RAF PATHFINDERS ARCHIVE

Pathfinder Aircrew, their Friends, their Families, and the World they Knew

Category: Archive News

Deverill Collection & Gathering at RAF Wyton, 16 December 2018

Posted by on in 75th Anniversary Black Thursday, Archive News

There will be a gathering at RAF Wyton on 16 December this year to honour the 75th anniversary of Black Thursday, and of the death of Ernest Alfred Deverill and so many other fine aircrew.

The exact details and timings are being finalised but it is planned that there will be a memorial service in the morning, lunch, and then an extended tour round the Pathfinder Collection at the Heritage Centre, including viewing the Deverill Collection.

The RAF Pathfinders Archive bought the very expensive (but, in terms of true value, priceless) Deverill Collection at the end of 2017. By purchasing it, we have ensured its future as a single Collection when today similar collections are being broken up to gain the maximum commercial value. We still need to raise another £11,000 to fund the purchase, which was made possible by means of interest-free loans from supporters.

Before the 75th Anniversary, we will be publishing “Ernest Alfred Deverill, the Pathfinders, and Black Thursday”, which will be available in November. All profits from this publication will go towards settling the outstanding loans. The price will be £10 plus postage.

Numbers for the 75th Anniversary gathering are strictly limited, so please notify us as soon as possible of your interest. If you would like to attend the gathering, preorder “Ernest Alfred Deverill, the Pathfinders, and Black Thursday”, or make a donation, please contact us on info@raf-pathfindersarchive.com or use the Support Us Page

Please note, the Heritage Centre is inside the Wyton base, which operates at a high security level. For further details see OUR PARTNERS

 

 

 

Link Between 7 Squadron and Churchill

Posted by on in Archive News

Research often turns up the strangest connections. I was looking for information about Frederick Denzil James Thompson, a PFF Navigator with DFC and Bar, who was the son of Churchill’s bodyguard, Detective Inspector Walter Henry Thompson.  Thompson senior had a distinguished career, first acting as bodyguard to Lloyd George, and then later to Churchill almost continuously from 1921 to 1945. I had heard that Frederick Thompson the son, had lost his life, flying on PFF operations. SEE THIS PAGE.

 

Unknown PFF Crew at Wedding

Posted by on in Archive News, Pathfinders

We have received a delightful picture of an unknown PFF bomber crew. It is cheerful, happy and informal, and the crew are obviously close friends.

Sent by Paul Smith, it was taken in early 1944 as his father, the young boy in the photo, was born in April 1942 and he is about two years old in the picture. Full-sized image.

 

 

Mosquito Week ends

Posted by on in Archive News, PFF Mosquito Squadrons

After a very successful Mosquito Week, we are saying goodbye to the Wooden Wonder for a few days and looking at some other topics. Our farewell photograph comes from 627 Squadron: 627 Squadron: Aircrew and Ground Crew

We will, of course, be adding further Mosquito material to the website in the near future. Amongst other features will be “‘Soldier of Orange’ – Erik Hazelhoff-Roelfzema” and “Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Mosquitoes”, both by Ross Sharp of the People’s Mosquito. We look forward to publishing them both and to welcoming Ross as a contributor.

 

RAF Accident Report, Parlato and Orchard

Posted by on in Archive News, Main Force, Other Wartime Topics, PFF Mosquito Squadrons

This report is not only of great interest because of the men involved in this particular accident, but also because it shows us the type of report which was compiled on flying accidents by the RAF. Unfortunately, due to the post-war ‘slash and burn’ attitude of the British towards their RAF records, this type of information is extraordinarily hard to obtain on RAF aircrew and it is usually only by going to the Dominion records (if a Dominion airman was on that crew) that one can get information on what happened.

See our new page: RAF Accident Reports: Parlato and Orchard

The People’s Mosquito

Posted by on in Archive News, PFF Mosquito Squadrons

Here is something well worthy of attention during our Mosquito Week.

The People’s Mosquito has a simple vision (and a great many highly qualified and enthusiastic people to back it up): to not only return a de Havilland Mosquito to the skies above Britain, but, for the first time in more than 75 years, build this iconic aircraft in the UK.

People with long memories may remember the crash at an airshow on 21 July 1996 of the last airworthy Mosquito in the world. Sadly both men in the aircraft were killed and the Mosquito itself was totally destroyed.

At the time it looked as if Mosquitoes would never again be seen flying in this country.  And so this is where the People’s Mosquito comes in, a not-for-profit restoration project and registered charity.

