Edward Roberts Barlow

Jersey · Aircraftsman 1st Class

Edward Roberts Barlow

Date: May 4, 2010

Did you try posting your question on the 101 squadron web site?

http://www.156squadron.com/101default.htm

They should be able to help.

Regards,
Kiwi.

leslie · Squadron Leader

Hi Jersey

Do you have a date in 1943 when Barlow joined 101 Squadron? Any names of his crew mates? What was his position?
I have the operational record books for 101 and I am currently involved with the data input for the 101 Squadron website which you can access through the 156 Squadron website.
If you bear with me, I would be more than happy to look through the orbs for information.
Kind regards
Leslie

leslie · Squadron Leader

Hello again Jersey

We have a start on Edward Barlow.
The first mention seems to be on February 15,1944 when he flew with the crew of Lancaster DV292, target Berlin.
The crew shows as follows:
P/O H. Davies RAF
Sgt. W.S. Lees RAF
Sgt. E.R.Barlow RNZAF NZ427179
F/S R. G. Pritchard RAAF A422708
Sgt. J.H. Kemp RAF
Sgt. R.E.Stace RAAF A420292
Sgt. T. Jones RAF
P/O G.R.Scott RAF

The record also shows he was awarded his DFC 12/12/44.

From this information it would appear he joined 101 Squadron in January or February 1944 and continued into 1945 rather than the 1943 you mentioned.

I will continue to review the orbs and see what else I can find for you.

Kind regards
Leslie

Jersey · Aircraftsman 1st Class

Hi Kiwi

Thanks for the tip, will do.

Cheers,
Jersey

Jersey · Aircraftsman 1st Class

Hi Leslie

Outstanding!
Great job, Leslie!

That's the Edward Barlow I'm looking for.
The date of his DFC (12/12/44) matches and also his number (NZ427179).

Obviously I was wrong with the date he joined 101 Squadron.

He was with the RNZAF from 15 July 1942 to 6 September 1946 & his position is listed as Navigator.

A couple of questions:

101 was based in Ludford Magna during his time, flying Lancasters Is & IIIs, correct?

The Squadron was tasked with ABC ("Airborne Cigar") jamming for No. 1 Group, is that right?

Could you tell me more about that ABC?

Was there a special reason that he got his DFC, or was his award based on the number of missions he successfully completed?

Could you find out more about him from the ORBs?

Did he stay with the crew he started with on the 15 of Februar, did they become his "regular" crew or was he switched around a lot?

Uff, a lot of questions, I know ...

I look forward to hearing from you again.

Many Thanks,
Jersey

leslie · Squadron Leader

Hi again Jersey

To answer a few of your questions:
Barlow transferred into 101 as a member of the Davies crew on January 24, 1944 from #11 Base.
I have gotten as far as April 24, 1944 and it would appear this was his regular crew.
As of April 30/44 they had flown a total of 10 sorties.

Ludford Magna was the first counter measures Squadron in Bomber Command. Some referred to 101 Squadron as a "Special Duties" unit. It was located in Lincolnshire and quickly garnered the nickname Mudford Magna as there was mud everywhere.
The Squadron Motto was Mens Agitat Molem (Mind over Matter)

The Lancasters, I, II, III, operated ABC (Airborne Cigar) They flew with a secret 8th man who operated a secret transmitter used to jam signals from the Luftwaffe night fighter controllers. The 101 crews were considered so essential that they fleww on every major bomber command operation and therefore took the highest casualties.
The application was officially described as follows:

"ABC is designed for use on bombing raids over enemy territory to interrupt enemy communications by jamming particular frequencies on which radio messages are being sent to night fighters from ground control stations. It comprises three 50 watt transmitters, each capable of sending out frequency-modulated jamming signals covering narrow frequency bands selected within the 38.3 to 42.5 Mhz range by means of manual tuning controls. A 'panoramic' receiver provides means of locating enemy transmissions in this range of frequencies, and setting jamming signals accurately upon them."
"The total weight of the equipment is 604 3/4lbs. When the equipment is switched on, all three transmitters are suppressed simultaneously while the panoramic receiver sweeps over the 38.3 to 42.5 Mhz band 25 times each second. Any signals picked up are displayed on a three inch diameter cathode ray tube. here the frequencies are represented as a horizontal line, and any signals picke up are shown as vertical blips which grow out of the base. When a blip appears, the operator sets a bright strobe spot to mark it and throws a switch which stops the panoramic sweep of the receiver; he tunes it to the single frequency marked by the strobe and brings his earphones into the receiver circuit so that he can listen to the incoming signal. having identified this as an enemy ground transmission he may then switch on a transmitter and turn the tuning control until the jamming signal as displayed on the cathode ray tube, covers the marker spot. The enemy signal is then completely obliterated in his earphones by the output of the jamming tranmitter.
Whenever desirable, the operator may suppress the transmitter in order to determine whether the enemy has changed to a new frequency, and if so, readjust the jamming signal. Three transmitters are provided so that three communications channels in the enemy Ground Control Intercept (GCI) band may be simultaneously jammed."

