609 Squadron

Thanks Bob!

Yes. I have a cousin in London, whom I hope will visit it for me. I plan to go the next time I’m in the U.K.

Try the Yorkshire Air Museum, at Elvington, near York; they have a room dedicated to 609 Squadron, with photos all round the walls.
Edgar

Check your PMs.

gun footage

Yes, Bob. That is him. How can I view the footage? Thank you.

Thank you

Thank you. I will try to contact them.

Chris Goss and Snapper (the latter a member of this forum) would both be worth contacting on the subject of 609 Squadron.

I have been viewing quite a bit of 609 gun camera footage – was he a Warrant Officer?
Can’t say how long or how good the footage is (I’ve watched so much over two and a half years) but it can be found at www.iwm.org.uk

LINK
CATALOGUE NUMBER CGE 4184-4555

Combat Film No 4545. Warrant Officer BUCHANAN of 609 Squadron, 26/2/1944, 1200, flying Typhoon. Barge.

In the letters Peter called his aircraft Trixie.

I don’t know why they always illustrate DN406 / PR-F ‘Mavis’ as being Pinkie Stark’s aircraft. (The Revell 1:32 kit does, as does another book I’ve seen and also a decal sheet). It was P/O Peter Raw DFC’s aircraft. That info came from Pinkie himself. Pinkie only flew a PR-F coded Typhoon on 6 occasions during his first 609 tour – for a total of 4 hours. (n.b., I have no record of the serials for 1st-17th February 1943, 31 flights, or 4th-7th January 1944, 7 flights. Will try and get these asap). 2 hours of which were two flights in March 1943. His logbook records:

9th March Scramble and Patrol 1 hour 25 minutes
12th March Patrol North – South Foreland 55 minutes

Having only joined the Squadron in January, it’s doubtful Pinkie would have had a ‘regular’ aircraft anyway. By April, through until June, his most ‘regular’ was PR-J. Sept – Jan it was PR-S (He flew ‘S’ on December 1st, but so did Sgt Aitken-Quack, who was shot down. Serial JP924. By the 4th, Pinkie was in PR-S again – his next flight. That’s worth a further ‘dig’ I think.) So, basically, that aircraft has the ‘tally’ of Peter Raw, and has nothing to do with Pinkie at all.

Other than the swastika drawn in next to the entry of the 12th, with the following sentence:

Attacked four Fw 190’s between Dunkirk and Mardyck
1 Fw 190 “Destroyed” No. 1 (Sgt Leslie) “damaged” one Fw 190. I was hit by 2 – 7.9 mm bullets, one in the oil tank )
And Bob Wallings diary record of:

March 12th. In an early morning raid on London a Norwegian squadron from North Weald shot down five Jerry fighters. We had a scramble, and the kites patrolled the deck, but did not go into action. On a patrol later in the morning, Flt-Sgt Stark and Sgt Leslie had a scrap with three FW190’s. Stark got a very probable Probable – when last seen the FW was upside down at 300ft diving towards the sea with flames coming out of it. Leslie managed to get one damaged. Starks aircraft was holed through the oil tank and rudder-trimming tab. Lallemand was awarded the DFC.

My copy of the Operational Records Book is for August 1942 – Feb 1943 only (Sgt Wiseman’s months with 609) so can’t record that days ORB entry i’m afraid. Yet.

Peter ‘Slosher’ Raw was one of four brothers, of which only one, Michael, survived the war, receiving the Air Force Cross in 1955. Another brother, Anthony, also won the AFC, as well as the Distinguished Flying Cross, which Peter was also awarded, and their father had previously won the Distinguished Service Cross whilst serving in the Royal Navy with the rank of Commander. Peter was killed in action over Holland as a Flight Lieutenant in 183 Squadron on 21st March 1944, while Anthony was killed with 156 Squadron, a Pathfinder unit of Bomber Command, a few months later on 11th September. Peter boxed competitively, and had joined 609 in the company of Roy Payne and Humphrey Gilbert on 30th June 1942, all of them coming from the same Operational Training Unit, and all ex-Army, Raw having been an officer. According to Roy Payne, “there are a whole load of cannon shells embedded in the grass runway at Duxford. Peter Raw was coming in to land, and when he selected Flaps the cannons started blazing. Gave him a hell of a shock. Someone had connected the wiring incorrectly.”

Raws DFC Citation:

Reccommendation ………..

Christian Names :- PETER, EDWARD. Surname :- RAW.

