I am trying to find any information on my late father who was a member of 218 (Gold Coast ) Squadron . He was posted missing presumed dead in 1944 but was found by the Americans. He mentioned a Flt Lieu Gillies in his writings.
He also had both RAF & RCAF logbooks. Does anyone know the reason why.
By: allan125 - 25th February 2011 at 22:15
Ernest Brockhurst
Hi
Do his logbooks give any date that he was shot down at all – as, presumably, he carried on flying after getting back to the UK to have “log books for near the end of the war”
If you can scan the records, on the best resolution possible, and send me a copy to allan(dot)hillman(at)btinternet(dot)com, replacing the obvious of course, I will see what I can do to interpret them for you.
Once we have a date I can ask on another forum if anybody has the 218 Squadron ORB and we can see what is written in it about him and his crew, if anything.
hope this helps
Allan
By: treganna - 25th February 2011 at 20:28
Ernest Brockhurst
Hi
Thanks for your help. We have his service records but they are very difficult to read. My brother in law has them at the moment & has asked for clarification on some things.
We only have log books for near the end of the war.
When I say missing presumed dead he was rescued by the Americans & returned home safely.
Unfortunately he never talked about his wartime experiences.
By: allan125 - 25th February 2011 at 18:16
Ernest Dudley Brockhurst
Thanks for your reply. Do you know if it is possible to find out if he did his training in Canada?
Hi Treganna
If you have his logbooks it will be written inside the locations, and length, of the various courses that he did. If you don’t have his logbooks it will be a little bit more difficult as you will have to apply to the RAF for his service record.
This link http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/raf.html will tell you how to apply, then when it comes back you can come back directly to me (via a pm), or to the forum, for a breakdown of the acronyms into base locations.
I looked at 218 squadron losses in 1944 but couldn’t find one with your father’s name mentioned in the crew, but to be fair not all crew names are given with the losses – do you have the date at all – and the only Gillies I could find was on the Singapore memorial via the CWGC website?
cheers
Allan
By: treganna - 25th February 2011 at 15:23
Ernest Dudley Brockhurst
Thanks for your reply. Do you know if it is possible to find out if he did his training in Canada?
By: allan125 - 25th February 2011 at 12:14
Flt Lieu. Ernest Dudley Brockhurst
Hi Treganna
if your father did his initial training in Canada he would have been issued with an RCAF logbook – same thing happened in my family to a Navigator, who later completed a 34 op tour with 61 Squadron.
Hope that helps – best of luck with your quest.
Allan
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February 25, 2011 at 12:05 pm