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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: Horsley2016 on Sunday 28 August 22 14:33 BST (UK)
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Dear all,
I found out my maternal Grandfather flew during the War. A Sergeant 1625595, he went by the name Brendan Patrick Creane. An Irishman, he married in June 1944 and his residence on the marriage very was ‘Silstock Salop???’
I do know he was based in the Lincolnshire area at Nocton Hall. Attached are the only official pieces of information I have. Can anyone help with anything?! I’d love to know what he flew and if anyone could decipher the record I have?
Unofficially I believe he may have been a navigator and flew Middle East routes?
If anyone can also point me in the direction where I may find more information I’d be most grateful.
With thanks
Mx
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I think it's Tilstock. My Dad was there.
Martin
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I think the aircraft in the middle photo is a Halifax.
298 Sqdn operated the HP Halifax on S.O.E. duties as well as towing gliders for D-day and Arnhem. They went to Woodbridge to tow gliders for the Rhine crossing. (from Wikipedia).
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First mention in his log book of 298 Sqdn appears to be July 1944 although it could be earlier. That means he probably wasn't involved in the Normandy landings and towing gliders, but was on flights for the SOE. That said 298 also supported later glider operations, possibly including Operation Market Garden (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Market_Garden).
From July 1945 the Sqdn was moved to Raipur in India.
From the wedding photograph he's a sergeant, but it's impossible to make out the specialisation badge on his chest other than to rule out him as a pilot. The trades which used the wing badge included navigator, observer, radio operator, air gunner, and load master among several other less likely specialisations (see here: https://www.rafweb.org/Ranks-Uniform/Badges3A.htm.
I agree with Michael J that the plane looks like a Halifax, but I have no idea which version. A crew of 6 looks generous for aircrew, but the group may include some ground crew.
Where is the photo of the log book page from? I assume you don't have the complete log book itself.
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I assume you've already seen the Wikpedia entry for 298 Sqdn. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._298_Squadron_RAF)
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Looking at a couple entries towards the top of the first photo (the log book page) he was with No 11 ITW (Initial Training Wing) in ?Apr 1943 which was then based at the Prince of Wales Hotel, Scarborough. Later (Aug 1943) he was at 21 ITW which was then based in Torquay. 21 ITW trained Flight Enginneers. As he was a Sergeant in 1944 he may well not have been student at 21 ITW, but part of the staff.
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Another entry which looks like it's dated 18/4/44 is for 1665 HCU. That's a Heavy Conversion Unit. It trained airmen on several aircraft including Halifaxes. It was based at RAF Tilstock for some of the period. He moved from there to 298 Sqdn.
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A crew of 6 looks generous for aircrew, but the group may include some ground crew.
It appears an aircrew of 6 was not unusual. Here's a list of another 298 Sqdn Halifax which was lost in 1944:
31.8.44 Halifax V LL343 T-L 298 Sqdn RAF
F/O William Wallace Brown RCAF - Pilot - died
Sgt William Bradley RAFVR - Flight Engineer - died
F/O Robert Denver MacDuff RNZAF - Navigator - died
F/Sgt Frederick Pearson RAFVR - Wireless Op / Gunner - died
F/O Francis Sayles DFM - Air Bomber - died
F/Sgt John Bonsall Smith RAFVR - Wireless Op / Gunner - died
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Thank you all so very much. Honestly, this information means so much to me. It will help me go on to research specifics and as much as I can. I had no idea of squadron 298 but with the information of it most likely being a Halifax in the photo, and some deciphering of the log book I can start to research - I’ll look at Wikipedia next.
I got the info from the RAF but was told this was only what they could provide - other stuff was classified. He was, I believe a bit of a ‘cad.’ He was involved in a brawl in a hotel bar in Nocton and he was apparently studying engineering in Dublin before going AWOL. His parents had no idea he’d left university and he only turned up in England with the RAF!
I’ve attached the only other bits of info I was given. I wish I knew where to get ‘more’ If more can even be found?
