Help with RAF WW2 Info Please.

[Horsley2016]

A crew of 6 looks generous for aircrew, but the group may include some ground crew.

It appears an aircrew of 6 was not unusual. Here's a list of another 298 Sqdn Halifax which was lost in 1944:
31.8.44 Halifax V LL343 T-L 298 Sqdn RAF
F/O William Wallace Brown RCAF - Pilot - died
Sgt William Bradley RAFVR - Flight Engineer - died
F/O Robert Denver MacDuff RNZAF - Navigator - died
F/Sgt Frederick Pearson RAFVR - Wireless Op / Gunner - died
F/O Francis Sayles DFM - Air Bomber - died
F/Sgt John Bonsall Smith RAFVR - Wireless Op / Gunner - died

Thank you Andy. Forgive my ignorance, but would a ‘new’ squadron 298 have formed following the loss of this one? I don’t know how it worked?

[ShaunJ]

A mention here - flight engineer on Halifax III, 8A-M, NA 310 of 298 Squadron on 24 March 1945

https://www.pegasusarchive.org/varsity/war_298sqn.htm

[Andy J2022]

No, The aircraft which was lost was just one of many in the Squadron (one source says there were 40 aircraft in the Sqdn, but gives no date for this), so while your man may have known the crew that was lost, the loss of the aircraft and crew was just part of the dangers of the operations they flew.
SOE was the Special Operations Executive. Lots on it if you Google. They were specially trained operators who were inserted into enemy territory to liaise with local partisans or resistance and generally cause mayhem for the Germans. Sometimes they flew all the way to their destination where the plane landed, and on other occasions they parachuted in and were met by the local Resistence.
Later when the Squadron moved to India, their role was rather less exciting. You can read about some of the operations they flew here: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/halifaxbomber/298-squadron-india-t363.html

[ShaunJ]

3 mentions of him here: http://www.operation-ladbroke.com/ray-atkinson-halifax-tug-pilot-operation-varsity/

[arthurk]

I agree with Michael J that the plane looks like a Halifax, but I have no idea which version. A crew of 6 looks generous for aircrew, but the group may include some ground crew.

A relative of mine flew Halifaxes on SOE duties with 138 Squadron. The operations record has lists of those Missing on Operations (one list for each aircraft - all Halifaxes), and these typically have 7 names. A few have just 6, and some have 8.

Thank you so much for all of your information- it’s really appreciated. On a side note, what does SOE stand for?

Special Operations Executive - involved in undercover operations during WW2. RAF involvement included dropping supplies and equipment for resistance groups (generally 138 Squadron - Halifaxes), and getting agents in and out of places behind enemy lines (generally 161 Squadron - Lysanders). Both of these operated out of RAF Tempsford. More info at

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Operations_Executive

[Andy J2022]

M (Horsley2016),
Those documents from the MOD which you have photographed (with your phone by the looks of it!) are next to useless (sorry!) for getting the details, like dates.  Can I suggest that when you have time, you slowly re-photograph sections of each sheet, and post them up and we can try and tell you what they mean. I suggest using a warm iron to remove the creases (iron on the blank side of the paper) then put the sheet close to a window and with your phone parallel to the page photograph discrete sections. Check the images to see if you can read the text before posting as it will save time. If all this seems like too much bother, maybe you can just transcribe the bits you don't understand and we can try and expand the abbreviations and terminology.
To be honest there's wealth of information out there about the Sqdn and the operations they flew. You should be able to build a very detailed picture of his RAF career.

[Andy J2022]

A relative of mine flew Halifaxes on SOE duties with 138 Squadron. The operations record has lists of those Missing on Operations (one list for each aircraft - all Halifaxes), and these typically have 7 names. A few have just 6, and some have 8.

Thanks for that arthurk. I had in mind the more conventional bomber squadrons. With the SOE flights they would have needed an air despatcher or loadmaster to deal with SOE operatives or supplies which were parachuted in. More complicated than just dropping bombs!