They have an excellent informative website: The People’s Mosquito website. Of particular interest to me personally is this page featuring the entire film shot by Brian Harris, DFC, when he was a navigator on Mosquitoes with 627 Squadron in August 1944. 627 Squadron was one of the Pathfinder Mosquito squadrons ‘loaned’ to 5 Group in April 1944. 5 Group was always vastly more keen on PR and publicity than 8 Group. This is probably the reason why such a film was shot under Cochrane’s auspices, rather than Bennett’s.

mosquito

The film shows Mosquitoes preparing and then flying on the raid on Deelen airfield in Holland at mid-day on 15 August 1944. This raid was took place as part of the preparations for Operation Market Garden, the operation to capture several Dutch bridges including that at Arnhem. Deelen airfield was used as a base for German fighters. Following several raids that month, the airfield was put out of commission for fighter aircraft.

One of the many fascinations of the film is seeing Mosquitoes and ground crew in colour, not to mention the historical landscape known so well to Bomber Command aircrew, including Cambridge colleges and Lincoln Cathedral.

JENNIE MACK GRAY

Illustrations: stills from the film. 

First Anniversary of the PFF, 1943

Posted by on in Archive News

15 August will be the 76th anniversary of the creation of the Path Finder Force in 1942. In 1943, the year after the Force was formed, slightly belatedly Bennett sent a Special Order of the Day to his squadrons, saying that much had been achieved but more needed to be done. The text was copied into the squadrons’ ORBs.

Entered into 97 Squadron’s Operations Record Book on 22 August 1943:

Special Order of the Day by Air Commodore D.C.T.Bennett CBE, DSO, Commanding Path Finder Force

“To all ranks of the PFF.  On the 15th August 1942, five squadrons, each representing a group in Bomber Command, assembled on allotted aerodromes to form the PFF.  In one year the PFF has played a large part in showing the enemy how effective bombing can be as a direct means of breaking his morale and thereby winning the war.  It is conceivable that he can crack up tomorrow.  On the other hand his Gestapo rule may make it possible for him to continue indefinitely.  Bombing is our most rapid and effective method of preventing his continued struggle but only if it is effective.  The PFF have done much but they must do more.  The quality of our bombing is in your hands.  Keep at it and good luck to you all.”

Black Thursday – 75th Anniversary

Posted by on in Archive News

Dear All

Many of you will know that this December sees the 75th anniversary of Black Thursday, 16/17 December 1943, in which the Pathfinders lost 50 men killed and several seriously injured due to fog in England after the return from a Berlin operation.

We are seeking help with putting details and photographs to all the men flying that night. Whilst so much has been shared over the years, it is possible that we may have missed updates on certain aircrew. Please get in touch with us if you think you may have something we don’t know about.

We particularly need to know about aircrew flying with 83, 156, and 405 Squadrons. A list has not yet been compiled of all these men, although we have had one on 97 Squadron for several years. If anyone would like to help by providing a list of aircrew for a particular squadron flying that night, please let us know.

7 Squadron did not lose any crews due to accidents in England although they suffered the heavy loss of 4 crews on the operation. The Mosquito squadrons also escaped any bad-weather crashes. We will be looking to increase information about these squadrons for that particular night, but will make a separate announcement on this, probably next month.

All the information gathered will be shared with RAF Wyton, Pathfinder Collection, and either appear as part of the exhibition there on Black Thursday or become part of a supplementary booklet.

Many thanks in advance – Jennie Gray

 

 

 

Paradog, Salvo

Posted by on in Archive News, The Air War - background

Nothing to do with the Pathfinders but also about a flying dog, this time in the wartime USAAF, which raises an interesting point connected to today’s earlier post on Pathfinder Pets

If these dogs were flying with their owners, how did they cope at high altitude without oxygen?

Perhaps Paradog Salvo was not flying above the altitude which requires oxygen – 8,000 feet – but Bomber Command aircrew certainly were and any dog they took with them would have had to do this too.

It is hard to imagine Bomber Command crew members having the time to keep an oxygen mask over a dog’s face during high altitude flying, and the idea of there being dog oxygen masks seems slightly preposterous, So perhaps the whole thing of dogs flying on Bomber Command operations is just a myth. Clayton’s spaniel had his own logbook, but that may have been in a supporting, ground crew type of way.

Any ideas or comments?

paradog