information we would love to hear from you.

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My name is Joyce A. Barrett and my father was an american who joined the RAF in Canada about 1939.His name was Bill J Barrett. He got married, divorced and came back to the states, to the Army Air Corps. If any one knows him or of him I would like to hear. When I was growing up He told great stories of when he was a pilot in England. He was shot down twice, once over France. I would just like to know more about my Dad and mabey how to see his military record. "Thank You All for Your Service"

Score : 8/10

I am trying to establish what my Grandad during WWII, I know he was a navigator in Stirling's, and helped to supply the French resistance and that he flew accross the Rhine towing a glider. He sadly died earlier this year, and based on my minimal research, I suspect he was in 620 or 190 Squadrons'. I hope someone can confirm this - it is stramnge that it never occured to me to ask him whilst he was still alive.

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Graham Leslie Osmond-Jones

See post below from RAF Commands website:

Your uncle was not flying a Halifax, but a Stirling. More Specifically, he and his crew were flying aboard Short Stirling Mk IV LJ914. They were lost during a Special Duty operation to Norway on 31st December 1944. There was no survivors.
pilot was F/O F.G. WARING
navigator was W/O T.A. LEYDEN
air bomber was your uncle, F/Sgt G/L/ OSMOND-JONES
Wireless operator air gunner was Sgt K. CALLABY
tail gunner was F/Sgt N.A. WHITE
Flight engineer was F/Sgt D.C. FOSTER.

Score : 9/10

Hello,
My great Uncle was Cyril Mabbot, if anybody knows anything about him and his life I would be most interested. Cyrils brother, Walter is still around although both his other brother and his sister passed away a few years ago. I know Cyril died at arnhem and was part of transport command. There is a family story they his aircraft crashed into a swimming pool. As a child I visited his grave but that is about as far as my knowledge extends. Jon Mellor.

Score : 10/10

Bruno

I believe you have given me information previously concerning F/O Adamson DFM and his crew KIA 4 March 1944. The aircraft was an Albemarle II of 570 Sqn number V1641 TT. Are you aware of any site/book that I can check to get the loaction where the aircraft went down over France?

Thanks again for your help in the past.

Mark B

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On the 27th August, at 2 pm the RAF Association will be holding their small annual memorial service at the cairn at Mill Farm, Black Bourton, Oxon, on the anniversary of the crash of Albemarle V1782. All the crew lost their lives returning to RAF Brize Norton in 1944.

The crew were:

297 Squadron: 296 Squadron:
Flt Sgt Alan Busbridge Sgt Edgar Bonser
Flt Sgt Bernard Mowan
Flt Sgt William Insley
Sgt Kenneth Shay

If anyone would like details please make contact

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Dear Bruno,

I thank you so very much indeed for your continued help and support with my research: but can anyone else please help me further or have information about the following two 38 Group Pilots:-

296 Squadon Leader, Wing Commander, T.C. Musgrave
296 Squadron Flt.Lt. M. Jackson

Both took part in Operation Varsity, 24th March, 1945, leaving Earls Colne Airfield in Halifax Tug Planes towing Horsa Gliders flown by Pilots from B Squadron, 1 Wing Glider Pilot Regiment.
Musgrave led the stream for 296 Squadron from Earls Colne.
Jackson who rolled 1 1/2 minutes behind was 2nd-up in the lift.

Anyone researching family members from the Glider Pilot Regiment and 38 Group may find information in The Eagle magazine, the magazine of the Glider Pilot Regimental Association by becoming a "friend" of The Eagle, applying in writing to David Brook, Birds Hill, Gt.Bealings, Woodbridge, Suffolk.IP13.6NR. The annual subscription fee is £15.00.
( all back-dated issues can be seen at the Museum of Army Flying, Middle Wallop and the Airborne Forces Museum, Duxford)

Good-luck to all who, like me, are "treading down the path of family research".
Lindsay Elizabeth Aspin

Score : 10/10

Stumbled upon your fabulous website while researching my uncle's military career. His name is Archie McMillan ("Mac") and he served first briefly in 297 Squadron then was moved to 299 Squadron then was moved again to 1665 HCU and finally ended up in 190 Squadron where he flew most of his missions and ended his tour in January 1945. Tragically, he lost his life in March of 1945 when his plane crashed in the Pyrnees mountains in France while he was part of Transport Command in 46 Squadron based at Stoney Cross. I'd love to hear from anyone who remembers him.

