Hello,

I have just joined and am hoping that members can help me with my search for information on a relative who served in Bomber Command aircrew during WWII.

I will try to give you as much information as possible.

The surname was Wray, first names being Eric Clifford. He was a Flight Sergeant for most of the war, being a navigator or navigator/radio operator. I believe he flew Welliingtons in the first part of his war career and then transferred to Lancasters, probably 1943-45. I believe he was in a Pathfinder Squadron in 1944-45.

I do not know which squadrons for either type of aircraft he was in although I have searched a number of crew databases without luck. One operation I believe he flew in ocurred on 19 September 1944 when 227 Lancasters and 10 Mosquito aircraft of Nos 1 and 5 Groups attacked targets in the Moenchen Gladbach/Rheydt areas in the Ruhr region. 

Some definite facts I have about him I was able to glean from the London Gazette for the postwar years 1945-49. They seem to indicate that he transferred from the RAF to the RAFVR. They are as follows:

Lon. Gaz. 10 July 1945: states that he applied to for commission as a Pilot Officer on 28 may 1945. Two numbers are given and I wonder if they could be service numbers; ie 1452224 and 198384.

Lon. Gaz. 4 January 1946: Refers to date of 28 November 1945 and confirmed rank as Flying Officer. Number again given as 198384

Lon. Gaz. 14 July 1949: Appointed to Training Branch.

He died in about 1980, never saying much about his wartime career.

It is really his wartime career in ? which Squadrons/ bases I would like to know - I just don't know where to look. Any help on this would be appreciated.

Thank you

Catalinadave