WW2 English Lancaster bomber in Motzener See

Following F/Sgt Bill Allan's misdemeanour of 20^th October 1943 the mid-upper position in Jim Ives's crew was subsequently occupied by stand-in gunners. On the 22^nd October sortie to Kassel, Sgt Frank A Sugden, 21 year-old married man from Hackney, east London was pressed into service as Jim's mid-upper gunner. 

After the previous abortive sortie F/Sgt Ives, Sgt Bell, F/Sgt Goodrick, F/Sgt Yates, Sgt Hay, Sgt Sugden and W/O Johnson returned safely from Kassel in ED938 having successfully completed the operation – 'up 18.00, dn 00.10. Attacked 21.15hrs, 19,600ft, good visibility, bombing well concentrated in bombing area'.  Due to thick, low cloud and heavy rain over the Lincolnshire Wolds ED938 was diverted to RAF Blyton where foggy weather kept the crew stranded until the following day 24^th October when they made the 20minute return flight to Kelstern.

From available records it appears that 1943 had been a tumultuous year for Sugden. In the first quarter he had married Helen Beer who presented him with a son, Antony, in September. Frank's father Edward Victor Sugden is thought to have died in June. 

The year ended tragically for the family as Frank Sugden was posted missing in the early hours of Christmas Eve 1943 when Lancaster LM421 of 625 Squadron was shot down south of Berlin. The bodies of four of the crew were interred at Mittenwalde, the bodies of the three remaining crewmen were not apparently recovered.

Following investigation by the Missing Research Enquiry Service the remains of pilot Sgt Geoffrey Clark, bomb-aimer Sgt Arthur Naylor, and gunners Sgt Charles Harrison and Sgt Frank Sugden were exhumed and re-buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Berlin-Charlottenburg (graves 5.E.7 to 5.E.10). Flight engineer Sgt Ralph Parkinson, navigator Sgt Donald Walker and wireless operator Sergeant William Whitmarsh have no known grave.

In (about) 2012 a German diving group followed up a local story that a British bomber had crashed in Motzener See. 

A contemporary eye-witness report in a local museum pin-pointed the date to the eve of Christmas Eve 1943.  Mr. Herbert Siecke had at the time been a sixteen year-old messenger with the fire and rescue organisation, based at a community centre in the village of Motzen on the south-eastern shore of Motzener See. There was an air raid alarm that night and Herbert was sheltering in the safety of the centre's slit trench with warden Peter Rudolph and Fire Chief W Hahn. The weather was cloudy and windy. 

Suddenly they heard the sounds of aircraft above the clouds, volleys of machine-gun and cannon-fire – a night-fighter attacking a British bomber. The occupants of the trench crouched down as they heard loud whistling noises from above. The whistling was followed by a fiery inferno and explosion before the bomber disappeared into the Motzener Lake. Burning aviation fuel covered the crash area but soon afterwards, when the fire had died down the Rudolph, Hahn and messenger Siecke drove with others from the fire department to the village bathing site. There they found hundreds of dead fish, aircraft wreckage and an open parachute canopy being driven towards the shore. 

The fire brigade had access to a boat but the stormy weather and strong waves made it very tricky to recover the parachute. Eventually the parachute and pieces of aircraft wreckage were gathered up and taken to the fire-station. Four bodies were recovered and identified.

Herbert Siecke referred to that night as one he would never forget.

Lancaster LM421 had taken-off from Kelstern at a-quarter-to-midnight. It was intercepted and attacked, at an altitude of about 6000m at just after four o'clock in the morning of Christmas Eve by a night-fighter, thought to have been from 11./NJG5 flown by Lieutenant Georg Fenk. The bomber sustained serious damage and the fuel tanks ignited.  Sgt Geoffrey Clark apparently attempted an emergency landing but the Lancaster crashed into Lake Motzener.

When the divers began their search their initial dive was made based on an approximate map plot of the crash and a couple of pin-points on the shore. The cold and dark hour-long dive revealed a muddy lake bottom, swirling with sediment and the offering of a dark shape emerging from the mud and murk.

