Im trying to find out if there is anyone out there who remembers my Dad, Jim Tim Tyler. He was a Flt Engineer on Halifax bombers during the war. He was on the following Squadrons.
408 Squadron Nov 1942 till May 43RAF Leeming
427 Squadron May 1943 till June 43RAF Leeming
434 Squadron June 1943 till Feb 44RAF Tholthrope
420 Squadron Feb 1944 till May 44RAF Tholthrope
He is still with us today and would be tickled pink to hear from any of his old mates.
Hi Paul nice to have you aboard.. Just a small item of interest re your enquiry. 434 Bluenose Squadron moved from Tholthorpe to Croft on the 10th of December 1943 and was stationed there along with 431 Squadron for the duration of the war.
Alan Soderstrom of Edmonton, Alberta is the webmaster here in Canada for 434 Sqdn. I'm not sure if he could help at all but if you google 434 Sqdn. you can probably get his website.
Good luck with your search. Bill Heron/Niagara/Canada
Hi Paul, I know Jack Snelgrove (crew 7) is still alive in Seattle, William Rowbotham (crew 41) in Calgary. These two fellows flew with 434 in fall of 1943. As you know 434 was decimated in it's early months. I have spoke to Mr. Rowbotham in past, does not own a computer, I email Chris Snelgrove (son) once in awhile. Alan
Hi Allan, I too have been in touch with Chris Snelgrove, my dad flew with his dad on one raid. Chris sent me a copy of the entry of his dads log book showing my dads name together with a picture of the crew. He also sent me a copy of a program broadcast in Canada with his dad being interveiwed about 434 sqdn.
A light has just come on in my Head...Are you Allan Soderstrom? If so we talked a lot in 2005 about my dad, I think I sent you a dvd of his time with the RCAF
If you are looking for William Rowbotham, he is a friend of mine here in Calgary and I was with him just last evening. 25 members of the Southern Alberta Branch of the Aircrew Association were being honoured at the Aero Space Museum of Calgary and we were among them.
Bill does not own a computer, so if you have a message to pass on, let me know as I see him every Thursday over lunch. We are both members of the RCAF Ex-POW Association, although my qualification was being a POW of the American Army for 3 days (after I was liberated). I was also on 434 Bluenose Squadron at Croft in late 1943, but lost our Skipper before we could get started.
I have a picture of the group from the museum, and I will send it to Matt for loading on the website.
