76 squadron halifax

grahamspitfire · Leading Aircraftsman

76 squadron halifax

Starman 1957 · Flying Officer

Hi,

I have searched my records for 76 Squadron and have managed to locate the aircraft piloted by F/Lt D.G. Hornsey it was Halifax LK932 MP-X but actually crashed on 3rd Nov 1943.

I have attached a link to "Lostaircraft" a German site that I have entered as many 76 squadron losses as possible. I hope it provides you with a little more information. I am afraid I have no idea of any photos. The second link provides POW numbers that may help in your research.

I hope this is of help

regards,

Gary

http://www.lostaircraft.com/database.php?lang=en&mode=viewentry&e=492

http://www.lostbombers.co.uk/bomber.php?id=11331

-- Edited by Starman 1957 on Tuesday 30th of August 2011 09:30:28 AM

grahamspitfire · Leading Aircraftsman

Hi ,thank you for your reply it is very helpful . I have the book TO SEE THE DAWN BREAKING but i did not notice that info, i'll have to get it back off my nephew.I also have a copy of the book THE PILOT WALKED HOME which is my cherished possesion and also have my uncle's flying helmet.The only thing i could get him to talk about during his time as a prisoner was when he was liberated by the americans he was given a Mercedes staff car and told to head for the coast .While on this journey he stopped to answer a call of nature in some woods when about a dozen german soldiers came up to him and---- surrendered.

Many thanks for your efforts,
Regards,
Graham P Davis.

AW · Air Commodore

Graham,

Just out of interest, i have a photo of 76sqdn crew, that was sent to me some time ago. It shows them assembling prior to take off, for an attack on Kassel in October 43, if you can get your email to me via the whiteboard in my profile, i can send a copy. Your uncle may be in it.

Alan.

MikeH · Air Vice Marshall

Hi Graham,

you probably have seen the link below that has information about your uncle. Like Alan I would be interested to know if you can pick him out from the Kassel photo.

Mike.H

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.evasioncomete.org/fdavisjk.html&ei=-YJjTpzZBMSt8gOk0NmjCg&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CD8Q7gEwBTge&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhalifax%2Blk932%26start%3D30%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D645%26prmd%3Divns

Moon · Squadron Leader

Hello ,

LK-932 was shot down by Lt Fries Otto/Uffz Staffa Alfred/Obfw Deubzer II./NJG1 at 1930 hrs flying from the airfield off St-Trond ( St-Truiden in Dutch ) at that time the homebase off the II Gruppe NJG 1 , it was their 3th victory .

Regards from Belgium

Moon

Dave_Richardson · Flight Sergeant

Hi Graham

You may also be interested in this page:

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.cometeline.org/ficheC096.html&ei=GASGTpvNHauX0QXRvoEN&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CB0Q7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhttp://www.cometeline.org/ficheC096.html%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DQPi%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26prmd%3Dimvns

Dave

-- Edited by Dave_Richardson on Friday 30th of September 2011 01:05:24 PM

Date: Dec 22, 2012

hi Graham

ive just found this forum while looking for some information about my dad ..... it seems we are cousins my dad was 'Joe' or Fussey in the book full name Kenneth Joseph Davis. mid upper gunner in halifax bomber excelsior.

we lost touch with the welsh side of the family after dad died, it would be great to get back in touch.

please if you read this email me on noggin700@hotmail.com

Date: Dec 23, 2012

Hi there,

Just to let you know that my father was the pilot of "Excelsior" and therefore the author of "The Pilot Walked Home", so reading this is incredibly interesting! You may have already found the answers to your questions but try Max Hastings' book Bomber Command alternatively if you contact the Imperial War Museum they have my father's unpublished manuscript Here Today Bomb Tomorrow. It detailed all the technical aspects of bombing by both the Americans and the UK. I hope this helps. P.S. I have had my Dad's book reprinted and they are for sale with half of proceeds going to the Bomber Command Memorial Appeal. Kind Regards, Sally Potter nee Hornsey.

Date: Jan 7, 2014

Hi ,My name is Graham Davis and i posted a request about 2 years ago regarding my uncle's aircraft which was shot down over Belgium on November 3 1943 returning from a raid on Dusseldorf. I only recently looked at the forum site and noticed that my cousin Nigel Davis had posted a reply to my request and left his E-Mail address , so i e- mailed him recently but as yet i've had no reply. Also another person posted a reply and this lady was the daughter of the pilot of the aircraft at the time namely Flt/lt Denis Hornsey, this lady is Sally Potter now but i have no way of contacting her , so if anyone reads this and could put me in touch with these persons i would be very grateful My E-Mail address is pamelagd@hotmail.co.uk and phone number is 01639 887580 , many thanks Graham Davis.

