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Hoe to find out what my gradfather-in-law was doing in the WW2?

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  • Member since
    July 2008
  • From: Vancouver, the "wet coast"
Hoe to find out what my gradfather-in-law was doing in the WW2?
Posted by castelnuovo on Monday, March 19, 2018 10:01 PM

A shorth history first.

In WW1 he was a fighter pilot flying Camels, scored few kills. He and his squadron were mentioned in a book "Ofensive Patrol".

In WW2 he flew Lancasters. My Mother in law sasy that he was a medic in them but I don't think so as lancasterd did not have a medic. Maybe some crewmembers were trained in first aid. And as a WW1 pilot it would make more sense if he were a pilot.

Any thoughts? Many thanks.

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Monday, March 19, 2018 10:07 PM

It's key to figure out what unit he was in. I assume it was the RCAF? In England, or India, or?

Do you have any idea what base?

What about his birth date?

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    July 2008
  • From: Vancouver, the "wet coast"
Posted by castelnuovo on Monday, March 19, 2018 11:37 PM

He was with RAF in England, flying bombing missions over Germany. I will ask about his birth date. Any thoughts who to contact?

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Monday, March 19, 2018 11:59 PM

Birth date?

Get a trial membership (free) on Ancestry.com. It'll come up quick as I assume you know his name.

Ancestry.com is a combination of relatives who post stuff and folks who gather up stuff and try to sell it. So be careful. But you can get pretty good info quickly.

You should be able to get a birth cert., and if luck is on yoir side, service records.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 6:20 AM

Its my understanding that the radio operater was usually the one who gave first aid. He may have been a pilot in WW1, but by WW2 he would have been quite old by the standard of the rest of the crew, most of whom would be in their early 20's. Flying a Camel would be very different from a lancaster and he would not be certain to be the pilot, especially if he had not kept up his flying experiance during the war.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    September 2013
  • From: San Antonio, Texas
Posted by Marcus McBean on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 7:34 AM

castelnuovo

He was with RAF in England, flying bombing missions over Germany. I will ask about his birth date. Any thoughts who to contact?

 

 
I don't know how it works in England but here in the states you can contact the Military records department to get a copy of family members service record.  We had to fill out a form and show proof that the person record we wanted was a family member (wife's father) and we got a copy of the records in six weeks.  The family member was a seebee in the first landings at Guadacanal, came down with malaria six months later and was shipped back to the states to recover and was shipped out to Dutch Harbor Alaska until the end of the war.  It also listed where he was inducted into the navy at, did his training, shot records, leave records, etc..  It was quite informative package we recieved.
 
I found it amazing that he was able to survive all of those bombings, shellings and ground attacks and then laid low by malaria.  The malaria damaged his heart and was the caused of his fatal heart attack  in 1959 two months before my wife was born. 
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 7:43 AM

This page from the national Archives may be of some help. There are different places to look depending on when he was in

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/royal-air-force-personnel/

Though i don't know if it would include RCAF Squadrons or canadian pilots in the RAF, but worth a look.

 

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    July 2008
  • From: Vancouver, the "wet coast"
Posted by castelnuovo on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 2:45 PM

Gentlemen, thak you for the responses. Bish, my GiL was not Canadian, he was born and raised in Manchester area. 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 3:02 PM

castelnuovo

Gentlemen, thak you for the responses. Bish, my GiL was not Canadian, he was born and raised in Manchester area. 

 

Well, i won't hold that against him Big Smile

Well, hopefully he should be on there and i hope your able to find what you need.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

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