Air Force Lookups - if you need help

[David Layne]

Thanks Annsa.

[kalasira]

hi kyt.
sorry i have,nt got back to you i have sent a message to David with load,s of name,s,s well i think i did,i now have a scanner and i am just waiting for some one to do it for me,which i hope will me be this week,in the mean time here are all the names i have,right here i go.
one of the picture,s has picton Aug 1944.
the Lancaster has D1 on the side with 3 row,s of air men.
next one David McNeil picton Ontario Canada 9-7-44.
Cpl.S.E.George 546896.R.A.F.
group photo taken at Monkton May 1944.
and the last one,
Sgt Paton.Sgt Skillington. Sgt Slinger. Sgt Jarvis. Sgt Shelly.W.O.Jones. Sgt S_rinsmaw ? Sgt Lenon,
Sgt Brompton. Sgt Thomos,o, Sgt Thomos.E.L. Sgt Kinear. Sgt Pattinson.that,s it up to now.
all the best Jacquie.

[kyt]

My cousin William Emmerson Metcalfe 620395, 208 Squadron was an aerial photographer in the desert in North Africa where he contaracted TB and died in Engalne on 13 April 1945 , aged 25.

Is there any way I can find out about his time in the RAF?

I see from the CWGC that he died as a Corporal which seems to imply that he was a photoprapher or photographic analyser - photo-recon aircrew, and other aicrew from 1941 onwards, tended to be Sergeants and above. However, he may taken part on aerial recon missions

Unfortunately, even any histories of the squadron are unlikely to contain any information on him.

The two ways to get information about him are his service records and the squadron ORBs. The ORBs (Operation Record Books) vary n quality and detail and so there maybe no mention of him.

If you are next of kin, or in contact with NoK, then you can apply for his service records (making sure to ask for photocopies of the originals)

http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/raf.html

K

[kyt]

hi kyt.
sorry i have,nt got back to you i have sent a message to David with load,s of name,s,s well i think i did,i now have a scanner and i am just waiting for some one to do it for me,which i hope will me be this week,in the mean time here are all the names i have,right here i go.
one of the picture,s has picton Aug 1944.
the Lancaster has D1 on the side with 3 row,s of air men.
next one David McNeil picton Ontario Canada 9-7-44.
Cpl.S.E.George 546896.R.A.F.
group photo taken at Monkton May 1944.
and the last one,
Sgt Paton.Sgt Skillington. Sgt Slinger. Sgt Jarvis. Sgt Shelly.W.O.Jones. Sgt S_rinsmaw ? Sgt Lenon,
Sgt Brompton. Sgt Thomos,o, Sgt Thomos.E.L. Sgt Kinear. Sgt Pattinson.that,s it up to now.
all the best Jacquie.

Picton was a Canadian training base during the war:

http://www.ontarioabandonedplaces.com/cfbpicton/picton.asp

I will have a look at the names, properly, a bit later to see if any come up.

[brushbroomstick]

Thanks Kyt

I will try your suggestions

Irene

[koitaki]

Hi Kyt,

Could I please trouble you for any information you may have at ready access about my relative William (Billy) Shimmons, who was a RAF pilot in WWII.

What I understand (from hazy family anecdotes):

* Born about 1914, Belfast (ie. 24 in 1940).
* He was flying Hurricanes from Charmy Down base, near Bath UK.
* His Hurricane was brought down and he successfully parachuted, making him supposedly one of the two Northern Ireland members of the Caterpillar Club at that time, but don't know where or when accident occurred.
* As I understand it, after this accident he was sent to Scotland to teach at a Training Unit
* I believe he was also involved with 247 Squadron at one time
* From what I've heard, he had the rank of squadron leader at some stage

No problem if nothing found, but I've come up against a wall with the records office because I don't know any next of kin.

Many thanks if you have any details, no problem otherwise
Chris

[Tabbitha]

Hi kyt. Ive held off till now asking for your help as I tried to find details myself.

I have to concede though,as i just cannot find a single thing to set me off on a path.

I am trying to find any information on my grandfather who served in the Raf

Both he and my Nan have passed,and as I wasnt doing my tree then, never asked for details.

I wondered if you could be kind enough to see if you can give me a small start in finding him?

Thomas Henry Phillips 

Birth: 13 Sep 1912 Lancashire

Death: June 1992  Lancashire

I know at one point he was based at the site that is now known as Ringway Airport.,Manchester and that he was a LAC.

I have no other info sadly.

I hope you can find him somewhere in your records

kind regards

[IainK]

I have another question re my search.

One of Harry Selman's fellow crew members in the downed Halifax was a Canadian airman

P/O B P Allen J/21173, he ended up in L3 with P/O Frisby.

(I found a great drawing, online, done by Allen, of a fellow prisoner!!!)

Would I be able to see his records as I have the Australian Pilot? If so, where do I go?

I seem to be lucky it was an International crew or I'd have to wait until I can get to Kew!

[annsa]

Hi Ian,

Canadian records are not digitised for viewing online, however personnel records can be accessed. I would suggest a visit to the RAF Commands forum where there lurks a couple of Canadian researchers. one of them, Hugh Halliday lives near the archives in Ottawa and may well be able to go and get a peek at them. Try via the forum, if you have no luck come back to me and I will send Hugh an e mail. Not sure if his curling season has started yet, he tends to be off and away curling around this time of the year. If you head the request with Allen's name and RCAF number I'm sure that someone will come back to you with info.

Regards,

Ann