For the second dive information from the lake's fishermen as to where they'd fished out aircraft debris led the divers to the wreckage of Sgt Clark's 625 Squadron Lancaster on the lake bed.

Many thanks to the fascinating Easydive site - where you can see more about their work, also more photos of the remains of LM421.

http://www.easydive24.de/ziel_deutschland_motzenersee.php

If there are relatives of any of the crew of LM421 – please get in touch – post a comment here or visit www.jcproctor.co.uk and use the contact form.

Thanks to everyone who has visited the site this year, and especially to the 'Boy Genius' for all his continued hard work, Merry Christmas to you all !!

F/Sgt Roy Barton Fennell and crew -just doing their job? WW2 Bomber Command baptism of fire.

I haven't had to look very far to find Bomber Command airmen who displayed acts of selflessness and bravery in looking after their comrades – P/O Frank Law, P/O Norman Lyford, P/O Reg Price among others. It could be said that they were just doing their job.

Like the fighter pilots of 'the Few' – bomber crews were 'chucked in at the deep-end' – to sink or swim.

The 166 Squadron ORB Summary of Events records that on the Berlin raid of 18^th November 1943 the all-up weights of five of the squadron's Lancaster IIIs was increased to 65,000lbs. The trial was, thankfully for those entrusted with the additional bombs, a success – the aircraft 'took this weight and experienced no difficulties'.

On the following operation, on the 22^nd the older Lancaster Is received an increase of 2,000lbs – a total all-up-weight of 63,500 lbs. 'All took off successfully and had no difficulties with this increased weight, save for increased difficulty in making maximum height.'

Making his debut on this operation was 22 year-old pilot F/Sgt Roy Fennell aboard ED731 'T' as second pilot to Sgt Horsley. The sortie went without incident.

The next night Fennell and his own crew, who had arrived from 1656CU only a week previously, went to Berlin and back on their own account in DV365, Z², again unscathed. On 26^th Fennell's crew were again on the 'Battle Order', the target – yet again 'the Big City'.

The crew were:- pilot – F/Sgt Roy Barton Fennell

flight engineer – Sgt William Pettis

navigator – Sgt James Smyth

bomb-aimer – Sgt Ronald Moodey

wireless op – F/Sgt Douglas Harvey

mid-upper – Sgt Charles Cushing

rear- gunner – Sgt George Meadows RCAF

take-off – 17.25

bomb-load -1x4000lb, 1400x4lb incendiaries, 430x30lb incendiaries

route out:- southerly down the country and out across the south coast over East Sussex, crossing the French Coast in the proximity of Baie de Somme, then turning due east to pass just north of Frankfurt where the bomber stream split with 150+ Halifaxes and 21 Pathfinder Lancasters attacking Stuttgart and the bulk of the force – nearly 450 Lancasters turning north-east to Berlin.

The crew of DV365 experienced difficulties, Roy Fennell's log-book states :- 'Abandoned – attacked by single and twin engine German night-fighters. Sgt Moodey baled out. Sgts Meadows, Cushing, Harvey wounded. Landed at Ford.'

The German defences tracked the bomber stream from its landfall at the Somme Estuary and sent up 55 twin-engine night-fighters to cover Himmelbett boxes in Belgium, Holland and North-West Germany. Simultaneously twenty-nine night-fighters – twenty Bf110s, eight Ju88s and a He219, all equipped with SN-2 radar were scrambled as 'tame-boars' and were directed into the bomber stream over Southern Belgium. Bad weather over Southern Germany restricted numbers of night-fighters scrambled there to thirteen Himmelbett patrols and five aircraft on 'wilde-sau' duties.

