Searching for Douglas Alan Moore Adams, RAF

[dragonq]

Hi,

I originally published this on the Derbyshire board, but information I found out there has prompted me to think this is a better place for it.

I am researching the loss of Stirling Bomber, LK383 of 149 Squadron, Methwold, of which Douglas Alan Moore Adams was the pilot. The plane 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, hence my interest.

As part of my research into the crash, I am trying to trace the other crew members. Douglas Alan Moore Adams, aged 30, is described as being the husband of Maud Elizabeth Adams of Derby. We believe her maiden name was White, and that they married in Surrey in the last quarter of 1941. Doug Adam's 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, past or present? I am particularly interested in finding out more about him, as my uncle's log book indicates that they met during training and appear to have hit it off. I suspect a friendship between them may have formed the nucleus of the crew that went down with the plane in 1944.

A website is being set up about this lost 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 to the Derbyshire version of this post, which you can find here, along with a lot more information.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,325903.0.html

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 possibly be the man immediately to my uncle's right.

You can see the website about the Stirling 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 your help and interest in reading this,

Natalie

[dragonq]

Once again, I am putting this on the Middlesex and Derbyshire boards.

I realise I have been a bit quiet about this lately, but hope that some of you are still interested, because I do have some more information.

First of all, I have spoken to the widow of one of the other crew members and she has told me that Douglas Alan Moore Adams was a lovely man, and that her late husband had a great regard for him. Evidently he was usually known as Alan. He was born in Middlesex and grew up in a Barnado's home.

I get the impression that Barnado's records are not available to the public, but does anyone know how many homes they operated at this time? we are probably talking 1913-1927 sort of period.

I have also been told by my informant that, like her, Alan Adam's wife was pregnant at the time of his death, and that she gave birth to a posthumous daughter in November of 1944. Sadly, that now makes two of our crewmen who never saw their little girls.

I'm still hoping we may find some more information, so please--any suggestions are welcome.