It appears that your grandfather was with 35 Squadron based at RAF Graveley. Assuming this is the right man, his service number was 1174030 and he was taken POW following a mission to Stuttgart in Halifax HR678 on 14th April 1943.
I will piece together an information sheet for you with details of the crew and his previous missions and e-mail it to you later today.
Regards
Pete
-- Edited by PeteT on Monday 18th of February 2013 07:24:05 AM
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Researching:
- CA Butler and the loss of Lancaster ME334
- Aircrew Training WWII (Basic / Trade / Operational)
- No. 35 Squadron [From Thetford to Scampton]
[Always looking for COPIES of original documents / photographs etc relating to these subjects]
I live in Australia and my grandfather was radio crew in A35 SQN RAF WWII pathfinders. I have no Knowledge of him and no history on the SQN, I have been looking for information on him for a while now but have not fond anything. Hoping someone can help ME his name was Francis Walter Vincent volunteered with the RAF at the age of 18 and on their last mission were shot down and held as prisoner for a short time before the war ended. My email is frank@idealplacements.com.au .
Aircraft Type: Halifax Serial number: HR 678 Radio call sign: TL N Unit: ATTD 35 SQN RAF Summary: Halifax HR678 took off from RAF Graveley at 2128 hours on the night of 14/15th April 1943 to bomb Stuttgart, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. Crew: RAF PO Wilkes, R E DFM Captain (Pilot) RAF Sgt T L Brown, (Flight Engineer) RAF Flt Sgt T G OShaughnessy, (Navigator) RAAF 412053 PO Wheatley, R (Bomb Aimer) RAF Flt Sgt F Hay, (Wireless Air Gunner) RAF Flt Sgt F W Vincent, (Air Gunner) RAAF 411478 Flt Sgt M A E Bradford, (Air Gunner) It was later established that the aircraft was shot down from 18,00 feet by a night fighter. It was seen approaching the village of Germershein and after circling the village it crashed and exploded on impact. Four of the crew were killed and three Sgt Brown, Flt Sgt OShaughnessy and Flt Sgt Vincent were POWs. Flt Sgt OShaughnessy later reported I regret I have no real information re Bradford. I do not know if he was able to leave the aircraft . I do however, and this is only my opinion, believe him to be killed. Those killed are buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery, Locality Kamp-Lintfort, Nordrhein-Westfal, Germany. Rheinberg is 24kms north of Krefeld and 13kms south of Wesel.
According to Theo Boitens 'Nachtjagd War Diaries Vol 1' the Halifax was claimed by:-
Hptm. Heinrich Wöhlers Stab IV./NJG4 Niederlüstadt : 5000 m. 00.23
I have come across this forum having googled HR 678 TL-N. My Grandfather was Flight Sergeant Frederick Hay who was killed on the night of 14th / 15th April 1943. I am trying to find out all I can about my Grandfather's RAF career and if anyone has any more information about previous missions that my Grandfather may have been on it would be greatly appreciated.
I would also love to make contact with any other descendants of the crew of HR 678. My Dad, Michael Ronald Hay,was born 3 months after the death of his father in July 43 and it has always been understood in my family that he was named after two of his colleagues presumably MAE Bradford and either RE Wilkes or R Wheatley but I have never been able to confirm their names beyond the initials.