166 Squdron ORB Record of Events expands on Roy Fennell;s log-book entry:-

'This aircraft was attacked head on by an enemy fighter over France, damaging our aircraft and wounding the rear gunner, and putting the mid-upper turret temporarily out of action. Almost immediately afterwards it was again attacked. A cannon shell burst in the front cockpit and also damaged the elevators, causing the aircraft to become uncontrollable. Bombs were jettisoned and the Captain gave the order to abandon aircraft. Later, however, he regained control and cancelled the order but discovered that the Bomb Aimer had already left. The aircraft turned for home and was continuously attacked another 10 or 12 times before finally getting clear of fighters. In all this time the Rear Gunner, Sergeant Meadows, despite his injuries, continued to fight his turret. The aircraft finally landed successfully at Ford, badly damaged. The Rear Gunner was severely wounded and the Wireless Operator, Navigator and Mid-Upper Gunner slightly wounded'.

Combat reports were recorded for each separate action. Many thanks to Archie for providing extracts from partial reports for two of the several combats experienced. Although in a standardised format they still convey the tension and relentlessness of the exchanges:-

'Enemy aircraft attack from port quarter up to dead astern breaking away to port bow in shallow dive.

Our pilot corkscrewed to port as soon as enemy aircraft had committed himself to an attack at 600 yards range. Mid Upper gave the evasive order - corkscrew port go.

Enemy aircraft opened fire at 600 yards range firing two short bursts until breakaway, scoring hits on starboard mainplane and tailplane.

Both Mid Upper and Rear Gunners opened fire at 600 yards range firing long bursts until breakaway. Port gun became unserviceable in Mid Upper turret owing to being hit by cannon shell. Wireless Operator and Navigator injured - Wireless Operator in the back of the head Navigator in the left shoulder. Damage to enemy aircraft not observed.

Mid Upper fired 250 rounds. Stoppage in left hand gun due to damage by cannon shell. One of the left hand guns in the Rear Turret was also hit and put out of action after the Rear Gunner had fired 150 rounds.

Mid Upper 1615703 Sergeant Cushing. Rear Gunner R191205 Sergeant Meadows.

Monica warning received five minutes before attack. Pilot corkscrewed on warning but as no attack was made resumed course.

Enemy aircraft carried out a normal attack and the correct evasive action was carried out by our crew.

Enemy aircraft was first seen by Mid Upper at 800 yards range. The combat manoeuvre ordered by the Mid Upper was the corkscrew. Enemy aircraft opened fire at 600 yards range firing long bursts until the breakaway. No damage to enemy aircraft observed. Enemy aircraft scored several hits on our aircraft, starboard mainplane and also tailplane, Wireless Operator and Navigator wounded.

Third Combat:-

Night 26^th/27th November 1943 Lancaster I ZZ 166 Squadron DV365 Berlin.

Position between Charleroi and Caen Time between 1935 and 2030 hours.

Visibility hazy. No cloud.

One enemy aircraft Ju 88. No lights carried. Armament situated in nose of aircraft.

Mid Upper first sighted enemy aircraft at 400 yards on the starboard quarter slightly up.

One attack. Enemy aircraft attacked from starboard quarter up breaking away to starboard beam level.

Mid Upper gave the evasive order - corkscrew starboard Go on first sighting enemy aircraft.

Enemy aircraft opened fire at 400 yards firing one continuous burst until breakaway. Mid Upper opened fire until ammo in the right hand gun was expended. Left hand gun was out of action due to being hit. The crew are not certain if Rear Gunner Meadows opened fire on this attack or not as he is now in hospital wounded, no information can be obtained at the present time.

No claims of damage to enemy aircraft. No hits occurred to our aircraft. 100 rounds from the Mid Upper. Unknown from the rear turret.

Mid Upper 1615703 Sergeant Cushing. Rear Gunner R191205 Sergeant Meadows.

Monica - No warning given.

Enemy aircraft carried out a normal attack and the correct evasive action was taken. The Gunners were rather handicapped in the shooting having had some of their guns put out of action and also servo ducts damaged.

