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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: adicol on Saturday 16 May 09 10:25 BST (UK)
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Hi All,
I am trying to glean some more info on fligth ED522 PH-U 12 Squadron.
My husbands uncle was aboard this flight which came down on the 12th June 1943 above Dusseldorf.
On board were:
Sgt John Edgar Constable Flt Lt (my husbands uncle)
Sgt Leslie Robert Evans Mid Upper Gunner
Sgt Sidney Lazarus Ford W/Op
Sgt William Andrew Gillanders Nav.
Sgt Robert Highet Pilot
Sgt Alan William Lee Rear Gunner
Sgt Kenneth John Tagg Bomb Aimer
This was there first flight out from RAF Wickenby after arriving a week earlier from 1656 Conversion Unit.
They had been planned to fly earlier in the week according to Bomber Command diaries but had to postpone due to bad weather.
The plane was a Lancaster and it was its 28th flight.
It came down over Lausward District, Dusseldorf.
The crew members were buried at Nordfriedhof Cemetery and then were reinterred (sp) in Reichswald Forest Cemetery after the war.
The only info I have found that gives a reason for the flight coming down states it's classification as FTR.
I have no idea what this means.
Can anyone give me any more info on flight ED522 or its crew members or no where to get this info??
Kindest Thanks
Colleen
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Hi Colleen,
I think FTR means Failed to Return,
Michael.
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Thanks Michael.
How specific they were!
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Hello Colleen,
Failed To Return was the standard notation for a missing aircraft on operations.
It might be presumed that ED522 was hit by flak, or was shot down by a nightfighter.
If the aeroplane came down in the Dusseldorf area, then flak is more likely.
Dave
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Thanks Dave.
What also is puzzling me is who would have been the one to remove the bodies from the scene and bury them??
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Colleen,
the crash scene would have been attended by a combination of civilian emergency services and the military (there would have been Luftwaffe involvement pretty quickly, if for nothing else - intelligence gathering).
As for interment, I had better not guess. I am more familiar with occupied countries, where the occupying power took matters in hand.
Cheers
Dave
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Hi Colleen, John Edgar constable was my uncle Tony's cousin (my mums brother). John edgar constable also had another cousin who was an air gunner in the RAF in 1940. Ive been trying to find out more about him too. I do have a family tree that goes back to 1605 of our branch of the Constable family so it looks like we are related .John Edgar's parents were Thomas Clifford Constable born 8th July 1886 and Louise Rickard-Brook. I have a photo of the 3 of the cousins.
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Hi Colleen, John Edgar constable was my uncle Tony's cousin (my mums brother). John edgar constable also had another cousin who was an air gunner in the RAF in 1940. Ive been trying to find out more about him too. I do have a family tree that goes back to 1605 of our branch of the Constable family so it looks like we are related .John Edgar's parents were Thomas Clifford Constable born 8th July 1886 and Louise Rickard-Brook. I have a photo of the 3 of the cousins.
Hi Phil
My father in law is called Tony - his mum was John's sister, Muriel Edna. I have the fmaily tree back to around then, so we have both done well.
We have some photos of the cemetery where John is interred at Reichswald from our visit, and a photo of John too. We know he had a brother called Bill who was in the forces but we believed he was in the Army.
I will PM you my email address so we can swap info!
Sorry for the late reply too - I wasn't notified I had an update!
Thanks
Colleen
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Adicol, you won't be able to PM Phil yet, as he has only made one post and he needs two or three to use the PM system.
If you acknowledge this message and Adicol's, Phil, you'll then have 3 posts and you'll be able to communicate by PM.
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Hi, I have the original letters sent to my Grandfather, Thomas C Constable, in 1943/44. There is no detail as to exactly what happened to the flight. Only that it was a Lancaster and the crew were flying over Dusseldorf and where John was interred. The letters are fragile but I have scanned them in and happy to email them to interested parties. My Mum was John's youngest sister which is probably why she had the letters after Grandad died. I understood Bill was in the Paras. I remember him saying parachuting was why his knees were so bad.
Regards Karen
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Hi, I have the original letters sent to my Grandfather, Thomas C Constable, in 1943/44. There is no detail as to exactly what happened to the flight. Only that it was a Lancaster and the crew were flying over Dusseldorf and where John was interred. The letters are fragile but I have scanned them in and happy to email them to interested parties. My Mum was John's youngest sister which is probably why she had the letters after Grandad died. I understood Bill was in the Paras. I remember him saying parachuting was why his knees were so bad.
Regards Karen
Hello Karen,
That would be amazing if you could send those letters! We have been to the Reichswald Forest Cemetery twice now to visit John's grave and I have photo's if you would like to see them.
I will pm you my email address on here.
Thank you so much!
Kind regards,
Colleen
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Sorry Colleen, the site doesn't allow me to open the pm you sent to get contact details. I found this site on a google search so too open to put any contact details on here. I think there is a rule about 3 posts before pm allowed. I will post again tomorrow and see if that works
Best wishes Karen
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https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&q=ED522-+Lancaster&oq=ED522-+Lancaster&gs_l=psy-ab.3..33i160k1l3.5450.18626.0.26395.13.12.0.0.0.0.209.1969.0j10j2.12.0
A page on Google which if you read all of the articles may or may not give you further information
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Sorry Colleen, the site doesn't allow me to open the pm you sent to get contact details. I found this site on a google search so too open to put any contact details on here. I think there is a rule about 3 posts before pm allowed. I will post again tomorrow and see if that works
Best wishes Karen
Hi Karen,
I totally forgot about the 3 post rule - sorry about that.
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https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&q=ED522-+Lancaster&oq=ED522-+Lancaster&gs_l=psy-ab.3..33i160k1l3.5450.18626.0.26395.13.12.0.0.0.0.209.1969.0j10j2.12.0
A page on Google which if you read all of the articles may or may not give you further information
Thanks Barry, I will have a look at these.
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Hi Colleen thanks for the Pm.only just seen it after a family bereavement.
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Hi KP1. please can you send me the scanned documents as I would be very interested to see them and show their cousin Tony's son Grayham the as they
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Hi Karen, Johns younger sister must have been either Mavis or Veronica (Vera).