Flight Lieutenant's Kerr and Briggs, 295 Squadron

Thank you everyone that’s an amazing amount of info, Buster Briggs is definitely the man, it’s all in the eyes! Great to see some photos especially with other crew.

Much indebted to you all!

Simon 

Just to flesh out the Buster Briggs Story – there is a nice obituary on the RAF 38 Group website.(just out of general interest)

https://raf38group.org/wing-commander-g-h-buster-briggs-dfc/

Wartime members of RAF 38 Group will be sorry to learn that Wing Commander ‘Buster’(*) Briggs has filled in his last Form 700.

Geoffrey Harry Briggs was born in March 1918. After Sandhurst he was gazetted in 1938 as a Second Lieutenant in the Coldstream Guards and was a prominent member of the Household Brigade Flying Club. His regiment landed at Cherbourg in 1939 and then moved to near Louvain. When the Germans attacked in May 1940 the regiment made a series of fighting withdrawals until it was evacuated from La Panne.

Back in the UK ‘Buster’ applied for a transfer to flying duties and in 1941 found himself at Ringway training glider pilots. As he had done no formal RAF flying training he did not wear wings until AVM Barratt ordered him to do so. ‘Buster’ shared that privilege with Winston Churchill, though with better cause.

‘Buster’ joined the pioneering No 296 Squadron in 1942, flying Whitleys to tow gliders and drop parachutists. In 1943 he was transferred to No 295 Squadron at Holmsley South, where he converted to Halifaxes. He took part in Operation “Beggar”, ferrying gliders to Sale (in Morocco) and to Kairouan (in Tunisia). These flights were in preparation for Operation Husky, the air landings in Sicily.

Back in the UK ‘Buster’ was made a flight commander in the newly formed No 298 Squadron at Tarrant Rushton. From here he flew one of the Halifaxes which took part in the D-Day Operations “Tonga” and “Mallard”. He was also awarded a DFC. He made three trips to Arnhem during Operation “Market”, after which he was promoted to Wing Commander to take command of No 298 Squadron.

After ‘resting’ at The School of Air Support he returned to squadron duties as C.O. of No 190 Squadron, where he was involved in Operation “Doomsday”, taking 1st Airborne Division to liberate Norway in May 1945.

After the war ‘Buster’ returned to the Army and was invalided out in 1946 because of polio affecting an arm. He was an enthusiastic sailor and a farmer in East Sussex, where he was appointed a High Sheriff and a Deputy Lieutenant. He died on 13 April 2005, at the age of 87.

Kenneth FRERE

(*) Geoffrey Harry BRIGGS was known as ‘Buster’ from early childhood for his habit of falling into puddles and similar misadventures.

Distinguished Flying Cross awarded as per London Gazette dated 26 September 1944:

Acting Squadron Leader Geoffrey Harry BRIGGS (45270), R.AF., 298 Sqn.

This officer has completed many sorties. He is a most keen and efficient pilot, whose fearlessness and persistence have won him many successes. He is a fine leader and his example has greatly inspired the flight he commands.

Hi Simon

There is a small pic of Buster Briggs on the RAF Unit Histories website – just scroll down this page.

Looks like he was seconded from the Coldstream Guards.

https://www.unithistories.com/officers/RAF_officers_B01.html

Briggs,
Geoffrey Harry
“Buster”
 
Married (1947) Elizabeth
(“Wizzie”) Swithinbank (died  1982); three sons, one daughter.
b – 22.03.1918   d -13.04.2005

Army:2nd Lt. 27.01.1938 [74592]

Lt. 01.01.1941

Capt. 27.01.1946 (retd 12.07.1946; disability)

RAF:

(T) P/O (prob) 23.01.1941 [45270]

P/O 23.01.1942

F/O 23.01.1942

F/Lt. ?

(A) Sq.Ldr.?

(WS) Sq.Ldr. 24.07.1945

(A?) W/Cdr.? (reld 12.07.1946; medically unfit)

DFC 1944?

MID Sicily 07.43

MID 14.01.1944
Arnhem 09.44

Education: Abingdon School; Eton; Royal Military College, Sandhurst

27.01.1938

commissioned into the Coldstream Guards (1st Battalion)

1938
–
1940
served in the 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards & from 01.12.1939 HQ 7th Guards Brigade (UK, France [Cherbourg, Dyle, Dunkirk 09.1939-06.1940], UK [Rustington, Sussex])

23.01.1941 seconded to the RAF

23.01.1941 Glider Exercise Unit (Ringway, Manchester) [Army Co-operation Command]

01.1942 redesignated: 296 Squadron RAF

12.06.1942 Airborne Forces

01.1943? 295 Squadron RAF (SOE operations, tugging gliders in Morroco, Tunisia, Sicily) (temporary in command)

17.10.1943 – 16.11.1944
Flight Commander, 298 Squadron RAF (Tarrant Rushton, Normandy & Arnhem)

02.12.1944 Instructor, School of Air Support, Old Sarum

24.03.1945 Commanding Officer, 190 Squadron RAF (1st Allied Airborne Army)

Briggs farmed in West Sussex, where he was appointed a High Sheriff and a Deputy Lieutenant.

Geoffrey Harry ‘Buster’ Briggs is one of the gentlemen in the photo below. c/o Ancestry.co.uk