Enemy aircraft was first sighted by the Mid Upper at 400 yards range on the starboard quarter slightly up. The combat manoeuvre given was corkscrew starboard. Enemy aircraft opened fire at 400 yards range. Mid Upper opened fire with one gun firing until he ran out of ammo. No damage to enemy aircraft observed and no damage to our aircraft '

By all accounts there followed seven or more subsequent attacks by enemy aircraft. It must be assumed that as Sgt Cushing had now expended his ammunition Sgt Meadows must have played his part in subsequent combats.

For his part in the actions rear gunner Sgt George William Meadows RCAF was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal. The citation reads:-

'This airman was the rear gunner of a bomber detailed to attack Berlin one night in November 1943. During the operation the aircraft was attacked by a fighter. Bullets from the enemy aircraft hit and damaged the mid-upper and rear turrets, one bullet struck Sergeant Meadows in the back, which was deflected by the wiring in his electrically heated clothing, and came out in the groin. Another attack developed, and the mid-upper gunner, the wireless operator and navigator were wounded. Despite his injury, Sergeant Meadows remained in his turret and by his excellent co-operation with the pilot, together with his good shooting, beat off a further eight attacks by fighters. This airman showed skill, courage and fortitude of a high order.'

It transpired that bomb-aimer Sgt Ronald Moodey sadly did not survive the bale-out. It is understandable that he was the first to exit as the b/a's position is directly over the escape hatch. Sgt Moodey's remains were interred in Hotton War Cemetery - grave VIII. E. 1 although it is likely that he was originally buried in a cemetery in the locality his body was found.

Despite surviving what must have been a very harrowing experience F/Sgt Fennell was not destined to be one of the 'lucky' airmen who would fly on to survive his tour of operations. Having operated throughout the 'Battle of Berlin' Roy Fennell, James Smyth, William Pettis and Douglas Harvey were killed on the disastrous Nuremberg raid at the end of March 1943 – the last operation of the Berlin campaign, following which Bomber Command's attentions were concentrated on the build-up towards the Allied invasion of Europe.

Charles Cushing is thought not to have been one of Fennell's regular crew but arrived at Kirmington via 1662CU. Sgt Cushing was posted missing from the operation against Berlin on 16^th/17^th December flying with F/O Follett's crew, their Lancaster crashing at Diepholz.

Thirty year-old Canadian George Meadows, who came from the village of Bowsman, Manitoba, was immediately posted 'non-effective' because of his wounds and did not return to operational flying until April 1944. It appears that Sgt George Meadows CGM survived the war.

LAC Roy Barton Fennell - 19EFTS RCAF Virden

It is perhaps surprising that Fennell himself didn't get a medal for his part, however, he may have been put forward for a 'gong' but the rescinded order to abandon may have been a factor in his not being decorated.  After all - I guess that Fennell was just doing his job

Lancaster loses two engines on take-off - ww2 625 Squadron Bomber Command - original account

Just before 17.25hrs on the evening of 3^rd November 1943 Lancaster W4833 of 625 Squadron  lined up for take-off on a sortie to Dusseldorf. The crew were setting out on their second operation together, their first had been to Kassel on the 22^nd October when they had had a close call with an enemy night-fighter. Rear gunner Frank Sutton's log book recorded – 'ops Kassel. Expended 150 rounds. Damaged Fw190 in combat (1 attack).'

Pilot F/Sgt Reg Price had previously flown as 'second-dickie' with P/O Edgar Pickles and crew on 20^th October op to Berlin (and on the same night M/u Harry Powter had filled in for the absent F/Sgt Bill Allan in Jimmie Ives's crew on their abortive sortie). The other members of Price's crew were f/e Les Knowles, navigator Dudley Ball, b/a Jack Conley and w/op Jim Harris. Their bomb-load on this occasion included a 4,000lb 'cookie' fused to explode on impact and 12 SBCs (small bomb containers), canisters containing 2,800 incendiaries. Fuel-load for Dusseldorf and back was 1200 gallons. Take-off was renowned to be potentially the most 'dicey' part of any flight.

