Hi Mike,

Maybe you found this info already,

Lancaster NE164 was shot down by a nightfighter Oblt. Gottfried Hanneck
5./NJG1  1.35 Hrs. at Ottrott France.


Michel 

Mike,

F/O Dinney's home of record was Winnipeg, Manitoba. There is currently one listing in the Winnipeg phone directory with a different initial. Perhaps a relative? It is the only Dinney listed in the entire province

Oliver Clutton - Brock in his "Footprints on the Sands of Time" could not locate an evader's report for him either.

As late as 1951 (perhaps even later), however, the RCAF were sending out letters to ex personnel reminding them of their obligation to fill out both ex POW questionnaires as well as evasion reports.

The results are available in Canada. Some I have seen are three or four lines long, others are small books.

Regards,

Dave

mikew156 wrote:

---

Was it Clutton-Brock's "RAF Evaders" that you were thinking of with regard to Dinney's evader report?

Indeed, Mike, apologies. "RAF Evaders" does have that disappointing "NF" (None Found) in his entry. Some years ago I was told by TNA that "many" MI9 reports were stolen in the late 70s. Today you can still see hints of where they once were located. Most annoying.

To save you the phone call to the LAC, the material I spoke of is not there. I located these letters, and I must stress I did not see nor was looking for F/O Dinney, in a file at the Department of National Defence's Directorate of History and Heritage:

http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/index-eng.asp

It's a real treasure trove. I made 1500 pages of copies of POW and Safe in UK lists on my last trip in 2009, all free of charge.

I have not dealt with them by mail since 1996 so have no idea how fast they are these days. Back then there were two staff members there who would action my phone requests in two weeks or less. They are now both retired.

Dave


-- Edited by alieneyes on Thursday 10th of June 2010 01:08:33 AM

Mike,

The DHH are all about openness. I spoke with the OC of the shop and they are there to open files, and help both families and researchers alike,  unlike the AHB who don't exactly go out of their way to help. Just my opinion.

You can reach me at alieneyesATyahooDOTcom replacing the obvious.

Dave

-- Edited by alieneyes on Thursday 10th of June 2010 06:35:26 PM

Hello again

I thought that I would add an update to this thread.

My understanding of the Tuck crew (625 Sqn) has been advanced thanks to the family of Allan Maxwell and being able to view his flying logbook.

In December 43 and Jan 44, Maxwell has a "W/C" Pattison (also recorded as Patterson) as pilot at 83 OTU.

Pattison and his crew then moved to 1656 CU where they presumably picked up Sgt Dean as engineer.

Maxwell then records 4 training flights in Halifaxes between 7th and 16th of February, then a big gap to the first flight with Tuck as pilot on the 22nd of February.

There must be an interesting reason for the change from Pattison to Tuck.

Also, I guess there will be an interesting reason for a Wing Commander to be undertaking a lengthy course flying Wellingtons at OTU.

Other developments;

I have successfully contacted a niece of F/O Hewetson.

I believe that Clifford Allen was from Cornwall and that his birth and that of his two brothers were registered in Launceston.

I think that Frederick Dean was an only child and with the fact that his parents are long deceased, it seems unlikely that I'll find much information about him.

With regards to the navigator of NE164, F/O William Dinney, I have finally managed to find something in the National Archives.In file WO208/5409 there is" E & E REPORT No. I.S.9 (WEA)/6/646/2311

On the 4th of August he sought help and was given shelter in the villages of Lauterupt and Verpellieres in the Vosges region until the 7th of November.

On that date he was then taken to St Die and on the 19th of November was taken by two Frenchmen to make contact with an American patrol.

He was flown to Paris from Epinol and returned to the UK on the 25th of November. The date of the report, which I think is by an American, is 23rd November.

Regards

Mike

-- Edited by mikew156 on Saturday 12th of February 2011 07:02:06 AM

Hi Kim and all

I look forward to learning about Clifford Allen.

(have replied to your ntl address - not sure if it has got through)

There's not much I know for certain at the moment aside from the CWGC information about his parent's names.

I thought that they were from Cornwall but recent investigations have not confirmed this.

On the subject of Pattison; he took command of 100 Sqn around the time that he disappears from Allan Maxwell's logbook so it seem likely that this is the reason that Tuck took over as pilot.

 Regards

 

Mike

William Henry and Jessie Elizabeth Allen, were from Tamworth, Staffs.

Royal troops, sent letters to former staff reminding them of their obligation to complete the questionnaire before the prisoners of war, and tax evasion reports.

Hi , Roy Cumberlidge was the husband of my Aunt - Jean Cumberlidge .

I would be interested in learning more of his wartime experiences if anyone can help ?

I know that my Aunt Jean was engaged to Sgt Idwal Williams and my uncle Roy went to break the news of his death to her and subsequently they formed a relationship and were later married .

They had a daughter but later separated and Roy went to live in Menorca where I met up with him a couple of times - he died there a number of years ago .

My email is huwie60@gmail.com

any information appreciated

Hello Huw

Interested to hear of your connection with Roy Cumberlidge.

I would be pleased to pass on what I have which includes a copy of Roy's POW Questionnaire and photos of the crew sent to me by Roy Drury's son in law and also Don Hunter and his daughter.

Regards

Mike

p.s. I hope the email got through.

Greetings Elaine and thanks for joining the forum and posting on this thread.

 

I am so pleased that Bert still has family to remember him.

I feared that as an only child he might be somewhat lost but, after I contacted the local Stalbridge paper in 2011, I made contact with two people who actually knew him well. That was really pleasing.

 

Bert was indeed very young.

His birth certificate states that he was born in Marnhull on the 23^rd of February 1925 meaning that he was 19 years, 5 months and 20 days old when he died.

