huvut76g7gbbui7 Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 Yesterday I found out that a friend's father had been a wireless operator on the Halifax with 158 Squadron. She showed me his Caterpillar pin and membership card as he had bailed out over England returning from a mission on 07 December 1942. Is there any on-line source that would help me identify his aircraft? (I've looked at 158's losses but they only list serial numbers with no date) Thanks Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 (edited) The Air Britain serial books will give you the date of loss of each aircraft, or the date at which it was struck off charge. Air Britain did publish a work called The Halifax File, which collated this information to present a near-complete history of each example. Your chance of finding an example of this book is probably slim, but If you send me the serial list I'll give my copy an eyeball. After all, most Halifaxes can be eliminated as being built after 07 December 1942. One possible flaw is that the aircraft was recovered safely after a precautionary bale-out. In either case you can investigate the Operational Record Book of 158 Squadron. This is available in the National Archives, and I gather that copies can be provided for each month. PS The loss may also be mentioned in Ken Merrick's Flights of the Forgotten, which will also provide good background to 158 Sq's operations. However, my copy is currently hiding far too successfully among my other books. Edited January 18, 2018 by Graham Boak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 (edited) DT544 abandoned on return from Mannheim. A/c crashed at Green Farm, High Wycombe 7.12.42 The aircraft was an English Electric built Mk.II. According to The Halifax File. PS Looking at the losses, it seems that 158 was still flying conventional bombing missions so the Merrick's SOE book is likely to be of no value, but the loss should be recorded in Martin Middlebrook's Bomber Command War Diaries. Edited January 18, 2018 by Graham Boak 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ossington 2 Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 Halifax II DT544, coded NP-R. T/O 1657 Rufforth. Hit by flak and severely damaged. Subsequently, after nearly nine hours in the air, and low on fuel, the Halifax was abandoned and left to crash 0155 at Greens Farm, Greens Lane, High Wycombe, Berkshire. F/O Reynolds landed on the roof of the Royal Military Academy , Sandhurst, where he was promptly arrested by an alert guard, turned out by the Duty Officer. Crew: (Pilot, Nav, etc. in order) F/O KH Reynolds Sgt WJ Wilson Sgt F Worsnop Sgt J Harbottle Sgt E Smith Sgt GH Weatcroft Sgt DA Weatherill Thanks to Bill Chorley's "Bomber Command Losses 1942" page 272. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huvut76g7gbbui7 Posted January 19, 2018 Author Share Posted January 19, 2018 Thank you both for the prompt and detailed replies. My friend and her man will be delighted with that information. Thanks again Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Just out of interest, which of the crew is he, if it's okay to ask? Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicarage Vee Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Dear Richard, pm me your e-mail address and I can give you a fair bit more on Sgt (later P/O) Ernest Smith's (assuming it is he) service with 158 Sq. He flew 18 ops with the squadron before being posted to 30 OTU at the end of June 1943. None appear quite as eventful as the first! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWFK10 Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Mentioned in "Wings over York: the history of Rufforth Airfield" (Brian Mennell): ".....158 Sqn was to provide aircraft to join the 272 destined to attack Mannheim on 6th. Sergeant Bartlett was unable to raise the undercarriage of his Halifax after take off and attempted to land back at Rufforth. After failing to land on his first approach, the aircraft crash-landed at Bilborough, about three miles from the airfield. Two of the crew, Sergeant Lawrence Jackson (navigator) and Sergeant Peter Wallis (mid-upper gunner) were killed. Peter Wallis was just 19 years of age. The rest of the crew were all injured, Sergeant Miller, the rear gunner, quite badly. The wreckage burst into flames and the aircraft was lost. Another aircraft was lost on the same raid. Pilot Officer Reynold's Halifax was hit by flak as he completed his bombing run. He nursed the damaged aircraft back towards England but by the time of landfall on the south coast, the aircraft was becoming extremely difficult to handle. The decision was made to bale out and all the crew landed safely, Pilot Officer Reynolds himself causing upset to the Army by landing on the roof of Sandhurst Military College. The aircraft crashed a few miles away. Again the Wing Commander considered a comment in the Squadron Operations Book worthy and stated: "This was the crew's first operation and first experience of flak. I think they coped quite well."" Incidentally, Appendix A lists 158 Sqn "aircraft/aircrew losses" while flying from Rufforth. In fact, it appears that it only lists those incidents in which there were fatalities, because DT544 doesn't feature. The only entry for the night of 6/7 Dec 1942 is Sgt Bartlett's Halifax, DG223, and Mennell quotes this aircraft as NP-R: possibly a transcription error? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicarage Vee Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Yes, most likely a transcription error, DG223 was NP-Q throughout its time on strength. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huvut76g7gbbui7 Posted January 19, 2018 Author Share Posted January 19, 2018 4 hours ago, Simon said: which of the crew is he, Sgt E Smith 2 hours ago, Vicarage Vee said: pm me your e-mail address Inbound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huvut76g7gbbui7 Posted January 19, 2018 Author Share Posted January 19, 2018 1 hour ago, AWFK10 said: Mentioned in "Wings over York: Appreciate this extra info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ossington 2 Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 I was intrigued enough to spend £3:50 on the TNA's web portal, Discovery. This is the relevant page entry: <blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="a/fwlXT"><a href="//imgur.com/fwlXT"></a></blockquote><script async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> https://imgur.com/a/fwlXT (one of these must work!) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ossington 2 Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Other serial number & code tie-ins from document AIR27/1048/22, the 158 Sqn ORB for Nov 1942 are: DT559 D DT505 H W1217 S DT579 V DG223 & then W7784 Q W1091 W DT546 B W7668 N DT585 L W1221 M W7865 A W166 U W7751 F DT485 K 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huvut76g7gbbui7 Posted January 20, 2018 Author Share Posted January 20, 2018 On 19/01/2018 at 12:19 PM, Simon said: if it's okay to ask? Yes that's fine. Apologies for the short answer earlier as I was waiting to get his picture : Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huvut76g7gbbui7 Posted January 26, 2018 Author Share Posted January 26, 2018 May I bother you again please? Would the serial and codes be in red in Dec 1942? Thanks RG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Boak Posted January 26, 2018 Share Posted January 26, 2018 Yes, from May. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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