Sgt Sutton's log-book records the following entry 'inner engines u/s (Dusseldorf)' – for the trip which turned out to be short and eventful. Many thanks to Iain Sutton for allowing me to reproduce his father's account of what happened. I defy anyone not to be gripped by the following narrative, written soon after returning to base:-

('height 60ft Reg')

(for 'Doug' read 'Dud')

The squadron ORB records this version of events:- Lancaster W4833 - Target Dusseldorf – 'Aircraft 'J'. Up 17.25 dn 18.40hrs. 'Task abandoned. Both engines cut just after take-off. Course set out to sea but difficult to maintain height. Incendiaries and guns jettisoned to enable sufficient height to be gained to jettison 4,000lb bomb. Landed at base at 18.40.' 

back row :- Les Knowles, Jack Conley, Harry Powter, front row:- Frank Sutton, Reg Price, Dud Ball (Jim Harris absent)

 

WW2 Bomber Command casualties W/O D.W.T. Johnson DFC and Sgt W.J. Allan RAAF :- Davey and Bill

Sincere thanks to those who have contacted me through the website over the past few months letting me know that they are related to airmen mentioned in the research lists. I am keen and always more than happy to hear about folks whose paths may have crossed that of cousin Jim Ives somewhere along the way. Any stories of personnel who attended any of Jim's postings (including school and work) around the same times as he did are always welcome and if you've someone who served at Kelstern, Wickenby or RAF Waltham at any time during the war please get in touch.

All stories are vital in building up a picture of what befell the 'ordinary' men and women of wartime RAF Bomber Command, and, I hope the stories on this website offer a fitting remembrance. It is gratifying to discover a snippet of background 'gen' or a family anecdote but it is always a complete bonus to have a photograph.

Two names closely associated with Jimmie Ives were David Johnson and William Allan. Close relatives of both have been in touch recently and have very kindly sent photographs – many thanks to Madeline, Bill and Simon and to Max in Australia for taking such trouble in sending me photos of their uncles and for telling me a bit more about them.

It is so sad to see images of both young men – confident, smiling, good looking types – both of them. Both much loved and missed by their families – 'Davey', as he was always known, supported his recently widowed mother (father Wally had died of heart problems in 1940) by sending his pay home to Seymour Street, Splott, Cardiff. I had gleaned from a genealogy website that Davey had two sisters - Beatrice and Murial, but Madeline, Beatrice's daughter, confirmed how close the three siblings had been.

 

Beatrice, Davey & Murial Johnson

Davey Johnson volunteered for the RAF in 1939 and by the time he joined Jim Ives's crew at 1662 Conversion Unit had already completed a tour of operations in August 1942 as an air-gunner with 38 Squadron, and on attachment to 40 Squadron in the Middle-East. Based at RAF Shallufa and flying from various advanced landing grounds 38 Squadron, equipped with Vickers Wellingtons were involved in operations against shipping in the Mediterranean and enemy-held harbours.

38 Squadron had an interesting modus operandi – 'A' – Flight's Wellingtons were armed with torpedoes (colloquially referred to as 'Torpingtons') and received information regarding the position of their target from a radar-equipped Wellington (a 'Snoopington') flying in advance and marking the shipping/ convoy location with flares. 'B'-Flight tended to carry a

more conventional bomb-load. Log-book entries show that Sgt D W T Johnson flew regularly with 'B'-Flight pilot Sgt Neal.

Johnson's next posting was at the beginning of December 1942 as a gunnery instructor at 28 OTU, RAF Wymeswold until mid-August 1943 when he moved on to 1662CU, RAF Blyton.

Having arrived at 'Bloody Awful Blyton' on 17^th August his first log-book entry at that unit was a week later - 25^th August, Lancaster W4890 (F)- pilots: Flying Officer Bennee and Sgt Ives. Take off 14.05Hours - task “Dual Circuits and Landings”, 2 hours and 40 minutes. 

