44 Squadron August 1942 loss of L7537

christtalmighty · Aircraftsman 1st Class

44 Squadron August 1942 loss of L7537

AW · Air Commodore

Chris,

From what i see, his DFM was announced in an April issue of The London Gazette, and he was with 50sqdn at that time, so at some point, he was later posted toi 44sqdn. I have the ORB's for both these squadrons, so if you can let me have your email address via my whiteboard in my profile, i'll be in touch about searching through them for his previous operations to the Dusseldorf operation. The crew for the night of loss were.....

F/Sgt N. Tetley.

Sgt E. Forman.

Sgt J.M. Macmahon.

Sgt E.B. Egan, RCAF.

F/Sgt G. Kelly, DFM.

Sgt P. Rix.

Sgt C.N. Gardner.

Al buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery.

Alan.

christtalmighty · Aircraftsman 1st Class

Alan,

Thanks for enlightening me so clearly and quickly. There is such a plethora of information out there - it is only when searching for such specific information that you find the failings between Google and site specific databases, e.g. The London Gazette.
I am finding it hard to discern useful information from the clutter. Kelly isn't the rarest of names either.
Any pointers you or others could offer would be much appreciated.

One sad addendum I found around the story of flight L7537 was that as Flight Sergeant Tetley's widow was also lost.
I assume, returning to her family in Rhodesia on the Ceramic in December that year. The ship was torpedoed and sunk in the mid-Atlantic.

will give you an email address on the whiteboard as requested.

Thanks,

Chris

Date: Jan 17, 2013

Flight Sgt. Edward Byron Egan R92046 was the WAG aboard this crew. He was from Vancouver, British Columbia KIA Aug. 1/42 aged 20 - #44 Rhodesia Squadron - Lancaster aircraft shot down at Monchen-Gladbach, Germany. 6 of the crew (not Canadian) missing believed killed. Flt. Sgt. Wireless Operator Air Gunner Egan was buried in the Municipal Cemetery at Monchen-Gladbach, exhumed and reinterred in the War Cemetery at Rheinberg, Germany.

(From They Shall Grow Not Old)

christtalmighty · Aircraftsman 1st Class

Thanks R Fulford,
I believe that was the data that was available to my grandparents for a long time, I am not sure when the bodies of the other crewmen were located or identified. They are all in adjacent graves in the Rheinberg war cemetery near Dusseldorf now.
When I had done some basic searching around Edward Byron Egan; I found a genealagy website talking about an Edward B Egan from Scranton in PA and how his son Edward had been single compared to siblings with large families. Pure conjecture, but we have plenty of records of US citizens joining the Canadian RAF - I don't know how common the name is in North American nations.

Ludford101 · Aircraftsman 1st Class

christtalmighty wrote:

Ladies and gentlemen,
I was wondering if you would mind assisting with my enquiries. I am trying to find more information about by grandfathers brother. His name was Gerard Kelly (535494), an RAF flight sergeant with 44 Squadron, based in Waddington.
My great uncle was at the grave last year, it was the first time he had visited the grave in person. The family thought he had been lost until the commonwealth war graves site was searched.
The information I have been able to pull through from Google searching.
The plane was lost near Dusseldorf on 1/8/1942.
The flight was L7537 originating from 44 Squadron based in Waddington. (http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=21405)
I would like to get the service record for my grandfather, but want to make sure I have all the Is dotted and ts crossed before doing so. Especially after doing some reading here and finding that the material could take a year to be processed. (The only sibling left is my great uncle and hes 94)
I have the basic information about his RAF record; service number and squadron. I know he was with 44 when the war started but may have been seconded to a training post for a period. Do I need to put supposition into the Record of Service enquiry, or keep it to the facts I have available.
How do I go about getting a copy of the death certificate for someone who died in action? Do I need that for making a request when an airman died overseas?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Regards,
Chris

Just spotted this post whilst researching this crew .. in particular F/Sgt Gerard Kelly DFM and hoping that the original poster may look back in at some point.

Regards

Gary

T_Hart · Aircraftsman 1st Class

Flight Sgt. Edward Byron Egan was my uncle from Vancouver, Canada. I came across this site while researching information about him for my mom who is still living in Ottawa, Canada. I have spend a good deal of time researching him and the 44 Squadron. I was particularly interested in photos of the crew - I did find a couple of the plane L7537. Curiously, my mom and her family seemed to be under the impression that the plane crashed and perhaps he had survived and was shot while on the ground. But that may not be the case and it appears from flight records that perhaps all were lost on impact. Any information would be appreciated!

christtalmighty · Aircraftsman 1st Class

Hello folks,

I have moved to Canada myself over the last few years and am afraid the subject got set aside.

I got some interesting information about Sergeant Kelly's RAF record - including an extended hospital stay at the end of his first tour that his family did not know about.

I do have a blurry picture of some of the squadron personnel lined up in front of one of their planes in a hangar. I will try to get in touch with T Hart to help get him a copy - I am afraid that the picture quality was so low that I only know my great uncle was in it because he told his brother which of the blobs at the back was him.