Author Topic: Looking for family of Raymond Shepherd of the crashed Halifax bomber in Holland.  (Read 3432 times)

Offline David Van Coolwijk

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Offline nanny jan

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Re: Looking for family of Raymond Shepherd of the crashed Halifax bomber in Holland.
« Reply #19 on: Friday 25 January 19 15:28 GMT (UK) »
Exciting news; thank you for the update.  :)
Howard , Viney , Kingsman, Pain/e, Rainer/ Rayner, Barham, George, Wakeling (Catherine), Vicary (Frederick)   all LDN area/suburbs  Ottley/ MDX,
Henman/ KNT   Gandy/LDN before 1830  Burgess/LDN
Barham/SFK   Rainer/CAN (Toronto) Gillians/CAN  Sturgeon/CAN (Vancouver)
Bailey/LDN Page/KNT   Paling/WA (var)



All census look-ups are crown copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline David Van Coolwijk

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Re: Looking for family of Raymond Shepherd of the crashed Halifax bomber in Holland.
« Reply #20 on: Friday 01 February 19 21:13 GMT (UK) »
Not sure where I got this from, but could James Shepherd be the father of Raymond?

Offline daretodiscover

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Re: Looking for family of Raymond Shepherd of the crashed Halifax bomber in Holland.
« Reply #21 on: Sunday 03 February 19 03:39 GMT (UK) »
Not sure where I got this from, but could James Shepherd be the father of Raymond?

It came from here: https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8081744

What is your man's connection to Australia? James Shepherd was born in Belfast but his wife, Ada, lived in Balmain, NSW, Australia.

DTD


Offline David Van Coolwijk

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Re: Looking for family of Raymond Shepherd of the crashed Halifax bomber in Holland.
« Reply #22 on: Sunday 03 February 19 10:48 GMT (UK) »
As far as I know there is no connection with Australia, but I probably downloaded this image because I made a connection with this Shepherd with his wife Ada Shepherd.

Offline Hornchurch

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Re: Raymond Shepherd Halifax bomber KN-G "JB.803", in Holland.
« Reply #23 on: Tuesday 02 April 19 14:43 BST (UK) »


Some information can be found here: https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2620180/shepherd,-raymond/

Information on memorial we are building can be found here: https://davevancoolwijk.wixsite.com/halifaxmonument

I am looking for background stories and photographs of Raymond.

Any information or help is more than welcome!

Kind regards,

David van Coolwijk
'


Hi David,

As one who was casually browsing down the WW.II threads & a lifelong fan of the Handley Page Halifax myself, I was naturally drawn to your thread.

I did click on your 'memorial' thread link, but it isn't working as of April 2019.

I was however interested finding another Dutch 'nl' link, giving the Squadron-codes, serial number & full crew list & further details.

I naturally assume that you've already seen this & know all the details anyhow ?

I figured I'd pass the link along, if not, just in case it might be overlooked or not known of ?

It might also be of use to those reading this thread & not knowing the back-story, or full crew.


 http://www.zzairwar.nl/dossiers/68.html

Date: 1943 May 01    A/C Type: Halifax II    Serial: JB803    Code: KN-G    A/C Nickname:    
 File: 68    Airforce: RAF    Sqn/Unit:  77 Sqn    Mission/Raid: Essen

1 Pilot Sgt.    Gordon Watson                       KIA, buried Muiden            
2 CP/Obs       Sgt. Ian Crawford                    KIA, buried Muiden             
3 Fl Eng/AG  F/O Arthur E. Parsons RCAF      KIA, buried Muiden         
4 WO/AG      Sgt. William R. Louth                             MIA            
5 WO/AG       Sgt. Raymond Shepherd          KIA, buried Muiden             
6 Gunner       Sgt. Leon Hannan                    KIA, buried Muiden             
7 Rear Gnr    Sgt. Thomas D. Scarff RCAF    KIA, buried Muiden     
                     
Night 30 April/01 May 1943, on route to Essen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Essen was the target, so it's almost certain the aiming-point would be the town's famous "Krupp" works.
 (singlehandedly, the No.1 target, in Essen)
 
Lastly, I made a 1/72nd scale Merlin-engined Halifax myself, many years ago....


