Ordinary serviceman's RAF service number from the Second World War

[rafcommands]

Oh you do know how to make things difficult to start.

His name would have been a help

S Dawson from my on line PoW list
http://www.rafcommands.com/Ross/Air%20Force%20PoWs/RAF%20POWs%20Query%20D_1.html

Stalag Luft 6 on the 1944/45 lists

Sydney Dawson from AIR 78/44 Class F Reserve so likely pre War service.

Personal Number is from batch issued at Cardington Sept 39 to April 40

Regards
Ross

[Reece7644]

My apologies! How silly of me, yes his name is Sydney Dawson!

Thank you for this, brilliantly helpful! 

Reece

[rafcommands]

Worth downloading the Operations Record Book of No.426 Squadron from the National Archives web site for the month of Oct 1943.

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=air+27%2F1841%2F18

AIR 27/1841/18

Have a look at Lancaster DS717 on the night 18/19th Oct. (Place was Aldeburgh, Suffolk)
May be a start for your research on the loaned crew.

The best place is to apply for his service record from RAF Disclosure at RAF Cranwell - will save quite a bit of second guessing.

Regards
Ross

[Reece7644]

Again, thank you!

Pardon my ignorance, but 426 was RCAF, being RAFVR from Britain, would he have been detached to them? If so, I didn't realise RAF personnel could be seconded to other nationality sqns.

He did mention vaguely, that he flew in wellingtons.

I think RAF Cranwell is most definitely my next port of call, but your help so far is great!

Reece

[rafcommands]

Although RCAF squadrons were funded by the Canadian Government and mostly staffed by RCAF personnel they were not exclusively so.

There was little or no RCAF training for Flight Engineers so when they received the 4 engine aircraft and needed F/E this was provided by RAFVR men. Other trades also had a smattering of RAF personnel.

I had a quick look in my sea losses for Dawson and a Yorkshire aerodrome to see if any thing came up as a first pass solution and DS717 came up.

I suggested it as a possible starter but my reservation is that if it is Sydney it suggests a PoW date later than Winter 1943 which does not correspond to the family history of PoW for 4 years.

Self help is the way to be sure with the service record only really being accessible by the family.

Having said that a short cut may be possible if he filled in a PoW Liberation Questionnaire - not all did - and this would be open to personal inspection at The National Archives.

Regards
Ross 

[daretodiscover]

Let me save you some time here, Reece.

The "S. Dawson" on DS717 was P/O 106725 Stanley Dawson, a Canadian from Winnipeg, by way of Lancashire, in the RAF.

He and the entire crew of P/O Hansen RCAF (same crew who went into the drink the previous October were lost on Lancaster DS767 (408 Sqn) on ops to Braunschweig on 14-15 January, 1944.

DTD

[willone242]

Hi - I just bought a B-type flight helmet in an auction here in Sweden, and inside it is written 771048 Kitchen E E. I found this link to the gazette, and became more curious.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35525/page/1653/data.pdf

I myself is not a relative to this gentleman, but I became curious if it is possible to find out any more. Is the next step to ask for service records through the RAF ? or can anything else be found out ?

Thanks

William

[rafcommands]

Using the Gazette further and his commissioned service number of 116202 will give all his promotions in rank and that he was awarded the DFC while at No.10 Squadron.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/36089/supplement/3157/data.pdf

The Operations Record Book of No.10 Squadron are available for download in monthly batches from The National Archives for a small fee.

This will give his operational flights while posted to No.10 Squadron and possibly an indication of where he was posted in from/to.

As he is not listed under the Commonwealth War Graves Commission he survived the war and so you will only be able to obtain a copy of his service record from MoD if he has been deceased for 25 years and you can show this from a death certificate or another approved document.

Best start with No.10 Sqn records and the London Gazette/Air Force List for your initial research.

Ross

[Spikey68]

A citation is available in Flight magazine:

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1943/1943%20-%202116.html

There's an E E Kitchen DFC involved in a crash with 78 Squadron in Sept 43. Can't confirm if this the same guy as I don't have Maton's Honor the Air Forces to hand at the moment so can't check if there was more than one E E Kitchen with a DFC.