Air Force Lookups - if you need help

[mosmi]

Hi,

Really impressed by all the research and work you guys do in here! It's fantastic to see it in action.

I have a pretty obscure query, without much info to go on, I'm afraid. A friend of mine bought a beautiful suit that once belonged to a Sqn Ldr C.H.N. Mackey. The age of the suit would suggest that he served in the Second World War, according to him. We'd be really interested to find out more about this chap and his service, but that's essentially all the information we have about him.

I had a go searching on the London Gazette website, but didn't manage to come up with anything. Given he's not a relation, I guess I can't get in touch with the Air Historical Branch. Any suggestions of where I might be able to research him would be most welcome!

[Jen14]

Thanks for the suggestion Dee, I've just seen this message and ordered that book.
Thank you,
Jen

Looking for any information that you might have on a crew from 158 Sqn RAF who flew out of Lissett in Halifax Mk III LV946 NP-K. My grand father F/O Ronald Stakes (132016) was the rear gunner the night they were to attack Tergnier, France (18 April 1944) and crashed near Ly-Fontaine.

Thanks in advance.

Ron

Jen and Ron you might like to look in a book called Footprints on the Sands of Time by Oliver Clutton-Brock if he was a POW...Its all about Bomber Command POWs.
Dee

Ron,

My grandad, Philip Dowdeswell, was from the same squadron and crashed in Erches (Somme). It sounds like they may have been on the same plane? He survived the crash and went into hiding nearby for some time before being captured and taken as a prisoner of war. I have some of his diary entries as well as letters from some of the people who helped him after the crash.

Would be great to hear from you and share information,

Jen

[Jen14]

Thank you for this Sharki, this is really helpful and interesting,
Jen

Jen,
Phillip Dowdeswell was shot down on 10/11 April 1944. He was the wireless operator on Halifax MkIII, LW723 NP-X of 158 Squadron tasked to attack Tergnier. When captured he was sent to Stalag Luft 3 (Sagan-Belaria).
Those of his crew who did not survive are buried in Meharicourt Communal Cemetery.
Although they were sent to attack the same target, your grandfather was not in the same crew as Ron's grandfather, F/O Ronald Stakes as there was a week between the two attacks on this target. It is however, quite likely and indeed very possible that they knew each other.

[Rosie (MaccHistorian)]

I wonder if anyone can help?
I looked up a relative's name (Bernard Rowley) in the National Archives AIR78 index to get his service number and found two Bernard Rowleys. One card was stamped with an F in a circle and the other had KD typed underneath the name. I'll upload the image so you can see.
What do the F and the KD mean? Thanks.

[rafcommands]

F in a circle means that he was graded into Class F reserve and usually means pre war service.

His service number is from a block used for RAF entry at RAF Cardington commencing Sept 1939 and running to April 1940.

The other chap is also a wartime entrant and comes into a block that was enrolled between June 1941 and July 1942 at Birmingham combined service recruiting centres. As his number is late in the block I would suggest an enrolment of early 1942 eg Feb/March/April.

Regards
Ross

[rutht22000]

Hi

I wonder if you had anything on these 2 cousins:

Cyril Norman Stanley Campbell (b.1913) and Francis Morris Gordon Scotter (b.1918).

Cyril joined No 73 Squadron in 1939 and flew Hurricanes as part of the Advanced Air Striking Force.  He was awarded a DFC after guiding home a squadron of Spitfires lost in fog (not sure when this was) and suffered burns in April 1940 when he was shot down.  We have no idea where he went after he left the No 4 Casualty Clearing Station before coming back to England to recover.
He did survive his injuries and married in London.

Francis was part of (I think) 1419 Flight.  He was awarded a DFC too in 1941 and in 1946 received a King's Commendation for Valuable Services in the Air.  He died in Cairo in 1969.

Any information, particularly about Francis would be gratefully received   

[rafcommands]

Francis, 40853, was trained at the School of Army Co-operation. Entered the school as acting Pilot Officer 14th Jan 1939 and was still there May 1939.

The unit for his post war commendation has been listed on my site by Hugh Halliday
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?4698-1-January-1946-awards-(1)

Regards
Ross

[fred1951]

Hi

Can you see anything on Frank Martin Rhodes, he was born in 1925 and died in the early 50s.

Thank you in advance

[rafcommands]

Freddiebean.

Always best to prepare some bait when embarking on a fishing spree.

What do you know that suggests he was RAF and if so when approximately did he serve.

You can get the basics from a SAR to MoD at Cranwell - see MoD webpages for non relation forms/deceased over 25 years.

Ross