MYSTERY GAP IN UNCLE'S RAF SERVICE RECORD

[Elaine Williams]

Good morning. I am hoping someone far more knowledgeable than myself can cast some light on why there might be a significant a gap in my uncle's service history. His name was Michael Johnson, service number 1802410, and he was a Flight Engineer serving with 619 Squadron from October 43 to February 44 after which he joined 97 Squadron. I have gone through all the ORBS (540 and 541) for 619 Squadron from Oct 43-Feb 44 inclusive and can find no trace of him after flying a successful mission to Berlin on 26 November 43 (JA867). He next appears in the ORBS of 97 Squadron when he flew in ND 706A to Stuttgart on 15 March 44. I then have full details of the operations he was involved with up until he was tragically KIA on 3/4 May 44. I also have full details of where his Lancaster crashed and where he now lies with the rest of the crew in St Desir war cemetery in Normandy. So, can anyone suggest what he might have been doing, and where, between the end of November 43 and the beginning of February 44. Thanks in advance for any help you might be able to offer.

[Andy J2022]

Hi Elaine,
I can't answer your question, but are you aware that there is 619 Squadron association Facebook page? https://www.facebook.com/619.Squadron.RAF.WW2/
The only other thing I noted was that the Squadron moved from RAF Woodhall Spa to Coningsby on 9 Jan 1944, so between the move and some possible leave over Christmas might explain why he doesn't appear to flown operationally. What is clear from his record card is that he remained with the Squadron, so he wasn't on long course. Illness within the unit (ie not serious enough to go into hospital) making him unfit to fly, is also a possibility.
From the ORBs, were the number of operational sorties flown by the Squadron constant over that period, compared to earlier or later? Maybe there were problems with the number of serviceable aircraft. My understanding is that the Lancaster crews were kept together as much a possible, so did his fellow crew members fly sorties without him, or were they also apparently missing during the same period?

[Elaine Williams]

Hi Andy and thank you for your message. Yes, I am aware of he 619 Squadron FB page and have reached out to them too. I have gone through the ORBs again for Nov/Dec 43 and have noted the following:

Nov 25/26: Lancaster 'X' JA867 last sortie flown by P/O Loney with my uncle in the crew.
Dec 2/3: A sortie to Berlin included Lancaster 'X'  JA 867 but was flown using a different crew
Dec 3/4: A sortie to Leipzig included 'X' flown by P/O Loney but my uncle wasn't part of the crew
Dec 4-16: no raids ordered
Dec 16/17: A sortie to Berlin included 'X' flown by Loney without my uncle. All crew KIA
Dec 17-19: no raids ordered
Dec 20/21: A sortie to Frankfurt
Dec 22-28: no raids ordered
Dec 29/30: A sortie to Berlin

It's clear from the ORBs that my uncle didn't join another crew with 619 Squadron following the loss of the rest of his crew on the 16/17 over Berlin. That loss would have hit him hard, wouldn't it?

It's worth noting that the ORBs detail that there was a great deal of poor weather during December which would account for the number of days/nights when there were no operational sorties.

Something that leads me to thinking my uncle had a period of leave owing is this. Yesterday his daughter sent me the very last page of the diary he kept during 1943. Dated 5 November his sign off to his fiance was 'Chin up. Will be home very soon'. Reasonable to assume that he went on leave after his last sortie in November on the 26th? However we don't know how long that period of leave was. Would it be usual to be allowed leave lasting a good few weeks before he joined up with his new crew in 97 Squadron at the beginning of February 44 and would there have been a period of training with them prior to their first sortie on 15 March?

I hope this all makes some kind of sense and would appreciate your thoughts/feedback.

Very best wishes, Elaine.

[Andy J2022]

Hi Elaine,

I have very limited knowledge about the RAF during WW2 - my speciality is the Army. So I can't really add anything else which might be useful. Hope fully Ross (rafcommands) will spot this thread and be more help.

[rafcommands]

RAF training by late 1943 had been transformed into a very efficient system taking Aviation Candidate trainees from civilian life and transforming into crews primarily to support Bomber Commands needs.

In the case of pilots from entry to first operational squadron took approx 1 year with only a total of 50 flying hours solo/dual being the norm.

Flight Engineers were added to a formed crew from OTU when they arrived at HCCU so were a late addition to the bond of trust that the captain and crew had fostered.

Planning for the crews needed to replace losses in 1943 had over estimated the actual numbers lost so the RAF was rapidly creating an excess of manpower on the squadrons.

This led to individual crew members being replaced as and when needed by the demands of training/sickness/leave. Gone were the days when one member had a head cold then the full crew was taken off ops.

He had joined P/O Loney crew at No.1660 HCCU and had been posted to No.619 Squadron as a part of that crew.

I think that you are looking at a slight illness on Dec 3 to 16 that prevented him being passed fit to fly - not something bad enough to warrant a spell in SSQ.

For the remainder of Dec/Jan there would have been plenty of non operational flying for him to cover for , air tests and the such.

An example of this manpower glut was that a few months later on the night 31 March 1944 Bomber Command was to lose on a single night nearly 100 aircraft and more than 700 aircrew (more aircrew than Fighter Command lost during the whole 3 months of the Battle of Britain). Two days later the squadrons were all back to full numbers of aircraft and aircrew. I see from No.97 Sqn ORB he flew and returned on this operation.

The army was disbanding and combining regiments due to manpower shortage so there was a need by the RAF to be visible AND gainfully employ what it had and this you see in the Feb 1944 F540 for No.97 Squadron by the number of individual airmen aircrew posted in from other squadrons rather than new crews from HCCU.

Once he arrived at No.97 Squadron he was attached to the Navigation Training Unit where these odd bods were crewed up before returning to No. 97 for operations.

Ross

[Ruskie]

Excellent insight Ross.

[Elaine Williams]

Ross, thank you so much for this. It's all beginning to become and awfully lot clearer. You mention him being attached to the Navigation Training Unit before returning to No. 97 for operations. I can't see where you have got this info about him - can you clarify please? Many thanks.

[rafcommands]

Between the two 97 Sqn entries is

Upwood @ NTU Warboy

On service records @ is short hand for Attached - mean he was still on the establishment of the previous unit but he would be away from the previous unit for a sufficent time to need his messing/pay/training transferred to the attached location.

The entry for 97 Sqn after the NTU one is where he returned from attachment and accounts were returned to the parent unit.

ORB for Pathfinder Navigation Training Unit
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7161099

Ross

[Elaine Williams]

Hello again Ross. Apologies for my late response. It's half term and the grandchildren have taken up all my free time.

From your reply am I correct in that on posting to 97 Squadron on 5 Feb '44 Michael would've immediately been attached to the Pathfinder NTU where he remained until ? (Service Record date 29 Feb - must've been a leap year).

Thanks for the heads up but the Pathfinder5 NTU ORBs are not yet digitised. Don't suppose you know where I might be able to source a copy without going to Kew?

Finally, on his Service Record under Miscellaneous can you make out a very faint typed entry which I think partly reads: ANNUAL ? MARCH 44?

Once again I so appreciate your help with all of this.

Very best wishes

Elaine