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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: Hawknut on Wednesday 01 August 12 01:59 BST (UK)
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Trying to find info on Flight Lieutenant Alan Short who was killed in a Halifax 31/8/43. Don't have any other information. Can someone help?
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I do have access to a site about 'Lost Bombers', so I may be able to find some details of his last flight there. Having a name, rank, Station and Squadron is a big help. I have a vague idea that 78 Squadron was part of 6 Group, Bomber Command.
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CWGC gives a different name for the other details: Albert Robert Short, son of Charles R. Short and Elizebeth E. Short, of Great Yarmouth, husband of Rose Lillian Short, of Great Yarmouth. Buried in Gorleston.
http://www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/2763847/SHORT,%20ALBERT%20ROBERT
This in turn led to http://www.aircrewremembrancesociety.com/raf1943/2/shortalbert.html
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F/Lt A.R.Short was the pilot of Halifax MkII, JD201, EY-Y, which took off from Breighton, Yorks., at 0003hrs on the night of 30/31st August bound for Monchengladbach. The aircraft crashed near Wisbech, Cambridgeshire at 0100hrs. There were no survivors.
Incidentally, 78 Squadron lost two other aircraft that night.
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Dont know how up to date this is (but if you go onto the RAF Register of Assns site you can check):
78 Sqn Assn
Grp Capt I F Easton RAF (Retd)
2 Orchard Lodge
Boverton
Llanwit Major
CF61 1UH
01446-793022
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The Operational Record Book is available at the National Archives. Tantalisingly the catalogue suggests there are some photos, too. Some Combat Reports are also available. Who knows what treasure trove may be there?
See http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/search.asp - I used the search term 78 Squadron and restricted the search by date and series AIR.
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Thank you all for your replies. It seems that we are not looking n the right place as we are definitely looking for Alan, not Albert, and he was Australian born. Back to the drawing board!
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The only Short with Australian connection killed in Bomber Command on the date in question was J.H. Short of 12 Squadron which flew Lancasters.
The only other command I can think of that operated Halifaxes at that time was Coastal Command so that may be the next avenue to be followed.
Regretfully, I have no details for Coastal so I must leave it for others to come up with any relevant info.
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Hi,
Here's the CMGC details on JH Short:
http://www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/2032749/SHORT,%20JOSEPH%20HENRY
Nanny Jan
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Thanks everyone for your suggestions. As we dipped out on the original enquiry we are now not sure of the date of Alan Short's death, so we are having to start again. Appreciate all of your efforts.
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I can find only one Alan Short in the "Bomber Command Roll of Honour" by W.R.Chorley.
Sergeant Alan Douglas Short of 1654 Heavy Conversion Unit, died 22nd April, 1944. He was however, RAF, not RAAF.
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Thank you for this - it gives us a new starting point. It's the first time we have had an actual 'Alan' Short. He was in the RAF, not the RAAF, so it could be him.
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Sgt. Alan Douglas Short was the rear gunner on Short Stirling EH926 "T" of 1654 Heavy Conversion Unit which ,whilst preparing to land at Wigsley after a night navigation sortie, collided with another Stirling. Both aircraft crashed near Eagle, seven miles SW of Lincoln centre. There were no survivors from either aircraft.
Sgt. Short is listed as being buried at Sunderland (Bishopwearmouth) Cemetery.
(Info from W.R.Chorley's books and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.
I know that you have decided to discount A.R. Short, lost on 31/8/43 because of the discrepancy over the first name (Albert), but we cannot ignore the fact that CWGC may have made an error over the name. This is not unknown, however it is uncommon.
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Thanks to everyone who answered my post. We have been barking up completely the wrong tree with Alan Short. We found him, and although he was known in the family as Alan, he was actually Maxwell and he served in the middle east with 454 squadron. He died 1st June 1944. So thanks for all your suggestions and now we can get on with our lives!