Date: Jan 8, 2014

To alan W, I'm sorry that i haven't replied sooner but iv'e had problems with my computer and logging in so threrefore gave up.Iv'e only just returned to try again

and to my delight my cousin (my uncle's son) replied in 2012.Thanks for your reply but the photo i have seen gives all the correct details but sadly the wrong photo.I have been in touch with the relatives of two of the crew about ten years or more ago and the daughter of one had been to Belgium and met some of the resistance people who helped them evade.I'm annoyed with myself for not keeping in touch with these as i'm sure we could have met and attende d some reunionsMany thanks for your efforts.If you would like a chat about 76 squadron my number is 01639 887580. Kind regards ,Graham Davis.

Date: Jan 27, 2014

Hi there , Does anyone know if night fighter pilot Otto Fries is still alive and is contactable.His unit was11/njg1 and was the pilot who shot down Halifax LK932 MP-X on the night of 3 November 1943.I would be grateful for any info regarding thi,Thanks,Graham Davis.

Date: Nov 27, 2016

Hello. My Dad was Ron Stokes. I have one copy of 'the pilot walked home ' but would love another for my dadaughters. Dad passed away in 1992.

MikeH · Air Vice Marshall

Hi Suzette,

You could purchasing a second hand copy although a bit expensive below from the site below,or wait for a copy to appear on eBay.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pilot-Walked-Home-DENNIS-HORNSEY/dp/B000LTHF1C

Regards,

Mike H

-- Edited by MikeH on Monday 28th of November 2016 02:06:28 AM

Date: Jan 10, 2017

Hi Sally & others

You have passed on the same information I would have given here. It seems they have tracked down the photo they sought.

Max Hastings' book certainly adds more.

I was Denis' young baby in the Pilot... book, born in 1943.

Thank you all for your interest in Dad's story. - Carol Wain

Date: Jan 10, 2017

I am Denis Hornsey's oldest daughter... alive & written about in his book The Pilot walked Home.

Sorry to hear your Dad had died ... Denis died aged 59 in 1971, after a difficult period in his life. I was 26 then.

I am not sure how to.make contact c via this directory.

Best wishes, Carol

Date: Jan 29, 2017

i just found a copy of this book where Denis crossed out the extra N in his name on the cover..also has his signature and belmont mansions address in it its dated may 31 1946

discoverupstate@gmail.com

Date: Mar 17, 2017

Dear Gary,I am so sorry that i have taken so long to reply if i haven`t already but circumstances have dictated otherwise but, my sincere thanks for your efforts on my behalf and would dearly like to speak to you if you would agree .I am Graham Davis and my phone number is 01639 887580 or if you would prefer me to ring you please send me your number.My E mail address is gpd2017@hotmail.com,Regards Graham.

Tess · Aircraftsman 1st Class

Hi, my name is Tess Moore, nee Clark-Carter. My late Dad was Dennis Clark-Carter, the Observer/Bomb Aimer on MP X Düsseldorf raid on the night of 3 November 1943. I am glad to be in touch with Graham Davis, nephew of Ron (Fussy) Davis and we have spoken over the last two decades.

Over the years, Steve (my amazingly supportive 'co pilot' and husband) and I met with Jack Carnill's widow, Ron and Mrs Glover, Frank and Mrs Fewson and I think I spoke with Sally (the other Denis' daughter) while buying the reprint of The Pilot Walked Home.

We also had the privilige of meeting some of the wonderful brave women who were part of the evadee line in Belgium. We were shown the safe houses, the crash site and I have a fragment of the plane.

As we all know, bar Denis H, all the Halifax's crew ended up as POWs and it was only by an extarordinary chain of events that my late Mum ws sent Dad's debrief when he was liberated in 1945. This was the the start of my active tracing of the crew/relatives and the Belgium heros.

I think all the POW crew were part of the notorious Forced March which caused lasting and irreparable physical and mental damage to our relatives. Dad was shunted around, as the boys were, to various camps and was a 'Kriegie' while on the March. I am deeply humbled by these young men and by the support they received from the brave people in the occupied countries.

Anyway, this is just a snapshot of what I have been up to and would be delighted to share with anyone who is interested. Graham and I reconnected this month and wondered if any relatives may be interested in getting together to share memorabilia, photos, etc.. My email address is mooresmiles88@gmail.com . Thank you for reading this...

Tess · Aircraftsman 1st Class

Hi Carol, I am the daughter of the other (and alternatively spelt) Dennis. It would be good if we could identify all the relatives of the crew. How many children did your Dad have. Best wishes, Tess

Tess · Aircraftsman 1st Class

Hi Suzette

Did your Dad share any stories or memories of that terrible time?