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Bruno,

The raf38group web site has helped me very much, but could you help me some more please. I am trying to find information about my grand mother's brother, stanley neale. When i was a small boy she often spoke of her little brother. She missed him always and has now died her self.
I have visited his grave in St Sylvain Churchyard. (near St Valery-en Caux) He is with 6 other airmen. I presume his aircraft had a crew of 7.
I have found from the commonwealth wargraves web site the service numbers of Stanley and his crewmates.
I would like to find our what they were doing on 6th June 1944 and what aircraft they were flying.
All 7 airmen are listed as ORTU. I had failed to find any reference to ORTU until i found your web site ""raf38group".
All 7 men are on the 38 group Roll of Honour. I have written to the RAF and received a copy of stanleys service record. The document shows Stanley being at RAF Harwell by 4th May 1944, & beneath that entry ORTU is shown. The next entry is "killed in action" 6/6/44.

The crew were:

Sergeant Stanley Neale, 1581137, 21 years old. wireless op/air gunner.

Sergeant Ernest Belcher, 1611070, 22 years. air bomber.

Sergeant Bernard Cane, 1601469, 21 years. navigator.

Flying Officer Graydon Howe, (aus) 423743, 24 years.

Sergeant Clifford Scargill, 1681158, 22 years. wireless op/air

Sergeant Henry Pearson, 1868478, 19 years. air gunner.

Flight Sergeant Alan Clark, 904519, 29 years. nav.

Thank you,

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Thank you for the message. I've included my email address. Really looking forward to hearing from you. I have a few old photos on my uncle, but I'm not sure if they were taken while he was with 295 sqn. If I find anything useful I'll email you copies in case they are useful for the site

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I am trying to find out more about my Great Uncle F/Sgt Edward Marnham who belonged to 295 Squadron. He was killed on 28th April 1944 during a training exercise. I've been unable to find out any information about the crash. I'd appreciate any information. Thank you for your brilliant website - I've learnt a great deal already.

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I have just returned from Normandy France where I have visited many times since the the 25th Anniversary of D-Day. My father was Navigator Stephen Cooper 297 Squadron killed in action in 'Operations Mallard' part of 'Operations Overlord' his colleagues Pilot Richard Long, B/A Henry Aparacio, A.G. Henry Chatterton and W/Op Robert Muir also lost their lives. The crew were flying an Albemarle towing a Horsa Glider, they were successful in releasing the glider at the DZ but got hit by ground fire when turning for home. The five crew are buried together in a church cemetery of Bieville-Beuville near Caen, it was the villagers who recovered the bodies of the crew that day and took them to their church where they were interned. To this day, the people of the village refer to my father and his colleagues as 'Our Airmen' I've have wonderful relationship with the people of Bieville- Beuville and I want readers of this site to know how sincere and grateful the people of Normandy are to the RAF for their part in their liberation. Each year there's a service conducted at the cemetery in which the Mayor and the village council attend along with many citizens, the children of the village lay flowers on the grave. In recent years my family have been the only english representatives. I cannot recall the grave being honoured by anyone from the RAF or War Grave Commision, no doubt by the nature of RAF's part in the comflict their fallen are not buried together but we mustn't forget their sacrifice

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Hello everybody.

I am interested from a historical research point of view in the liberation of Gardermoen airport near Oslo. Specifically there is an active debate raging about a newspaper article from the New York Times which mentions a large group of Heinkel He-177 Greif or He-277 aircraft parked at Gardermoen in May 1945.

Could anybody clarify, or dispel this claim please ?
Perhaps somebody has some photos scanned to a computer which they might be kind enough to share ?