After various personnel changes it must have been something of a boost for the rest of the Ives crew to have had such an experienced man with them. It is understood that because of his advanced years (29) and being the 'old man' of the crew he was given the epithet 'pop' or 'grandad'. Indeed Davey Johnson was renowned in the family for his responsible and caring nature – he had been a member of the Boys Brigade and was a keen footballer, staying involved with the BB organisation into adulthood. W/O Johnson is understood to have been offered the opportunity of a commission - which he declined as he felt that becoming an officer may commit him to an RAF career once hostilities had ended. Whether he intended to return to his job as a trainee accountant is not known.

Madeline's grandmother maintained that if Davey had still been flying with Ives he'd have survived – not intended as a slight against young F/Sgt Roy Gallop I'm sure, but a very sad irony that all three men died, within a few minutes of each other on the late evening of 30^th January 1944.

Sgt Davey Johnson, air-gunner

Sgt Bill Allan RAAF, air-gunner

Not too dissimilar in appearance was Bill Allan RAAF – Max's uncle Bill was a much-loved member of the family of eight children – four boys, four girls. All the Allan boys went to war – sadly Bill did not return - he was lost on the Nuremburg raid at the end of March 1944.

Max recounts that his mother, Bill's sister, 'tells me he was a real joker, always dressing up and teasing his sisters. You will see his theatrical bent in some of the photos, especially the one where he is pretending to shoot himself!!'

The short explanation that Bill Allan was a real joker immediately put me in mind of my footballing compatriot Royston 'Jacko' Jackson to whom a gathering of any number of people greater than one would constitute an audience for various antics. That Bill Allan's disciplinary record was not altogether exemplary may well have been due to the jester in him. A skerrick of alcohol may have been a contributory factor in the removal of two clocks from the Sun & Anchor pub in Scotter on 4^th August 1943 - but you can't help wondering whether the entertainer inside Bill Allan had taken over.

the theatrical Bill

Remembrance - art critic Jonathan Jones and classics scholar John Maxwell Edmonds - compare and contrast.

'When you go home, tell them of us and say

For their tomorrow, we gave our today' – is one ot four epitaphs penned by classics scholar John Maxwell Edmonds which appeared in an article for the Times newspaper in February 1918.

Writing for the Guardian, art critic Jonathan Jones recently expressed his views on the art installation of nearly 900,000 ceramic poppies at the Tower of London – his right, his job. How sad to have used the artwork for political comment, how churlish to have patronised four million visitors and how clever to miss the point. I am no art critic, but red poppies - ceramic, paper or natural are the symbol of remembrance. But poppies are apparently not brutal enough for Jonathan who would prefer to see barbed wire and bones, 'gory vile and terrible to see'. Perhaps he ought to have a go at that for next year – good luck with it – the components would most likely be woven around the word 'sorry' - on behalf of the rest of us poor nationalistic fools.

It seems from various 'vox pops' that people who have flocked to see the poppy installation have drawn their own interpretations of 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red', just as they should. If they happened to bring to mind the image of a young soldier, or a forebear's name, then it is likely there followed some emotion reflecting that the person had been killed in a bloody war. The sentiment that their death may have been futile in the scheme of things may also have occurred. Trite perhaps, but 'job done' as they say. 

Did those who lost their lives in war do so to allow patronising folks like Mr Jones to look down his snooty nose at the rest of us?

As you will be aware this website is a vehicle for remembrance. I hope that the stories of the various young people here, for the most part now long dead, do them justice and cause us to spare them a thought.

Lilian Noble,  passed away on 3rd July 2011.

Lilian Noble used to plant two poppies on the Field of Remembrance every year – one each for Jimmie Ives and Allan Clifford.

Five weeks after last hearing from Jimmie Lilian gave him a nudge:-

82 Saltram Crest,

Maida Hill W9

Tuesday 29/2/44

My dear Jimmie,

I think that it is

about time you wrote me

a letter so I thought I would

remind you about it.

I have heard from

Cecil in the sanatorium and

he is having all sorts of

complicated experiments

carried out. I’m glad they

have got to work on him

without too much delay.

The Rowing Club

dance arranged for this

Thursday was on the verge

of being cancelled owing to

the raids but Alma got

her way in end and its

taking place after all. We

wish you were on leave for it.

