RAF Airman Unknown - Advice Needed Please

[Treetotal]

I have acquired this postcard photo of an Airmen and wondered if anyone could give me any information please. Was he a pilot? Is it WW2 or later. Would that be the nose of a Lancaster? There is no information on the back.
Thanks for looking.
Carol

[Andy J2022]

WW2 almost certainly. I think the aircraft is more likely to be a Vickers Wellington or a Vickers Warwick. Not at all certain of the nationality of the airman. Note that he's wearing a tab collar - not that common in the UK in the 1940s I suggest.
From the plug-in socket on the right sleeve, it looks like his jacket was electrically heated.

[Treetotal]

Thanks you Andy, for taking the time. That helps a lot. It was bought in Hull.
Carol

[Treetotal]

I do hope that someone  recognises him, it's such a lovely photo and in great condition for its age.
He reminds me of Olly Murs.
Carol

[Hornchurch]

Ultra late in here Carol, but, just wanted to congratulate you on your wonderful find

Fabulous image & 'Postcard Photograph'

I know the frustration of not being able to place a name to a WW.II airman, as I have in my possession a truly fabulous image of SIX American WW.II airmen on a beach at Snettisham, Norfolk (England)

I've no names (zero idea, sadly) & I posted the image (sectioned) over on an American WW.II 8th A.F website (sadly now defunct !) & not even a single bite of the cherry, sadly.

I already KNEW they WERE (Are) from the 1st Air Division of our local based 8th Air Force units...

Trainee gunners, passing out on their 'last course' before being assigned to ANY 1st Air Division Bomb Group that had fallen short of 0.50cal gunners in B.17's

Narks me that I'll never know their individual fates and/or whether they survived or not ?

That image you have there is fabulous !

Lastly, to concur with Andy - It's 100% the nose turret & nose of a Vickers Wellington Mk.Ic

  (P.S = It's most definitely NOT a Vickers Warwick)

Vickers Wellingtons were literally THE backbone of Bomber Command, right up until mid 1943

My educated guess is that Mk.Ic is so archtypical of 1940/1941 - kinda "iconic" in Bomber Command terms

Several famous EARLY wartime films featured Vickers Wellingtons.... namely...

1, "Target For Tonight" starring (among others) 'Percy Pickard' who later flew Mosquitoes (B.Mk.IV's) on the Amiens raid (Gestapo Jail) during which he sadly loitered FAR too long & was conswequently killed (shot down by two Fw.190's who were "too late" to intercept the raid, but, nonetheless, caught him AND his poor unfortunate navigator

In the film "Target For Tonight" they use 'stock footage' of 149 Sqdn Vickers Wellington Mk.Ic's with their notable "OJ" codes, based by the way at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, which an outside possible candidate for where YOUR man on the postcard MIGHT have later been sent to - (after passing out on an O.T.U - (Operational Training Unit), although SO MANY Wellington units, it's just so hard to say where he might've served ?

2,  My own personal favourite film of these TWO = "One Of Our Aircraft Is Missing"

Truly fabulous film starring a (fictitious) Vickers Wellington Mk.Ic crew who fly to Stuttgart (?) IIRC & get shot down by Flak (German Anti-Aircraft fire) on the return, over Nazi occupied Holland (Netherlands)

Again, laughably, they use THE EXACT same 'stock footage' of 149 Sqdn's Mildenhall Wellingtons (to begin with), but, thereafter resort to using (quite reasonable) scale model a/c with a somewhat moody background, which was fine cinematically, for it's time.

Spoiler alert - The (model) Mk.Ic Wellington "crashes into an electricity pylon" - Luckily, the crew have since beforehand "bailed out" - Rest of film follows their trials & tribulations of trying to escape from enemy held territory & the film really is quite gripping & believable
Wonderful bit of casting, too !!!!!