With respect to Barlow's DFC, I would suggest you post the question regarding the citation on www.rafcommands 1939-45 forum. There is a gentleman there by the name of Hugh Halliday who has a tremendous data base of awards info. and he may be able to help you.

Well this is rather long winded. If you would kindly PM me with your email address, I will start sending you copies of the Operational Record Book slides that relate to Barlow. Again I ask for patience as there are over 2000 slides and I must view each one to see if his crew is listed for operations on that day.

Kind regards
Leslie

Jersey · Aircraftsman 1st Class

Hi again Leslie

Many thanks for your reply.

Interesting to learn about ABC, I can understand why it was regarded as essential for Bomber Command. I just heard from another source that the jamming signals were also acting like a radio-beacon for German night-fighters, leading them to ABC-aircraft when the equipment was "on", which -together with the large number of sorties you mentioned- would account for the very high casulty rate.
Do you or anybody else on the forum know more about this?

I did know the Squadron motto, but was unaware of the nickname Mudford Magna.

Will try to contact Hugh at www.rafcommands, as you suggested. Thanks for the tip!

Have sent you a PM with my private email address.

Last question for today (I promise!):
Do you by chance know the nationalities of the Davis crew?

Cheers,
Jersey

leslie · Squadron Leader

Hi Jersey

Other than the New Zealander Barlow and the two Australians, I believe the rest of the crew was British as normally the orbs would show if they were from another Commonwealth country or if they were American.
The following are their service numbers and I am sure someone on this board can confirm this.
Davies 149346        Pilot
Barlow NZ427179     Navigator
Kemp 1239008         Air bomber
Pritchard A422708    WOP
Jones 1053910         R/G
Stace A420292         U/G
Lees 1254840           F/E

As an aside, if you have made this same inquiry on other forums, may I suggest you post updates on them as to the information you have received to save someone else duplicating the information. It is just a courtesy.

Will try to get the slides I have found to date off to you sometime today.

Leslie

Minqar Qiam · Aircraftsman 1st Class

Leslie,

Hello, i have joined your forum as i see you have mentioned Edward Roberts Barlow DFC 101 Sqd RAF Ludford Magna. I worked with Edward or Ted as he was commonly known for 7 years, initially as an apprenticed auto engineer beginning Feb 1971 and was assigned to Ted for a year or more as his mechanic assistant apprentice at a Ford franchise here in Rotorua, New Zealand. I had a good number of discussions with Ted both at work and over beers at the NZ Returned Service Association as well at his home occasionally, there he showed and explained to me various informations to me from his Navigator maps and photos etc.. i remained his friend until his death in 1995.

I am so impressed to see a list of his aircrew and well remember his glowing comments about his skipper and RAF pilot Davies..how he kept them aloft and got them home against many odds. Ted as many Veterans did, suffered emotional trauma and had obvious symptoms of his WW2 Bomber Command efforts.

I note above that you are able to provide or guide me into some operational records via slide photographic copy of his operations that Ted participated in..Ted told me he did over 65 ops in total but i have no written conformation of that.I would greatly appreciate any information or guidance too thereof of Teds operational work with 101 Squadron at Ludford Magna during 1944/45. Ted was removed from operations because of exhaustion and later contracted pneumonia, nearly losing his life. I am in possession of his RNZAF service records and note his was stated by his Group Captain as an exceptional RAF navigator.

I have other questions of decorated RAF Bomber Command aircrew that i have worked with, known, interviewed and researched but will leave this note initially.

Best Regards,
Denis.