Flt Lt R C Moss DFC

mr robert moss

hi i have a defence medal and his jacket ,its great to see people showing interest in my dad .i also have a book he was writeing cheers

S/L Moss Medals

His DFC (1943) 1939 Star (Clasp Battle of Britain) Air Crew Europe Star, Africa Star, Burma Star, Defence and War Medal along with his Air Efficiency Award were on sold by Sothebys on the 15th September 1990 at Hendon, have they been re-acquired by the family? I do hope so.

raymond christoper moss

I am researching Flt Lt Raymond Moss DFC, who scored eight victories in Blenheim and beaufighter night-fighters with 29 and 89 Squadrons. I have only the bare facts about him, so anything at all that anyone can add would be most welcome please.

Thanks.

hi there that was my dad sadly passed away ten years ago . i have some of his medals and jacket .if you would like photos of these get in contact please yours robert moss

Many thanks indeed, that already adds to what I knew. If you find anything else, please do let me know.

Regards

Steve

Steve.

I’m managing to find the odd bit about your man but it might come out in dribs and drabs as I check and recheck my findings, so apologies for that. the first bit is the biographical piece from men of the Battle of Britain by Kenneth Wynn and is quoted verbatim:

Moss joined 600 Squadron, AuxAF, before the war as an Aircrafthand (800670). Called up on August 24 1939, he remustered as an Airman u/t Air-Gunner and after completing his training at 5 BGS, Jurby, he joined 29 Squadron at Digby on July 1 1940 and flew his first operational sortie on September 18. After the Battle of Britain, Moss retrained as a Radio observer and in 1942 he was with 89 Squadron in the middle East, operating in Beaufighters.

In January 1943 a detachment of the Squadron went to Calcutta, Moss with it, to form the nucleus of 176 Squadron. On January 19, Moss and his pilot, Flying Officer C A Crombie, destroyed two Mitsubishi Sallys. One engine of their Beaufighter was hit by return fire and set alight and Crombie ordered Moss to bale out. He stayed to damage a third Sally and then baled out himself.

Moss was awarded the DFC (19.2.43) as a Warrant Officer. The citation stated that he and Crombie had flown together in the UK, Middle East and India and had destroyed eight enemy aircraft and damaged another.

Commissioned in 1944, Moss was released from the RAF in 1946 as a Flight Lieutenant.

The more I find, the more interesting this becomes. Next little tidbit is the citation for the DFC for Warrant Officer Moss:

Warrant Officer Raymond Christopher Moss (800670) No 176 Squadron.

As pilot and observer respectively, Flying Officer Crombie and Warrant Officer Moss have flown together in many night flying operations in the United Kingdom, the Middle East and India. They have destroyed eight enemy aircraft and damaged another. One night in January, 1943, they destroyed 2 of a formation of 4 Japanese aircraft before being compelled to abandon their own aircraft which was set on fire during the engagement. Flying Officer Crombie and Warrant Officer Moss have displayed great courage, determination and devotion to duty.

It should be noted that Flying Officer Crombie also received the DFC at this time, but more of him later.

At the time Moss was with them, 89 Squadron were operating Beaufighter I’s and VI’s out of Abu Sueir. It was from here that he was sent as part of the newly formed 176 Squadron. Officially formed at Dum Dum on the 14th of January 1943 with just eight Beaufighters, the citation shows it was not long before the Squadron was not only in action, but Squadron members were being decorated, at least in part for their actions with this newly formed Squadron. The Squadron moved to Baigachi on the 6th of Feb where they remained until early 1944. Interestingly, a second flight operated AI equipped Hurricanes for a time.

It is now time we moved on to look at the pilot with whom Raymond Moss flew for much of his operational career, Charles Arbuthnot Crombie.

Crombie was an Australian, born in Brisbane on the 16th March 1915. He enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on the 24th May 1940 and sometime after his arrival in England (I suspect after Moss had qualified as a Radio Observer) they came together as a crew.

Crombie had been awarded the DSO in respect of night flying operations in the UK, Middle East and India on the 19th of January 1943. This was swiftly followed by the award of the DFC for s ‘high standard of keenness and courage while flying’ on the 25th May 1943.

At some point after this, I expect on the completion of their respective tours, they went their separate ways. War’s end in August 1945 found Crombie flying Beaufighters with 5 OTU at Williamtown in NSW. On the 26th of August 1945, whilst flying Beaufighter A19-198, Squadron Leader Charles Arbuthnot Crombie was killed in a flying accident. It appears he was accompanied by a Flight Lieutenant William Henry Stephens, RAAF, who survived the accident. Stephens was from Tasmania and was a flying instructor who had been awarded a King’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air in March of 1945 whilst serving with the CFS.

Found this interesting snippet on Wikipedia relating to the racing driver Jack Brabham:

On his 20th birthday, April 2, 1946, Brabham discharged from the RAAF at the rank of Leading Aircraftman (LAC). During his RAAF carer, Brabham narrowly avoided being involved in a fatal aircraft crash. On the 26th August, 1945, Flying Officer Charles A. Crombie was planning on taking up LAC Brabham for a test flight in aircraft A19-198 – a Bristol Beaufighter. Prior to the flight, LAC Brabham had become unavaliable, so a tractor driver had taken his place for the flight. For forgotten reasons, the aircraft crashed, and Crombie did not survive. Following the incident, 5OTU stood down for his funneral.

Crombie’s DSO and DFC were presented to his wife, Betty, by the Governor General at Slade Park, Warwick, Queensland, on the 11th of June 1946.

Hope this is all of interest. If I find out anything else I’ll be sure to post.

Regards,

kev35