I'm trying to understand what my pop's service records mean. They're all entered by hand and the numbers don't trip any significance for me.
I've loosely worked out that he flew with 619 sqn. He signed on with the RAAF and was shipped to Britain at the end of 1943. There's some enlistment photos with his service number and some amusing leave documents, but beyond that I'm a little stuck. What I would really love to know is if there's anyone still alive who would have been on base with him. Even better if any of his crew are still around. Even just knowing their names would be beautiful. I suppose it would also be fun to know what they called their plane. We are the stories we tell about ourselves and at present, Bruce's story is incomplete. It's part of family folklore that Bruce flew a full tour of duty and was honourably discharged at the end of the war, but I'd love understand exactly which documents show that.
If anyone has expertise or knows someone who has expertise in finding this sort of information and is willing to share with me, it would be greatly appreciated.
append: there's 30 pages of this stuff, but I thought I'd attach what seemed to be the most relevant
-- Edited by MattBartlett on Thursday 6th of August 2020 07:15:21 PM --- I thought I'd add in some photos my dad found of him when he was serving. There's him in his flight suit, him getting his wings pinned on and him with a couple of other officers. I'd love to be able to say who they were to him, but I haven't a clue.
-- Edited by MattBartlett on Thursday 6th of August 2020 08:36:54 PM
Your dad and crew arrived on No. 619 Squadron on 11 March 1945, posted in from No. 5 Lancaster Finishing School.
His crew is shown as:
434732 F/O BR Bartlett, Pilot
F/S JH Cork, Flight Engineer
Sgt HF Lorry, Navigator
F/S JT Hill, Air Bomber
Sgt A Smith, W/Op
Sgt EA Purcell, MU Gunner
Sgt JA Rolfe, Rear Gunner
No service numbers shown for the rest of his crew. Presumably all RAF as RCAF, RNZAF and RAAF members of the squadron had their service numbers in the records.
Their first operation was to Wesel on 23 March 1945 in Lancaster LM737 (coded PG-A). Time up at 1923, down at 0117.
Next op was 16 April 1945, same crew, to Pilsen. Aircraft was Lancaster EX574 (blurred so may not be an "E") PG-E, time up 2353, down at 0809.
23 April 1945, same crew. Lancaster LM756 PG-F. Up at 1516, down at 2033. 10/10ths cloud over target, mission abandoned. Some aircraft jettisoned their bombload, others returned to base with full loads.
VE Day has your dad flying to Juvincourt in PG-J to pick up liberated POWs (Operation EXODUS)
Thanks a million, Dave! Not sure where youre typing from, but Australians typically use pop for Grandfather. Pity about all the spam. youve busted the case wide open! I really appreciate it. Working theory at present then is that the other two officers with Bruce in the photo are Cork and Hill, but no confirmation yet. I figure thats the next place to dig. Ive also joined the 619 sqn Facebook page and theyve helped out with operational records and such too. Your help is much much much appreciated!