Rank :- P/O Current Decorations :- NIL.

Number :- 119259. Command :- FIGHTER Group :- No. 11 (F).

Unit :- No. 609 WR. Squadron. MANSTON. Nationality :- BRITISH.

If R.A.F. – Whether R.A.F. or R.A.F.V.R. :- R.A.F.V.R.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Particulars of Meritorious service for which the reccomendation is made, including date and place.

P/O. Raw is a pilot of exceptional courage and ability, and is always eager to hunt and engage the enemy. During a period of three months he has attacked and immobilised 17 locomotives, 11 by day and 6 by night, during offensive operations over France and Belgium. Recently he has taken part in two attacks on enemy shipping, and in the face of intense Flak has severely damaged two and scored hits on two more enemy motor minesweepers. He has also damaged a FW. 190 raider.

Recognition Reccomended Distinguished Flying Cross.
Appointment held (or Trade) Section Leader of “A” Flight.

Date 7/4/43. R.P.Beamont.
Squadron Leader, Commanding,
No. 609 WR. Squadron, A.A.F.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

COVERING REMARKS BY STATION COMMANDER.

P/O. Raw has displayed the offensive spirit to a very marked degree. He has taken advantage of every opportunity to seek out and attack the enemy. I strongly support the reccomendation of his Squadron Commander.
Date 9.4.43 W/C Commanding R.A.F. Station, MANSTON, KENT.

COVERING REMARKS BY SECTOR COMMANDER.

This Officer has achieved excellent results against enemy transportation targets. He recently displayed a particularly high standard of courage and tenacity when he pressed home an attack against a force of enemy minesweepers in the face of intense opposition and in failing light. I endorse the reccomendation for the award of the D.F.C.
A.S. Adnam
Group Captain, Commanding,
12.4.1943. R.A.F. Station, Hornchurch.

Approved.

T. Leigh-Mallory
Air Marshall,
Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief,
Commanding, Fighter Command.
Date 29/4/43 ROYAL AIR FORCE.

Further to that (and the bloody ridiculous name of the ‘author’ – did he write it in a Mae West?) – I have no record of AR213 ever having served with 609. The closest it came, in my knowledge, is Jim Earnshaw working on it when it was Ginger Lacey’s at 57 OTU (see different thread for that). I may be wrong though – Where’s Tom?!

Stumbled across this cocerning Peter Raw from years ago !! if only I`d had a computer then. I got a suitcase full of letters from a Brica brac shop in Camberwell in 1988.It was full of letters from,John,Tony,Peter and Michael Raw and a ships log from their father Frederick…very sad loss,Tangmere has them now.

Thanks

When we have more definate details I’ll drop Pinkie and Invitation to the ceremony as well as John Shellard. I don’t think Pinkie will attend but it’s worth a try.

Pinkies Logbook:

14 th June. Aircraft J. Armament 8 – 60 lb HE’s. Duty Ramrod:- St Peter Port. Duration 1-20. Comments Attacked U-BOAT in harbour. Hit by flak (Controls damaged).

14 June 44 Ming !!!!

Pinkie told me when I spoke to him at Leg-ends that he was on that particular sortie.

What date was he lost, Biggins?

Hi Geoff

We’ve posted our pictures before, according to Snapper I look like Christopher Biggins, and I reckon he looks like Ming from from Flash Gordon.

It seems along way since we did the Scheidhauer memorial, I spoke to his nephew two weeks ago, they’re coming to Jersey next September to be presented with his flying helmet, hopefully tie it all in with Gonays memorial.

Ian

Well done Ian, I bet when you started to check out what date the REAL EN830 came down on Jersey, back in 1999, you never thought it would lead to this?

I was going to post a pic here of yourself at the Scheidhauer Memorial dedication, but on second thoughts is the rest of the forum ready to see you 😉

Geoff.

Hi Snapper and Geoff

A slight change of tack but as you both have a tentative connection I thought I would let you in on it.

I’ve had a meeting with the Connetable (Mayor) of the Parish of St Ouen tonight and have got the provisional go ahead for the Gonay memorial next year, as Pinkie Stark was on the very same sortie that Gonay was lost on and Gonay briefly served with 131 Sqn I thought you two should be the first to know.

Ian

26.1kb. This sucks.

Yuk. Bitty as hell.

Snapper, try it below 30KB, it’s just worked for me

Geoff.

WEBMASTER!