 

As you know, he died almost two weeks after the raid on which his aircraft was shot down. The other three casualties from that crew died on the same night as the raid. I dont know from where Bert was taken to a hospital in Strasbourg but he is now buried in Cronenbourg National Cemetery, near to the centre of the city - not far from the main railway station if I remember rightly. I havent yet visited the cemetery but I do have a photo of his headstone.

 

Ill be very pleased to pass on all I know about Bert and his comrades.

 

Best regards

 

Mike

Hello Elaine

I'm very interested to hear that you and your brother have been researching this. I hope we can combine all that we've learned.

I left my email on your forum whiteboard; perhaps you've found it already.

As you might have seen earlier on this thread, the late Allan Maxwell's wife has contacted me and we keep in touch regularly.

I have also made contact with the families of Alan Hewetson, Patrick Dowling and Robert Morrison, and Kim Hitchiner has kindly passed on her research of Clifford Allen.

Regards

Mike

 

Hi Mike, sorry for mistake in last post, I stated Beaufighters, should have said Beauforts.

In remembrance of the crew of LL962

P/O Harry Humphrey Tuck         Pilot                          aged 21; from Manchester

Sgt Frederick Bert Dean             Flight Engineer          aged 19; from Dorset

F/O Alan Joseph Hewetson        Navigator                  aged 33; from Gainsborough

F/O Robert Garner Morrison       Air Bomber                aged 22; from Hamilton

Sgt Patrick Laurence Dowling    Wireless Operator      aged 22; from Dublin

F/Sgt Allan W Maxwell (RCAF)   Air Gunner                aged 21; from Toronto

Sgt Clifford Frank Allen              Air Gunner                aged 21; from Tamworth

 

70 years ago today....

 

Lancaster LL962 took off from RAF Kelstern at 21:20 hrs on the 28^th of July 1944. Its crew were tasked with supporting the Pathfinders of the 494 Lancasters that were sent to Stuttgart.

In the early hours of the next morning, LL962 crashed near to the village of Rauwiller in Alsace eastern France; the pilot, rear gunner and navigator had been killed and the flight engineer had been seriously wounded. The air bomber, wireless operator and mid-upper gunner had also escaped the aircraft by parachute and were alone in enemy territory.

 

I became interested in this crew due to the fact that Alan Hewetson was buried alongside a 156 Sqn crew whose air bomber I have a connection with. When I first discovered this, I was I determined that I would try to find out more about him and this has inevitably led to more extensive research of him and his crew. Indeed I have spent as much rewarding time researching the crew of LL962 as I have the 156 Sqn crew of ND454.

 

During the last ten years it has been my pleasure and honour to have corresponded with the families of Allan Maxwell, Patrick Dowling, Robert Morrison, Bert Dean and Alan Hewetson. It was my particular honour to be able to liaise between Alan Hewtsons niece and his widow who had either not seen or had become separated from the wonderful collection of photographs that I was able to pass on.

 

I'd like to send my thanks to all those who have helped me in my research during the last ten years including Gordon Leith (RAF Museum), Theo Boiten, Pierre Herrbach, Nick Holland, Kim Hitchiner, M. & Mdm Wehrung of Schalbach, Nic Lewis (Sec. of the 625 Sqn Assoc.) and the owners, administrators and members of forums such as bombercrew.com.

I would be very pleased to hear from anyone with connections to any of the aircrew from LL962. I would particularly like to hear from the families of Harry Tuck and Clifford Allen or anyone who knows anything about them and also anyone from Rauwiller who knows anything about the crash.

I'd also welcome enquiries or collaborations from anyone interested in this crew or the operation to Stuttgart on the 28th/29th of July 1944.

 

Best regards.

 

 

Mike

Hi Mikew156,

Over the past few days I have been researching the life of Alan Hewetson as my grandmother recently told me about his involvement in WW2 which I found very interesting. My grandmother is MEH Tregenza, she is 82 and her mother was called Winifred Maud(e) Barton (formerly Hewetson), a sister of Alan. I have been led to believe that she is Alan's only niece because I have been informed that his brother Edward had no children. However my grandmother does not recall being in contact with you and neither my mother nor grandmother has any knowledge of this 'wonderful collection of photographs', although we would love to see it! I have discovered a small amount of information about Alan although I expect it is nothing new to you..I am interested in any details you have about him and also his profession before the war and his education etc.

My email is lamornareid@gmail.com.

Many thanks,

Lamorna

nice post....



waleeed

Hello Mary and good to hear from you.

The photo that you have ties in with my memory of Harry doing part of his pilot's training in Southern Rhodesia.
If you don't know already, look up the British and Commonwealth Air Training Plan for details on this.
To my knowledge, exact details of what Harry did between returning to the UK and arriving at 550 Sqn are still to be discovered.
Don Hunter documented that he was at No.30 Operational Training Unit, Hixon; OTU at Whitchurch (probably No.81); and Heavy Conversion Unit & Lancaster Finishing School at Sandtoft (probably No.1667).
It's therefore likely that Don first met Harry at one of these OTUs where they would have trained on Wellingtons.
Roy Cumberlidge has also recorded that he was at Hixon so maybe more likely there.
In between Southern Rhodesia and Hixon, Harry would have spent some time at an intermediary unit advancing his training on multi-engined aircraft.
It would be great for a member of Harry's family to acquire a copy of his service record for the exact details.

OK, let's see where we go from here.

Best regards

Mike

 

Dear Mike and Anne,

My goodness thanks so much for replying so quickly!

Mike, thank you for the information about possible links to post Rhodesia training for Harry Jones... perhaps getting his service record would help.

Anne so nice to be in touch with you, I'm also new to this forum but will try and work out how it works re: sending my e-mail.

Once again, many thanks to you both and hope to be in touch soon,

Mary