Best wishes, Tess (Crew member Dennis Clark-Carter's daughter)

Date: Mar 20, 2017

Hello Suzette, My name is Graham Davis and my uncle was the mid upper gunner on the same aircraft. You may be aware by now that Denis Hornsey's daughter Sally has had the book re-printed an they are available from her. I would really like to speak to you if you would agree .My number is 01639 887580 if you want to ring me or e-mail me your number and I will ring you.It really is nice to know that relatives are still interested in the story of their relatives wartime experiences and I love getting in touch with them.Thank You and regards, Graham P Davis.

Date: Mar 20, 2017

Hi Suzette ,Graham here again ,I did not notice that I didn't put my E mail address so here it is gpd2017@hotmail.com. Thanks again, Graham.

Date: Mar 20, 2017

Hello Carol,

My name is Graham Davis and my uncle was FUSSEY in the book I would love to speak to you. If you noticed my message to Gary Campbell you would have read that I am trying to find photos of MP-X to accurately make some decals of the nose art which was a fist with the finger pointing up as described in the book. I am so glad that other relatives are still interested in this story,so if you would like to chat my number is 01639 887580, and my e mail is gpd2017@hotmail.com.Thanks, Graham.

Date: Mar 20, 2017

Hello Mike,

Graham Davis here, I did try the site you sent me and was amazed at the info it provided but I can't remember if I told you that the photo is not that of my uncle and also some of the details are wrong regarding the target and that my uncle was the mid upper gunner and not as stated the rear gunner. I don't know if any other details are incorrect because I don't have any info from other sources but otherwise I was very impressed and grateful . I am in touch with some of the other crew relatives and we are hoping to arrange a meeting some time in the near future.Thanks,Graham.

Date: Mar 23, 2017

Hello Suzette,

My name is Graham Davis and you have undoubtedly read my messages posted on this site . I would very much like to contact you regarding the Denis Hornsey story because i would like to get as many relatives of the crew as possible to maybe meet up somewhere after having spoken to Sally Potter [nee Hornsey[ and Tess Moore [nee Clark Carter].I think that a relative of Ron Stokes sent me copies of the missing pages of the book about twenty five years ago but sadly i did not keep in touch I think the gentleman was living in the Worcester area at the time but i'm not sure I have a copy of my uncle's crew, my Uncle being the mid upper gunner nicknamed FUSSY in the book. My E- mail address is gpd2017@hotmail.com and phone number is 01639 887580 .I really would like to speak with you and would be grateful for a reply, Regards, Graham D.

Date: Mar 23, 2017

Hello Carol,

My name is Graham Davis and my uncle was the mid upper gunner on MP-X in your dad's crew and I would love to get in touch as I have been in touch with Sally Potter for the last few months and also Tess Moore who is Dennis Clark-Carter's daughter I would ultimately love to meet as many of the relatives of the crew as possible as I feel I need to know more about the crew and their exploits. I also have some photos of a crew with my uncle standing in the centre rear and would like to know if you recognise your father or possibly anyone else. If you would like to contact me my e-mail address is gpd2017@hotmail.com, or if you would like to speak to me my number is 01639 887580. I do hope that you get in touch, Kind regards, Graham D.

grahamspitfire · Leading Aircraftsman

Hi ,

I am trying to identify the crew in the photo and also the location,as 76 sqdn flew Halifax's and the aircraft depicted is a Lancaster.Could it be at an HCU or Coastal Command airfield.My uncle is in the centre at rear and was a member of 76Sqdn and was mid upper on FLT/LT Dennis Hornsey's crew Flying MP-X LK932 when it was lost on the Dusseldorf raid on Nov 3/4 1943.I don't know i f my uncle who was SGT Kenneth Joseph Davis known as FUSSY, was on any other sqdn but, i do know that he was at one time based at Mildenhall. The other photos are of my uncle with some other airmen with the caption on the reverse saying To the Whitest Man I know from Don and Charlie and was taken on May 7 1941. My uncle is on the left.I would be grateful for any help anyone could give me on this,Regards Graham D.

grahamspitfire · Leading Aircraftsman

Hello Carol. My name is Graham Davis and my reason for trying to reach you is that my uncle was the mid upper gunner on your father's aircraft at the time they were shot down andI have some info to share with you.

I can be contacted on 01639687084 or E-mail gpd2017@hotmail.com. Please do get in touch,regards Graham.

Date: Mar 12, 2018

Hi,

We have a facebook group for 76 Squadron Association. Would be great if you all could send a request to join to share memories.

Regards

Gary Clarke

grahamspitfire · Leading Aircraftsman

Hello Gary and thank you for the post advising us of the facebook group. I don't use it myself but,after reading your post I really must join. Mike Harrison mentioned recently that there is a facebook page dedicated to 76 sqdn assiciation and suggested that I give it a try.Just recently also is the fact that my uncle's eldest son has read my posts on the forum and has been in touch and he is coming to see me Easter week. I haven;t seen or spoken to any members of the family for probably 40 yrs and I was thrilled when he rang me late last year. Thanks again and kindest regards,Graham D.