Searching for EARL STANLEY CARY, RCAF d. 1944

[dragonq]

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 Canadian airman called Earl Stanley Cary, aged 27, described as being the son of Ernest Albert and Ida Catherine Cary of Vancouver. I suspect he may not have been a regular member of the crew, but may have been a pilot flying "second dickey" to get experience. His service number was J/89984 and he is commemmorated with the rest of the crew on the Runnymede Memorial.

Can anyone give me more information about Earl or his family? 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

[JDC]

Hi dragonq,

I'm not sure if this will help, but the archives of Canada has kept service files for much of the Canadian forces. You will likely have to contact them directly for the service records of your ancestors I don't know what info you would find in them.
http://search-recherche.collectionscanada.ca/ancestors/search.jsp?Language=eng is the archives link to their databases, perhaps info you want is in one of them.

Hope this helps,

JDC

[jorose]

http://search.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/sn-54CCEAA/gbsearch/Births,Marriages,Deaths
 shows
Earnest Albert Cary m. Ida Piercy, 1910.
Ernest Albert Cary, d. 1953, aged 69
and Catherine Ida Cary, d. 1963, aged 77.

http://genealogy.clanmoffat.org/familygroup.php?familyID=F9704&tree=ClanMoffat
 - shows them with five children including Earl. Perhaps the owner of this tree could help you find living relatives.

[dragonq]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I have asked the Clan Moffatt web master to put up a note advertising for P/O Cary, so we will see what comes up. Unfortunately I don't think I would be able to get this man's service record, because I am not related--my interest is peripheral.

As Earl Cary was a pilot and the pilot of my uncle's crew was a man called Doug Adams, my contacts in France seem pretty convinced that he was not a regular member of the crew, but a second pilot flying to get experience. Doug Adams was definitely flying the plane that night. Hopefully more information will come to hand in due course when I get the records from the RAF.

Natalie

[Ken MacLean]

Natalie,

Just to clarify, the service records of members of the Canadian armed forces who were killed during WW2 are available without restriction to anyone. No family relationship is required to obtain these records.

Ordering info here: 

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/022-909.007-e.html

Cheers, Ken

[dragonq]

Thank you for clarifying that, Ken: I was under the impression that they were all restricted.

I have subsequently been told by someone else that Earl Cary was probably the bomb aimer, so little bits of information are continuing to crop up.

May I ask if you can tell me what sort of information is contained in the service records from Canada? My limited experience so far suggests that it varies quite a bit from country to country.

[JDC]

Hi Dragonq,

I have not seen one, but am told it ranges quite a bit from almost nothing to a seemingly complete play by play of his/her service. I am about to order the services records for some family members so I will see first hand when they arrive.

You could probably contact them and they may be able to give you more details.

JDC

[dragonq]

I've just printed out and filled in the form, and will fax it off today, so will see what they come back with.

I find it quite extraordinary that there is nothing at all on the form about paying them. I have just written away to the RAF for my uncle's service record, and after paying the 30 pounds up front for the record and the cost of the bank draft, I was poorer by A$85. I'm not opposed to paying for things, but really thirty pounds is a bit steep, and you would think that in this day and age they would at least give you the option of paying with a credit card.

[JDC]

Hi Dragonq,

They may invoice you once they find out how much info needs to be sent to you? 25 Cdn cents per page is the rate I heard plus mailing cost, but I may be wrong.  Trust it will go well for you.

JDC