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Looking for Heyfords in service and the fate of F/Lt Tomlin

Evening all,

from time to time I´m looking for any publications about the HP Heyford (still got 2 Matchbox kits waiting for construction).
However, all I found (in two years time) is the old Profile Publications paperback, two 1990s Aeroplane- and a Wingspan-issue. Worse, they all do not tell very much about the aircraft´s service life, but more or less the development of the type. Does any other publication about the type exist? Or maybe a good book about British inter-war bombers?

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Well, while reading throug the Profile brochures I noticed something quite interesting:
On 12/12/36 a flight of 7 Heyfords from 102 Sqdn encountered fog and icing on a flight from Aldergrove to Finnigley. One plane reached Finnigley, three crashed and three made succesful forced landings. Three airmen were killed during during the crashes. However, Profile Publications list one of the survivors as a “P/O Tomlin”.

Some times after I stumbled in Profile´s brochure about the Whitley again over a “Tomlin”, altough at that time a F/Lt:

“… the most amazing incident involved No. 77 Squadron´s Whitley V N1387 “L-Love” (F/Lt. Tomlin) during a sortie to Warsaw on 15/16th march, 1940; after dropping its Nickels [propaganda leaflets] on Warsaw, the aircraft landed in Germany by mistake, stayed on the groung for quarter of an hour and, when the crew discovered the awful truth, got away with only seconds to spare!”

However, in 1937 B-flight of 102 Sqn. became the nucleus of 77 Sqn. Could it have been the same Tomlin? Is there a possibility of checking that out? I´m quite curious, whether he survived the war … ?

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By: Ross_McNeill - 7th September 2006 at 22:27

Hi Chris,

There is only one Tomlin in the pre War Air Force Lists:

Brian Stirling Tomlin
37486
Acting P/O 23/12/35
P/O 28/10/36
F/O 28/05/38
F/L 28/05/40

DFC Gazetted 17/05/40

I strongly suspect that this is your man.

No casualty record in the CWGC database.

Also a discussion on another board
http://www.rafcommands.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=6336&forum=DCForumID6&archive=yes

Regards
Ross

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