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Hi Kassi,

Levi is such an unusual Christian name that I'd say this is almost certainly the same family. Someone born in 1899 or thereabouts would also be of an age to have a son who was 19 in 1944.

John Robinson, the son, has no grave, as the plane disappeared and probably went down in the sea off Brest. St Michael's sounds like an Anglican church unfortunately. The church the Robinson family seems to have been involved with was the Queen Street Congregational church--perhaps you can tell me if it is still around. Levi Robinson was the Sunday School Superintendant in the late 40s/early 50s.

Thanks for your help and prompt reply.

Natalie

I am researching the loss of Stirling Bomber, LK383 of 149 Squadron, Methwold, which was lost without trace on a mission to Brest in France on the night of 6/7 August 1944. My uncle, John Adolphe Prior was the navigator. The reason I am writing to this thread is that I am trying to trace the other crew members. One of them was a man called John William Robinson, aged 19, described as being the son of Levi and Martha Ann Robinson of Middlewich. I think the family may have been involved with the Congregational Church there. His service number was 2205557 and he is commemmorated with the rest of the crew on the Runnymede Memorial.

Can anyone at the UK end give me more information about John or his family, and especially, suggest if there might be any living relatives? A website is being set up about this plane, initially in French, but I am considering an English one. This was the last Stirling bomber to be lost on a bombing operation during World War II, as the plane was in the process of being phased out.

You can see the website here. If you can read French, it does provide quite a lot of additional information:
http://www.absa39-45.asso.fr/Pertes%20Bretagne/Finistere/7%20aout%201944/7_aout_44.htm

Also, a picture is attached, which I think may be of the crew. My uncle is the very tall fellow on the far left. John Robinson may possibly be the very young man on the right.

I am researching the loss of Stirling Bomber, LK383 of 149 Squadron, Methwold, which was lost without trace on a mission to Brest in France on the night of 6/7 August 1944. My uncle, John Adolphe Prior was the navigator. The reason I am writing to this thread is that I am trying to trace the other crew members. The pilot of the plane was a man called Douglas Alan Moore Adams, aged 30, described as being the husband of Maud Elizabeth Adams of Derby. His service number is 173518 and he is commemorated with the rest of the crew on the Runnymede Memorial.

Can anyone at the UK end give me more information about Doug or his family, and especially, suggest if there might be any living relatives? A website is being set up about this plane, initially in French, but I am considering an English one. This was the last Stirling bomber to be lost on a bombing operation during World War II, as the plane was in the process of being phased out.

I've attached a photo. My uncle is the tall man at the far left. I am not sure if Doug Adams is one of the others, but suspect he may be.

You can see the website here. If you can read French, it does provide quite a lot of additional information:
http://www.absa39-45.asso.fr/Pertes%20Bretagne/Finistere/7%20aout%201944/7_aout_44.htm

Thanks for the tip, Annie : I do know the Lost Bombers website and have found it very useful.

I really wish I had found this thread yesterday, before I posted off the request for my uncle's service record. I've just read kyt's advice to ask for a photocopy, which of course, never occurred to me. I just assumed that was what I would get. I suppose I am now going to get a piece of paper with next to nothing typed on it, which is infuriating, considering with the bank draft it cost me A$85. I suppose it is totally pointless to write again after the fact, as they must get many dozens of applications every day.

If I may make a suggestion to anyone else who is researching RAF planes lost in Brittany, the people at the specialist French internet site, ABSA, have been absolutely fabulous to deal with. They have given me so much help, we now know more about the loss of my uncle's plane than anyone in the family for sixty-four years. They've even set up a special page for my uncle's plane, the address of which I quoted in my previous post. The site address for their forum is http://absa39-45.forumpro.fr/forum.htm and I heartily recommend it. It probably helps if you can read and post in French, but I do note that some people write in other languages.

I do hope some of you can help me with my uncle's elusive crew. By the way, here is a picture, which may help. My uncle is the very tall fellow on the far left. I don't know the names of the other men in the photo but suspect they may be some of the other crew members of the lost plane. Sorry for the poor quality of the snap.

Pam:

Thank you very much for your kind message about the Kilcoyne family.

I have taken your advice and written to you privately.


Thanks so much

Natalie