Allan is still in Scotland

and according to him is

getting all sorts of invitations

for hunting, shooting & fishing

parties. He’s getting as good

as Poulter at that sort

of thing.

Well Jimmie, that’s about

all until I hear from you

Yours as ever

Lil.

Jimmie had been dead for a month. Lilian would not know of her friend’s death until her letter was returned to her in mid-May.

When Lilian’s last letter to Jimmie was returned to sender ‘on Air Ministry Instructions, she contacted his parents. Although the crew of ND360 were still officially ‘missing’ John and Mabel Ives and Lilian already knew the worst. Lilian wrote on 28^th May 1944:-

82 Saltram Crest

Maida Hill, W9.

Dear Mr & Mrs Ives,

I was so sorry to

hear the sad news about

dear Jimmie.

Jimmie taught

me my job at London Region

before he joined the RAF.

he was always most kind

and helpful in those

days and later when he

went to America we wrote

a great deal to each

other and became firm

friends.

His leaves were

always bright spots for me.

There was so much he had

to say in that gay

lighthearted way of his.

Indeed he was popular

with everyone. He was a

great pal and his death

is a deep personal loss

to myself.

My sympathy is

with you. I am so proud

to have known him as

you must be to have

been his parents.

Yours sincerely

Lilian Noble.

The letter and envelope were retained amongst Jim’s effects. 

Jimmie Ives

Captain Allan Eustace Clifford was killed in action in Holland after the Arnhem landings in fighting around Oosterbuik on 13^th October 1944, he was 22 years old. Allan’s grave is in Overloon War Cemetery.  (sorry - no photograph of Allan Clifford available).

HM Royal Marines 350th Anniversary - J A Proctor, proud Royal Marine.

A departure from RAF matters for once. Today marks the 350^th Anniversary of the formation of the Royal Marines.

Our late father James Augustus 'Gus' Proctor was a proud Royal Marine. To continue a common theme on this site - Dad never really told us much about his war other than stories that involved playing football, dodging predatory birds in Egypt which would dive-bomb to steal food out of mess tins, interminable train journeys across India with locals hanging on the outside of carriages and snatching cigarettes from marines lips, being bombed by Japanese aircraft in Ceylon, running into a building in Bruges driving one of the trucks. There were more sobering tales though – witnessing the aftermath of a V2 blast on a cinema in Antwerp. The patrons were dead in their seats still staring at the screen.

Any ideas ?

Corporal J A Proctor, extreme right, always considered H M Royal Marines to have been the best dressed, the best at ceremonials, marching, the best band, toughest Commandos, you name it – they were the best. Dad was unabashed that his reason for joining the Corps was in reaction to seeing a pair of Royal Marines in their best blues marching perfectly in step down Tring High Street – they looked so smart.......

I believe that Dad served with MNBDO1, Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation, 1st RM (Heavy) AA Regiment, probably 'D' Battery, ending the war as a Sergeant.

No 3 Section OC 'D' Battery

No 4 Section OC 'D' Battery

Another common theme here is 'the luck of the draw.' - Dad told us of being assembled in a hall, the room was divided down the middle, one side went, I think, to Crete, and suffered heavy casualties – Dad happened to be on the other side of the hall with the Egypt contingent.

Every year at about this time in the run-up to his birthday (the day before Armistice Day) Dad would announce, 'I must apply for my medals'.

WW2 F/Lt Anthony Gobbie DFC – 42G pilot graduate – settled in the USA - eventually.

Anthony Francis Gobbie was born in London on November 24th 1919 the son of Francis J Gobbi and Evelyn Mary Marshall, Anthony was the middle one of three siblings, his two sisters were Marjorie and Evelyn. Francis Gobbi is thought to have been of Italian extraction – his father Fidele had been a cabinet maker in Islington in the 1880s.