My RCAF Matchbox kit I made in 1989/1990 by Hornchurch_Aerodrome, on Flickr


To all intents & purposes, it's the same as the plane involved in this thread, but it has the slightly later "oblong" fins, rather than the earlier type "triangular" fins of Raymond Shepard's Mk.II, "JB.803", in which he sadly lost his life.

 Please forgive me if any of the above links or picture is of no use.

 Would still be keen to know of the memorial that you mentioned you were building....
Am interested in N.W.Norfolk Hudsons in the Docking, Sedgeford, Heacham & Hunstanton regions,

Offline David Van Coolwijk

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Re: Looking for family of Raymond Shepherd of the crashed Halifax bomber in Holland.
« Reply #24 on: Tuesday 02 April 19 15:30 BST (UK) »
Hi,

That is a very nice build! I have not been able to find a Halifax with Merlins, let alone the right tail!

Anyways, thank you for links to those websites. I am already in contact with the webmaster of zzairwar, because we are trying to locate where the missing air man may have been buried. We are getting cloase to that.

The link to my website is an old one, I will adjust that. It is now:

https://www.halifaxmonumentmuiden.nl/

There is also a facebookpage: https://www.facebook.com/HalifaxMuiden/

The reveal date for the monument will be May 1st 2020, we had some setbacks because of some permit troubles...

Offline Hornchurch

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Re: Looking for family of Raymond Shepherd of the crashed Halifax bomber in Holland.
« Reply #25 on: Tuesday 02 April 19 17:05 BST (UK) »
Hi,

That is a very nice build! I have not been able to find a Halifax with Merlins, let alone the right tail!


The link to my website is an old one, I will adjust that. It is now:

https://www.halifaxmonumentmuiden.nl/

There is also a facebookpage: https://www.facebook.com/HalifaxMuiden/

The reveal date for the monument will be May 1st 2020, we had some setbacks because of some permit troubles...

'

 
 Hi again David,
 Many thanks for your kind words about my elderly 1/72nd scale kit, plus your important updates

 It is always really nice to see a WW.II Bomber crew being honoured for their sacrifice to make Europe free.

 I am very glad to see you & the guys associated with you for so doing this memorial.

 As for the kit I built, it is the older Matchbox brand released around 1979 & is still a good kit.
 https://www.scalemates.com/products/img/4/8/0/114480-10000-pristine.jpg

 Revell took over the molds, then later released another 'newer' Merlin-engined example, but it got heavily criticized as the Merlin's were considered to be too fat, bulky & inaccurately portrayed.

 I think the older Matchbox kit is still valid & brings across the shape of the Bomber really well.

 I was smitten on the Halifax, after building several of the (much older) AIRFIX B.III versions.

 Then, even more so, in 1973 when they raised W.1048 'S-forSugar' (35 Sqdn),
 from Lake Hoklingen,   in Norway.
 (it now resides in London, within the Hendon RAF museum collection)

 Ironically, there is also yet another of the same raid, that night, also shot-down by "Tirpitz"
 
  It is also a sister-ship of W.1048, but carries the serial of  "W.7656"

  (just like W.1048 - But this one still remains beneath the lake, today, as of 2019)

 https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/545963/Second-World-War-British-bomber-found-Norwegian-Fjord

 
 Incidentally, If you do ever buy the Matchbox "Merlin" Halifax, it DOES come with the Triangular tails
 I just chose to make mine with the larger & more stable later lozenge tail-fins.

 Here's a better photograph of it, taken the same day in 2008, although I built it in 1989/1990.


 My Matchbox Handley Page Halifax by Hornchurch_Aerodrome, on Flickr

 Many thanks for your thread David & your efforts towards the memorial - it's much appreciated.
.
Am interested in N.W.Norfolk Hudsons in the Docking, Sedgeford, Heacham & Hunstanton regions,

Offline David Van Coolwijk

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Re: Looking for family of Raymond Shepherd of the crashed Halifax bomber in Holland.
« Reply #26 on: Tuesday 02 April 19 19:22 BST (UK) »
I love it, mine isn't as nice, mine should reperesent JB80, I just Merlins from a Lancaster kit and cut the fins myself.

Friend and foe.....