21 Brave Airmen, March 1943

[WelwynGC1]

Hello All, this is my first post and may be a long shot....attached is a photo of 21 brave airmen of Bomber Command, taken at the end of an air gunnery course in March 1943. My uncle who was lost without trace on ops to Berlin in Sept 43 is pictured front row right, John William Hayton.
Of course it is very  difficult to research when you only have surnames, but l am 99% sure that a few are Canadian and am making enquiries. Hope there is someone out there who may spot a relative. Maybe there are one or two that survived the war?

Best Regards.

[scrimnet]

Welcome to RC and welcome to the Armed Forces board.

I too have a rellie lost on ops over Germany, but he is not on that pic...But thanks for posting it...It will be very useful to someone out there I don't doubt.

Most of the RAF gurus on the web hide out at http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/index.php

You will have to register, but they are the boys with some most excellent knowledge...

Not that we don't have on here!! 

[David Layne]

Welcome to the site.  As much information you can give will help, i.e. full name, service number, Squadron he served with etc.

It is possible to get his service records, the following link might help and hopefully someone will come up with further suggestions.

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

[WelwynGC1]

Thanks for the welcome David, l already have all my Uncles details, his service number, squadron etc., but of course my curiosity is about the other 20 on the photo. I am told it would have been the end of the training course as they all have their wings and the three guys with the armbands would have been the instructors.
They would have all gone off to different squadrons l assume? For the record these are my Uncles details (pictured front right).

John William Hayton  100 Squadron  Waltham (Grimsby)
1333343 RAFVR
Lost Without Trace on ops to Berlin  3/4 Sept 43. Lancaster JA969 HW-N

The family were originally from Hebburn (near Newcastle) but moved to Herts in the thirties.
I am told the course was in Canada, and l have already done some research on this which is ongoing. My aim is to know something about each airman on the pic..............Heroes All.

Regards.

[liverpool annie]

You probably have this already ... but just in case !! ( the names of the rest of the crew ! )

Date      03/04 September 1943    Type      Lancaster                              Serial No            JA969
       
 Squadron/Unit          100 Sqn del'd 8-43 HW-N
        Classification          FTR
        Night/Day Raid        Night
        Target/Tasking        Berlin
        Crew Names            Sgt. E.B. Harvey +; Sgt. A.L. Kent +; Sgt. R.E. Longford +; Sgt. W.F. Garner +; Sgt. C.L. Hamilton +;
                                            Sgt. L.S. Reynolds +; Sgt. J.W. Hayton +

http://www.lancaster-archive.com/lanc_losses_sep43.htm

Annie 

[liverpool annie]

In Memory of
Sergeant JOHN WILLIAM HAYTON

1333343, 100 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died age 20
on 04 September 1943
Son of Charles and Annie Hayton, of Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.

Remembered with honour
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

[rafcommands]

Well Sgt Reginald Herbert Exon survived to 30/06/44 when he was killed while serving with No.180 Sqn.

Regards
Ross

[WelwynGC1]

Thanks Ross, with an unusual name like that can l comfortably assume that is the one? Is he listed as a rear gunner?  If so that is another piece to the jigsaw for which l am very grateful, thanks again. I will have to invest in Chorleys Bomber Command losses of 1944 to help me as l only have the 43 edition for obvious reasons.

Thanks also to Liverpool Annie...l did have those details but appreciate you taking the time to post. Only correction to crew is Langford not Longford.

Regards all!!

[WelwynGC1]

Well Sgt Reginald Herbert Exon survived to 30/06/44 when he was killed while serving with No.180 Sqn.

Hi Ross, l have a question, cant see this in Bill Chorleys 1944 volume, so was it not on ops??  Maybe an HCU?

Regards.