My father was merchant Navy in WW2, torpedoed by U-653 in '42 and after that he joined the RN and went to Normandy plus Westkapelle. I'm the only aviation nut in the family.

Thanks in advance for any help.

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Hi, I am hoping that somebody with links to 295 sqn can help with details of the loss of the following Halifax's EB139, DJ994, DJ989 and DK130, all were lost during 1943. thanks

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My Father Ernie (Chico) Coulson was with 620 squadron. He would love to hear from any one who remembers him. He suffered a stroke a couple of years ago, and his speech was affected but his brain is still serviceable. Please contact me and i'll pass on all messages.

One of his old pilots, Joe Patience, wrote book a few years ago called 'Pilot'
in which Dad gets a mention. Good read if you can get a copy.

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Does anybody know of Richard (Dick) Gleeson possibly 38 Group 620 Squadron. I am his son . He is 91 now. Flew D Day. Any help or info appreciated.

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I was with 295 squadron as a Fitter 2 (Engines) from September 1944 until it broke up in earl 1946. I was at Harwell, and at Rivenhall. My father was also on the same squadron, from its birth until August 1945, He was a Fitter 2 (Airframes). I went on the Operation Doomsday to Gardermoen near Oslo at the end of the war, I was one of the first twenty troops on Norway as the war was ending. Lucky enough to be in Oslo for their first independance day after the war. Only at Gardermoen for about a fortnight, then went on to Stavanger, to recover an aircraft which had bogged down off the runway. That was probably the most danger ous part of my war, we were in the middle of the airfield, and also in no man's land. Russian ex prisoners of war had got hold of some arms and decided to have a battle with the Germans. We were in the middle of it !!

Have never met or been able to contact anyone I served with - I am closing in (far too quickly) to the age of 85 !!

Best wishes to all the contributors, hope you like my submission.

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Does anyone have more information about Sergeant Hunter, buried at Siouville? I think he was a relative of mine. His parents are said to be from Northern Ireland but I think that they had moved to Yorkshire and that his father became Canon Hunter at Bradford Cathedral - any information would be much appreciated.

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If anybody needs research material for tracing lost ones during WWII there is a new book just published called "Though Without Anger"
It lists all aircraft and gliders that crashed from 38 Group and gives a brief detail of the circumstances and also lists the deceased associated with the crash.
I hope this helps somebody.

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Does anyone know of the history of Flt Lt Ken Bowman who served with 298 Sqn?

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Hello,

Who know the family of Leslie Jack ROWELL, KIA the 26/8/1944 and buried in the cemetery of Le Mans?
Very sincerely.
Jacky

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Operation Varsity - 24.03.45. - 296 Squadron - Earls Colne

Does anyone have any information about the following who were all based, and took part in the above.

F/Lt. M. Jackson
F/Lt. G.A.C.H. Foster
P/O K. Blackhurst
F/O G. McGregor
F/O J.G. Hayden
F/Lt. A. Gordon
F/O A.E. Bladon

Thank you

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Ex navigator with Lancaster HAC at Methwold. Great site....congratulations Steve.

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To fight spam much more efficiently, update your guestbook : a new version is avaliable

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Bless the RAF. It once saved the world and is ready if needed again.

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I am a current WO in RAF, serving at RAF Digby. I am also deputy curator of our museum here. We have just uncovered ops files for 295 297 Sqns 1944-1945 showing raids, codenames and participating units etc. All very interesting. If your assoc. wishes to view these contact me on 01526-323279 eves or 01526-327318 work to arrange. We may have to hand these to national archive so time is short. regards Dave Harrigan

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It is great to see that some of the "forgotton" squadrons are now being recognised. My uncle flew as an air navigator with 297 squadron and was killed during the preparatory exercises for D-Day landings. He was based at RAF Stoney Cross and died when his aircraft crashed into a hillside during an exercise to drop 130 paratroopers from the 8th battilion parachute regiment on 21st December 1943. All the flight crew and 8 of the 10 paratroopers were killed.
If anyone remembers Joseph Hughes I would love to hear from them.