A little more has come to light about
F/Sgt Albert Patrick Jones, mid-upper gunner in F/Sgt Roy Fennell's
166 Squadron crew. Many thanks to Ian for confirming that Sgt A P
Jones, home address 77 Strathnairn Street, Roath Park Cardiff served
with 40 Squadron in the Middle East. A quick check of squadron
records places him in Egypt from August 1942 flying in the crew of
1st pilot Sqn/Ldr F J Steel, operating Wellington medium
bombers against the Tobruk battle area. Alan Jones also flew on
occasions with Sgt F Perry's crew.
Incidentally
– the initial 'F' may have been a typographical error or an example
of the RAF penchant for rather unsubtle nicknames - as in Jim Ives'
and Geoff Yates' cases - 'Ginger' and 'Curly' respectively- which
carried through into the squadron ORB. 1177568 F/Sgt John Clifford
Perry received the DFM, gazetted 22nd January 1943 – for
'gallantry and devotion to duty in air operations' –
Perhaps it was inevitable that Perry would be known as 'Fred' in
homage to the tennis star. Fred Perry became a naturalised US
citizen in 1938 having won Wimbledon in 1934, 1935,1936, US Open
1933, 1934, 1936, Australian Open 1934, French Open 1935. The 'real'
Fred Perry joined the US Air Force in 1942.
Other
familiar names on 40 Squadron at that time :- Sgt M McKiggan - who
appears in Jim Ives' log book instructing at 27OTU, and RCAF
pilot Anton Van Rassel who would later fly Lancasters with 405
Squadron where he was a contemporary of P/O Doug Hackett who died on
the Berlin raid on January 30th 1944 (who himself served
in the Mediterranean with 424 Squadron).
Having
completed his duty in the Middle East, Australian pilot Malcolm
McKiggan returned to the UK for his stint as an instructor. He lost
his life on the evening of 6th November 1943 in a flying
accident during a night cross-country exercise when Wellington 3637
of 27OTU and a Stirling of 1657CU, engaged on a 'bullseye' collided
near the Essex/Suffolk border. A contemporary accident report
suggests that the aircraft crossed each-others paths at about 7,000ft
with the Wellington passing close beneath (presumably taking evasive
action) the other, its tail fin hitting the fuselage of the Stirling
and tearing away in the air, rendering the Wellington uncontrollable.
P/O McKiggan, the novice crew of five men and two other screened
instructors, all RAAF personnel, died when the aircraft crashed on
farmland near the hamlet of Little Walden, Essex.
It
is always fascinating to receive documents and photos which place
certain airmen with others who have cropped up elsewhere -
demonstrating how intertwined were the existences of Bomber Command
aircrews.
Very
many thanks to cousins Mike & Leslie for this photo dating from the
end of March 1943 – of No9 Pre-AFU Course, 11EFTS, RAF Perth
(Scone) which has the priceless annotation of names on the reverse.
Leslie & Mike's uncle, Roy Gallop is the primary subject of
interest - second from right, third row back. Gallop was skipper of
625 Squadron Lancaster JB122, another casualty of the 30th
January 1944 Berlin raid, his rear gunner was W/O Davey Johnson DFC,
late of Jimmie Ives' crew.
Fourth
from left, back row is F/Sgt Frank Wadge who would in February 1944
receive an immediate DFM award after a collision with a German
night-fighter severely damaged his 100 Squadron Lancaster ED749. His
aircraft lost a large chunk of wing, suffered major damage to
propellers, fuselage and control surfaces, but F/Sgt Wadge brought
his aircraft and crew home safely from the Stuttgart operation of
20th/21st February 1944. Very sadly on Wadge's
next op - Schweinfurt 24th/ 25th February - he
and the crew of ND593 were lost without trace over the North Sea.
Third
from right, back row, Sgt (later P/O) Stanley W G Neighbour was a
contemporary of Roy Fennell's at 166 Squadron, RAF Kirmington before
being posted to 156 Squadron (8 Group, Pathfinders) in December 1943.
P/O Neighbour died when ND454 was shot down, also on the Schweinfurt
operation.
The
clarity of the photograph (apart from a few blemishes on the print)
really takes you to the moment it was taken, the expressions, new
blousons, brevets and caps, collars up, proud and keen to get on with
things.
I
would be very grateful to receive information about any of the pilots
and observers/ navigators in this iconic photo.
Many thanks.