Thank you so much for all of your information- it’s really appreciated. On a side note, what does SOE stand for?
M
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A crew of 6 looks generous for aircrew, but the group may include some ground crew.
It appears an aircrew of 6 was not unusual. Here's a list of another 298 Sqdn Halifax which was lost in 1944:
31.8.44 Halifax V LL343 T-L 298 Sqdn RAF
F/O William Wallace Brown RCAF - Pilot - died
Sgt William Bradley RAFVR - Flight Engineer - died
F/O Robert Denver MacDuff RNZAF - Navigator - died
F/Sgt Frederick Pearson RAFVR - Wireless Op / Gunner - died
F/O Francis Sayles DFM - Air Bomber - died
F/Sgt John Bonsall Smith RAFVR - Wireless Op / Gunner - died
Thank you Andy. Forgive my ignorance, but would a ‘new’ squadron 298 have formed following the loss of this one? I don’t know how it worked?
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A mention here - flight engineer on Halifax III, 8A-M, NA 310 of 298 Squadron on 24 March 1945
https://www.pegasusarchive.org/varsity/war_298sqn.htm
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No, The aircraft which was lost was just one of many in the Squadron (one source says there were 40 aircraft in the Sqdn, but gives no date for this), so while your man may have known the crew that was lost, the loss of the aircraft and crew was just part of the dangers of the operations they flew.
SOE was the Special Operations Executive. Lots on it if you Google. They were specially trained operators who were inserted into enemy territory to liaise with local partisans or resistance and generally cause mayhem for the Germans. Sometimes they flew all the way to their destination where the plane landed, and on other occasions they parachuted in and were met by the local Resistence.
Later when the Squadron moved to India, their role was rather less exciting. You can read about some of the operations they flew here: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/halifaxbomber/298-squadron-india-t363.html
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3 mentions of him here: http://www.operation-ladbroke.com/ray-atkinson-halifax-tug-pilot-operation-varsity/
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I agree with Michael J that the plane looks like a Halifax, but I have no idea which version. A crew of 6 looks generous for aircrew, but the group may include some ground crew.
A relative of mine flew Halifaxes on SOE duties with 138 Squadron. The operations record has lists of those Missing on Operations (one list for each aircraft - all Halifaxes), and these typically have 7 names. A few have just 6, and some have 8.
Thank you so much for all of your information- it’s really appreciated. On a side note, what does SOE stand for?
Special Operations Executive - involved in undercover operations during WW2. RAF involvement included dropping supplies and equipment for resistance groups (generally 138 Squadron - Halifaxes), and getting agents in and out of places behind enemy lines (generally 161 Squadron - Lysanders). Both of these operated out of RAF Tempsford. More info at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Operations_Executive
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M (Horsley2016),
Those documents from the MOD which you have photographed (with your phone by the looks of it!) are next to useless (sorry!) for getting the details, like dates. Can I suggest that when you have time, you slowly re-photograph sections of each sheet, and post them up and we can try and tell you what they mean. I suggest using a warm iron to remove the creases (iron on the blank side of the paper) then put the sheet close to a window and with your phone parallel to the page photograph discrete sections. Check the images to see if you can read the text before posting as it will save time. If all this seems like too much bother, maybe you can just transcribe the bits you don't understand and we can try and expand the abbreviations and terminology.
To be honest there's wealth of information out there about the Sqdn and the operations they flew. You should be able to build a very detailed picture of his RAF career.
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A relative of mine flew Halifaxes on SOE duties with 138 Squadron. The operations record has lists of those Missing on Operations (one list for each aircraft - all Halifaxes), and these typically have 7 names. A few have just 6, and some have 8.
Thanks for that arthurk. I had in mind the more conventional bomber squadrons. With the SOE flights they would have needed an air despatcher or loadmaster to deal with SOE operatives or supplies which were parachuted in. More complicated than just dropping bombs!