Hello Craig,thanks for your post.I will get in touch with you directly on your email.I assume your move to Canada was a relatively recent thing because there were no Canadian Fliight Engineers on 166 so your GDad must have been a Brit.I have the Operations book for 166 with raid debrief reports and I will look through it for details of the crews operations.

If you have not already done so Type in John Derek Bailey WW2 Peoples War on Google.

Cheers B

 

hiljo wrote:

---

Hi, Sgt W (Bill) Noble was killed on 29/30 Aug.1944 flying from Kirmington  RAAF 432281 Tasking Stettin Bay Germany/Poland//I believe he

was shot down over switzerland and his body washed up from some lake.  He was my fiance` and all these year I have wanted to know if this

was true and where he was buried.  He was the rear gunner on Lancasters.  I visited his Mother in Bournemouth and kept in touch and now

 at  87 years  I would love to know where he was laid to rest.

Please help if you can.  Regards Jo Rockett

---

 Hello Jo,

The RAAF service number you have here comes back to a F/Sgt Stanley Solomons, who was aboard your late fiance's aircraft. Barnsley will be able to provide all detail on the aircraft, mission and crew when he sees this.

Here is the detail on your fiance from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission:

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1077757/

NOBLE, WILLIAM FRED

Rank: Sergeant

Service No: 747740

Date of Death: 30/08/1944

Age: 25

Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

 166 Sqdn.

Panel Reference

Panel 235.

Memorial

RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

Additional Information:

Son of Fred and Amelia Noble, of Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire.

That he is on Runnymede indicates he has no known grave, as do all aboard except for F/Sgt Solomons, whose body washed ashore here in Sweden in early 1945. He is buried at the Jewish Cemetery in Malmö.

The City of Malmö historian has been researching the stories of all 10 Allied airmen buried in the city's cemeteries. I have forwarded her this in case she can add any information here.

Regards,

Dave

-- Edited by alieneyes on Wednesday 13th of March 2013 10:42:53 AM

hiljo wrote:

---

Hi, Sgt W (Bill) Noble was killed on 29/30 Aug.1944 flying from Kirmington  RAAF 432281 Tasking Stettin Bay Germany/Poland//I believe he

was shot down over switzerland and his body washed up from some lake.  He was my fiance` and all these year I have wanted to know if this

was true and where he was buried.  He was the rear gunner on Lancasters.  I visited his Mother in Bournemouth and kept in touch and now

 at  87 years  I would love to know where he was laid to rest.

Please help if you can.  Regards Jo Rockett

---

  Hello Jo,

I work for the Malmo City Archives in Sweden; the city where your fiancés crewmate Simon Solomons is buried. I have done quite a lot of research into this crew and their final flight and would very much like to get in touch with you. Can you e-mail me? My e-mail address is anetteDOTsarnasATmalmoDOTse

I am sorry to say that Simon Solomons was the only member of this crew to be found. His body was found in April 1945 washed ashore in southern Sweden. All information points to the aircraft being shot down over the bay of Stettin or soon aftercompleting their minelaying, when heading for home.

Best regards,

Anette Sarnas

hello Alieneyes,

Thank you so much for your kindness in sending me information about Sgt W Noble.  For years I have been unable to find

anything about his last flight.  I have written to Anette Sarnas and looking forward to her news. I would love to know if any

group photographs exist and where I could purchase same.

Kind regards  Jo Rockett

 

 

 

Hello there,

It would be great if you held any records of my late Grandpa, who was a rear gunner on a Lanc in the 166 Squadron. His name was James Carter but his nickname in the RAF was Kit Carter.

I think he may have started in the RAF as a welder before getting to fly with Bomber Command. He was Canadian born to British parents who emigrated there, but returned to Britain before the war.

My email is getemily@hotmail.com.

Any information would be greatly received.

Best wishes,

Emily Carter

 

 

Dear Barnsley

I would be most grateful if you would give me any information of the above person. He was married to my mother and killed in action Bombay 25th January 1943 aged 22 years old. From his Military Papers he was a Pilot I 14 3 1942 and killed in action presumed missing on 25th January 1943. Previously he was at Sheffield University studying Dentistry.

I would like to know if he has a grave , where it is and any details of his parents and siblings . My mother was his widow and a few years later remarried and lost contact with his family.