Thanks again for the cracking photo' - From a lifelong Vickers Wellington "fan" - (built my 1st around 1971)

[Treetotal]

Hi Hornchurch, Thank you for your very informative and helpful response. I am collector of old photos and postcards and try to find family for them. Sadly this one is unnamed and I shared it on here in the hope that one day someone might claim him.
I have a fondest for RAF photos as my Son is a flight sergeant (Interpreter) based at RAF Waddington and I share these with him too.
I will certainly watch the film that you mention.
Sadly, too many historic photos are ending up on carboot sales or on that well known auction site.
One day I intend taking my military collection of photos and postcards to the IWM.
Carol

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=872321.msg7436557#msg7436557

[Hornchurch]

Hi Hornchurch, Thank you for your very informative and helpful response. I am collector of old photos and postcards and try to find family for them. Sadly this one is unnamed and I shared it on here in the hope that one day someone might claim him.

I have a fondest for RAF photos as my Son is a flight sergeant (Interpreter) based at RAF Waddington and I share these with him too.

I will certainly watch the film that you mention.

Sadly, too many historic photos are ending up on carboot sales or on that well known auction site.

One day I intend taking my military collection of photos and postcards to the IWM.

Carol

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=872321.msg7436557#msg7436557

Hi Carol & many, many thanks for your reply - & please DO excuse my belated one !!!!!   

Great gesture regarding the 'donation' of your own acquired over the years 'military collection'

Perhaps BEFORE you DO, you might consider doing some scans for THIS worthwhile endeavour...

      https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/lincolns-international-bomber-command-centre-1533949

IT's the "International Bomber Command Centre", something that's only been formed recently.

Having said that, it IS dedicated to "RAF Bomber Command" specifically.

Trust me when I say this - They'd bound to be delighted with ANY 'extras' you give them....

This of course wouldn't in any way, shape, or form, stop you from your intended donation to the I.W.M

You'll probably find that they already have about 75% of what you have  (official release stuff,etc)

I mention ALL the above so that BOTH organisations might benefit from your kindness.

BTW ; Meantime,

Here's a GOOD link to a very well made Vickers Wellington Mk.Ic, as seen in YOUR photo'

 http://hamfisted-modeller.blogspot.com/2020/02/172-airfix-vickers-wellington-mk-ic-no.html

Whilst it's "only" a well-made kit, it looks SUPERB & gives an appreciation of the Wellington.

There were approx' 11,461 Vickers Wellingtons ever made, yet, ONLY TWO SURVIVE       

Even one of those was only 'found' by sheer default.....   (you'll laugh when I tell ya....)

A Japanese funded 'survey unit' went looking for (yawn) "The Loch Ness Monster"  (laughs !!)

As predicted, no neolithic legend, but they DID find a 1940 "O.T.U" Vickers Wellington instead.

       ( O.T.U stands for "Operational Training Unit", like a "finishing school" for aircrew )

Not the earliest, but ONE of the earliest ever 'Channel.4' television programs, was a full one-hour documentary coverage of the Vickers Wellington they found ("R-for Robert"), being physically retrieved from the Loch's floor - Quite some program it was too, as it caused a MASSIVE stir within the aviation community, the warbird community & RAF Bomber Command historians too.

Trust me, as a kid myself (back in the 1960's & 1970's) who'd already built about 4-5 Airfix & Matchbox Vickers Wellingtons, I was literally on the edge of my seat, watching.
 So keen in fact, that I even set-up my Dad's (then 'new') Ferguson Videostar V.H.S tape recorder**
     **(I still have that actual V.H.S tape I recorded from Channel.4, back in 1985)

Surprisingly, even by the early 1990's it was "restored" very quickly, being a rather precious British WW.II Bomber a/c artefact & given at that time (before it was raised-up) there WAS only one in existence left out of the 11,461 built - rather a massive amount for the WW.II British a/c industry.

This post is long-enough already & I've more to say (& tell) about RAF Waddington, too.

Perhaps you'd consider scanning some of your "rarer" stuff for the benefit of the new Lincoln centre ?

 P.S - I am NOT affiliated with them in any way, shape or form....

Just a lifelong RAF Bomber & USAAF Bomber a/c fan that loves immersing in History, hence this.