At the age of 18 years Francis was working as an Audit Clerk for a Chartered Accountant. He served in WW1 with the 21^st Reserve Battalion, Kings Liverpool Regiment and was awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field. Between 1915 and May 1917 he was stationed in England during which time he married Evelyn Mary Marshall in November 1916. He subsequently returned to France as a signaller with 55^th Division Royal Field Artillery.

In 1928 Francis Gobbi made a business trip across the Atlantic to the USA and his family followed soon after. In July 1932 the Gobbi family returned briefly from America destined for Chadwell Heath, East London. Subsequently Francis Gobbie, vice-president of London and Lancashire Indemnity Company of America, dealing in motor vehicle insurances and family, now with an 'e', emigrated to Weathersfield (possibly Wethersfield, Connecticut?), USA in August 1932.

It seems that the Gobbie family prospered in New England and it is understood that Anthony Gobbie attended Harvard University for a year before returning to England as the outbreak of war loomed, arriving sometime around July 1939. Anthony's RAF service number 655545 suggests that he had initially followed in his father's footsteps and joined the British Army before, as with a number of his RAF colleagues on course 42G, Anthony Gobbie transferred to train as a pilot. As the USA entered the war immediately following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour Anthony re-entered the USA ,not in a business suit, but wearing his RAF 'blues'.

Anthony Gobbie graduated as a pilot on 5^th August 1942 having completed his advanced training at Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Alabama and was commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer. Unlike his friends and colleagues P/O George Stone, P/O Geoffrey Snow and P/O David Sumsion who were retained in the USA as instructors, P/O Tony Gobbie returned to the UK (initially aboard the Awatea? then the Queen Mary?) to complete his training and conversion to heavy bombers.

P/Os Snow, Gobbie?, Stone, Sumsion, Maxwell Field, Ala.  August 1942

It seems that Anthony's sister Evelyn was also drawn to the Air Force. The London Gazette records her commission to the rank of Assistant Section Officer (equivalent to the RAF rank of Pilot Officer) effective 28^th October 1942.

F/O Anthony Gobbie became operational during the 'Battle of the Ruhr' and on 19^th November 1943 the London gazette published the citation for the award of Acting F/Lt Gobbie's DFC:- 

'F/Lt Gobbie has participated in very many sorties, including attacks on Berlin, Hamburg, Peenemunde and targets in the Ruhr. He has displayed skill, courage and determination, qualities which have earned him many successes. On recent occasions, against Leipzig and Kassel respectively, his efforts in the face of extremely adverse weather were worthy of the highest praise.’

The night the Gazette was published -18^th/19^th November 1943 Anthony Gobbie and his 57 Squadron crew, were operating Lancaster JB418 for the operation against Berlin:-

f/e Sgt J A Hemmings

nav F/O A E W Gardner DFC

b/a P/O R W Newcomb

w/op F/O T Scott

m/u Sgt T Pool

r/g F/Sgt F J Lambie

Their aircraft was shot down about 11 km from Dresden, at Bärnsdorf. 

F/O Alfred Gardner DFC from Norbury, Surrey and P/O Richard Newcomb were killed, but their crew-mates survived to become prisoners of war.

A/F/Lt Anthony Gobbie was held at Stalag Luft 1 just outside the town of Barth, Western Pomerania, to the north-east of Rostock. The proximity of the camp to the town reputedly saved Barth from Allied aerial bombing throughout the war. Having been promoted to F/O in February 1943 and subsequently elevated to A/F/Lt Anthony Gobbie's promotion to F/Lt was effective from 5^th August 1944, two years to the day after his graduation.

When Stalag Luft I was liberated by Russian soldiers on the night of 30th April 1945 there were almost 9,000 Allied airmen imprisoned there – over 7,500 of whom were USAAF personnel.

Following repatriation to England, Anthony Gobbie yet again crossed the 'pond' on the Queen Elizabeth from Southampton to New York in 1947 and migrated to Florida where he married Lorraine Albin in Broward County in 1953. It seems that both of Anthony's sisters, Marjorie and Evelyn also moved to Florida after the war.

Anthony Gobbie passed away in Dade County Florida on 26^th December 1976, aged 57.