My email address is tonia872@btinternet.com

 

Hi Mandy, I have sent you an email but if it doesn't reach you here is my email address. mjc41uk AT yahoo dot co dot uk. I will see what info I have. B

Dear Barnsley

                     thank you for your offer of help to searchers such as myself.            I am trying to find details re my cousin cum elder brother I have gathered quite a bit  of info

and would like to add to it,  I speak of,        Flying officer George Drake,  service no; 136363, crashed ??? near Diepholz,  16 december 1943, buried  Hanover war cemetery.

I am very grateful  for the info I have but would dearly love to know,         The aircrafts designation, no; name S for sugar etc,  the crew members, and, if possible the record of that 

last flight.       Your help would greatly oblige

                                                                         Yours sincerely

                                                                                            Arthur(Bob)Rose.

 

 

Dear Barnsley

                    I have failed to reach you using the address given    mjc41uk@yahoo.co.uk,    I am chewing my lips over your offer of further info; can you help?

                                                                      Bob.

Hi,

I'm looking for any stories about my grandfather, FO Sourgeon Jasper Sisson. He never shared about his wartime past and being a veteran myself I totally understand.  trying to write a book on his crew and thier experience together. Any information would be appreciated!

paul Sisson 

I came across your entry quite by chance. Peter Pollett, the pilot of Lancaster ED411, was my mother's cousin. He was the only child of my Great Uncle Alfred and I was given his forage cap and wings when Alfred decided that I reminded him of Peter. Apparently he had trained as a solicitor before the war and was passionate about aircraft and flying. 

My understanding is that Peter and his crew had only completed a half dozen or so operations before being shot down and killed so they were still relatively inexperienced. I was told that Peter had worked as an instructor for some time but lobbied to be transferred to an operational role.

I have never found a photo of ED411 - if one exists I would be very interested.

I've done some research on this Loss and have some photos including what I believe is the crew and a photo of the initial grave in Deipholz as well as some action reports filed by the crew from the national archives. For context the night of 16/17 December was a very bad night for Bomber command and there has been a book written on the high loss rate that night.

Let me know if you would like to share information.

Lachlan.squair@suny.edu

 

 

Good Morning; I am wanting to know if this website is still being used & if so if you could reply to me at D_O_K@hotmail.com please so we may communicate further. My uncle was shot down over Holland on the 13th June 1944 whilst returning from a raid to Gelsenkirchen, and is buried at Zelham. I would like to know what other information may be available about his time in 166 squadron and if possible if anyone who served with the squadron and was at Kirmington between 12 May 1944 and 12 June is still alive.

 

Looking forward to hearing back from you.

 

Rgds, David O'Keeffe

Australia.

GRANT CREW 166 SQUADRON

Hello David, thanks for posting. I have sent you an email but sounds as though AW can sort you out with the information you need. Best Wishes, B

 

PLEASE REMEMBER, ALWAYS RETURN TO YOUR ORIGINAL POST AND SCROLL DOWN. I WILL ALWAYS ANSWER!

-- Edited by barnsley on Sunday 25th of January 2015 05:49:04 PM

Sgt Samuel Lawrence Cole 1685085 RAF, D. F. M 166 Squadron

This is the only Cole who won the Distinguished Flying Medal (not the DFC) with 166 Squadron. He was indeed a Flight Engineer on Lancasters. He had completed 26 Operations at the time of the award. Here are the operations he flew.

23.9.43 Mannheim

29.9.43 Bochum

01.10.43 Hagen

02.10.43 Munich

03.10.43 Kassel

07.10.43 Stuttgart

08.10.43 Hanover

22.10.43 Kassel

11.11.43 Modane

18.11.43 Berlin

02.12.43 Berlin

16.12.43 Berlin

20.12.43 Frankfurt

29.12.43 Berlin

14.01.44 Brunswick

20.01.44 Berlin

21.01.44 Magdeburg

24.02.44 Schweinfurt

25.02.44 Augsburg

01.03.44 Stuttgart (this operation was cited in the recommendation for the DFM. Icing caused one of the engines to fail. Coles nursed the engines to allow the aircraft to continue on and attack the target)

15.03.44 Stuttgart

18.03.44 Frankfurt

22.03.44 Frankfurt

24.03.44 Berlin

26.03.44 Essen 

11.04.44 Aachen

He survived his tour of operations and the War.

-- Edited by barnsley on Wednesday 25th of February 2015 09:20:21 AM

166 Squadron in 1918

Hello Clive, thank you for your post. Quite an unusual one too because most of the queries are about 166 Squadrons WW2 activities. I can answer one of your questions though. 166 Squadron was formed under No. 3 Group at Bircham Newton on the 13.06.18 with the intention of being used to bomb Berlin. It was equipped with Hadley Page V. 1500 aircraft and its personnel were specifically picked for long range operations against the German capital. It did not fly any operations as far as I am aware.

The Commanding Officer was Major C. H. Darley.

On 13.09.18 it was transfered to No. 86 Wing under No. 27 Group, still at Bircham Newton and on the 31.09.19 it was disbanded.

Hope this helps, B

 

-- Edited by barnsley on Tuesday 24th of March 2015 05:04:11 PM

Re your Grandfathers crew. They, along with the Yates crew (ASB) were transferred from 103 in sept 44. I believe the F/E on Knotts was an ex policeman. My father was the F/E on Yates crew. 

The pilot generally flew 31, the rest 30.

 

Hi Malcolm  The Ex Police Officer on George Knott's Crew, Sgt. Williams, Flight Engineer was my Father.  I believe you are in contact with my son.  He retired in 1967 with 30 years of service, his time served during the war counted towards his 30 years.  

 

Susan Atkinson, Ontario, Canada

Sir, I don't know if you can help me on this query.I was once the landlord of The Marrowbone and Cleaver Known as the chopper.During my time there I had the honor to host a 166 Sqn reunion and speaking to members of the Sqn ,it was my pleasure to do so and many stories were told. One of them concerned the Lanc which had The Chopper logo on its nose. When we left the pub one of the villagers presented us with an oil painting of The Chopper flying over the pub but it showed only the nose and the ****pit down to the leading edge of the wing.I showed this painting to a professional artist and he is willing to paint the whole aircraft flying over the pub as it was in the 1940s. Perhaps you might find this an unusual request from a "SNOWDROP" but as you are aware we never leave the Royal Air Force do we?.I would be so grateful if you have any details that would help identification letters etc. My email address is   johnbedford1@sky.com

Thank you.

John M A Bedford

Sir ,Thank you for the information you have given me.I have passed all this on to the artist for his use. the painting should be available for me to view and he has already named it dawn return. Sir once again thank you and a copy of the painting will be sent to you when it is finished.
Yours John.

F/SGT W. F. BROOKS  1804894 RAF

If this is the right Brooks although he was qualified a pilot he actually flew with 166 Squadron as a Flight Engineer (P./F. E.). He arrived on 166 Squadron on 16.03.45. If you require further information please email me on mjc41ukATyahoo.co.uk, replacing the AT with the internet at symbol. No other Brooks flew on Lancasters with 166 Squadron.

Best Wishes

B

Sgt. David Hubert Anderson, Rear Gunner, he was my father! 

Good Evening Barnsley. You seem to be the man I need. I am researching the death of my late uncle, John Richard Davies , bomb aimer with 166, in Lanc  ME 839  on 3.8.44 - the raid on the V1 site at Trossy St Maximin. I expect you will have seen the accounts of the pilot, FO Wagner, and the flight engineer Sgt Witham. Refresh your memory banks on these accounts, and put yourself in the Lanc and imagine the timeframe. "Jack" as he was known, would have been lying prone in the bomb aimers position when the aircraft was struck by a "friendly" bomb falling from above. And yet neither account mentions him as the only two survivors escape the doomed aircraft through the forward escape hatch. Where on earth had he disappeared to? He could hardly have bailed out and closed the door behind him, as it were.

There are seriously contradictory versions of Sgt Withams escape. One has him contacting the advancing Allied front line on 7th September1944, being repatriated the following day, and the other has him escaping through Spain and not getting home to England until after the war.

There have been enduring family rumours that Jack made it safely to the ground, presumably bailing out, but was murdered by enraged French .Enquiries of the squadron brought the response, apparently, from the Padre, that the survivor (which one?) was so traumatised by events that he could not discuss the matter.

One emerging theory is that the rumours are true, that Pilot Wagner did not see Jack leave as he was trapped in the pilots seat,that Sgt Witham knew Jack got out but witnessed his murder, or the consequences thereof, and decided to keep quiet over what had happened out of concern for the feelings of the family.Another is that revelations of this kind were best kept under wraps at a time whenDe Gaulle was entering Paris , scenes of jubilant celebration etc.

Can you help unravel this mystery

 

Murray

 

 

 

Thankyou . I think I am right in saying that escapers (Sgt Witham) and returning POWs would have been debriefed on returning to squadron. Do you know whether such debrief records will have been retained?