Info request. 603 Squadron 1940 Spitfire Photos

Hi Robert

Was this in the Scotlands People register???

I must have put in some wrong details somewhere.

Bernard Clare Webber
Sergeant Pilot No 754818 RAF married to –Bryant
died 31st December 1940 Quixwood? Farm near Duns aged 20
Parents names not given
Cause of death due to War Operations (Aircraft Crash)
Registered at Abbey St Bathans 6th January 1941
on the information of H Guy w/c Commanding Officer RAF DRem dated 4th January 1941

Could his death have been registered in England for some reason??

I can’t think of any good reason why he might be, but I’m FreeBMD’s coverage of 1940 is complete – a quick search at http://www.freebmd.org.uk/ will tell you if there are any likely candidates.

Adrian

I have also looked on Scotlands people and tried to find him on the death register but I cant find him for some reason. Could his death have been registered in England for some reason??

He is however shown on the CWGC roll of honour. Which one would expect.

Thanks for that Robert.

I will try and find my copy tonight and look up the info.

Still not unpacked my books as I have nowhere to put them yet.

In the 603 History Vol 1 page 304 it states that “On the 20th (Dec 1940) Sergeant Pilots Hurst, Raw, Squire, Webber and Wilson were posted to 603 from 72 Squadron and were soon undergoing practice flying.”
I see no mention of Sgt Webbers death on the 31st. He is included in Appendix 7 the Roll of Honour and the aircraft is listed on page 331 Appendix 16

Thanks for that Robert. Always welcome.

Sgt Bernard Clare Webber 754818 was born 1920 Portsmouth his mother was Browne.
There is a possible marriage by him in 1940 to Stina M Bryand, no children confirmed who then married a Stephen E Brown 1943 in Skipton, Yorkshire.
Stina Marion Brown born 11-10-1921 died 2004 in South Warwickshire.

These MAY be siblings:- of
Bernard C Webber Jul-Aug-Sep 1920 Plymouth Devon/Cornwall/Seilly

Cynthia B J Webber Apr-May-Jun 1927 Crediton Devonshire
Roy M B Webber Jul-Aug-Sep 1928 Crediton Devon/Cornwall/Seilly
Diana M Webber Oct-Nov-Dec 1934 Crediton Devonshire

Having now checked an online Spitfire reference it seems she was brought onto the squadron on the 5th of November 1940 having only been with the MU previous in October.

Sorry for getting a little excited and going off half cocked.

Right going to have to look up my book properly now but I was sure elsewhere she was listed as flying during the Bob. Excuse my ignorance if I am wrong.

I am going to go check my facts before I post any more.

As posted there is one of an XT-W aircraft in a line of three at the back but it is possible that this was an earlier aircraft and there is no serial visable.

Back to the drawing board I got excited too soon.

There is a photograph of XT*M /X4277 on page 11 of Wojtek Matusiak’s Polish Wings 6 Supermarine Spitfire I/II. Looks like it has been cropped.

Interesting. Richard Hillary’s ‘Shredni Vashtar’, IIRC.

Thats why I was asking for photos mid to late 40s.

Its P7550. I think she would be the only W on the squadron at that time. As far as I can make out she was a BoB aircraft and came to grief with Bernard Clare Webber at the controls 31/12/1940.

Looking for photos of P7550 as XT-W with or without pilot. I would also like to find a photo of Webber but I know this might be a long shot.

P7550 was a Mk.II so would have been among the ones they began to recieve in Oct/Nov 1940 (so post BoB technically.) If she crashed at the end of December, she would have been with the squadron no more than 6-8 weeks, not a big window to be photographed I would think.

There is a photograph of XT*M /X4277 on page 11 of Wojtek Matusiak’s Polish Wings 6 Supermarine Spitfire I/II. Looks like it has been cropped.

Thats why I was asking for photos mid to late 40s.

Its P7550. I think she would be the only W on the squadron at that time. As far as I can make out she was a BoB aircraft and came to grief with Bernard Clare Webber at the controls 31/12/1940.

Looking for photos of P7550 as XT-W with or without pilot. I would also like to find a photo of Webber but I know this might be a long shot.

I would have thought the best book to look at was: ‘The Greatest Squadron Of Them All Vol 1’ by David Ross. However, giving it a once over, ‘W’ does not feature at all amongst the photo credits. More than likely there was more than one ‘W’ on the squadron, what number are you after?
David Ross did live in my part of the world but I have not heard of him now for about eight years.

Thanks Daz,

I was looking at getting the Hillary book so will have a look in there at some point.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. I was hoping not to have to bother people as such at least not yet anyhow.

I might contact the museum of flight at East Fortune and see if they have anything I can have a look at.

I was seriously hoping that there would be something online.

Only one possible picture so far.

I can only echo the advice to try contacting David Ross or maybe ‘Stapme’ Stapleton’s estate…

Well I suppose I shouldnt be so cryptic about all of this. Specifically I am looking for shot of 603 Squadron that might show aircraft Coded XT-W.

I would really love to find a photo of her.

I believe I have found her lurking in the background of a Hornchurch photo but I am trying to find a better one.

Maybe not quite what you’re after, but there’s a colour profile image of R6835/XT-W in Spitfire MkI/II Aces. Flown by Flg Off Brian Carbury.

I have David Ross’s biography on Richard Hillary – there might be some photos of 603 Squadron aircraft in that.

Thanks for that.

No not yet I am really just started trying to find a pic at the moment.

I was hoping to get some online references if I could. But there doesnt seem to be a lot.

I think XT-W appears on the fron cover photo of my “Finding The Few” – though it could be ZD-W. I will dig out the original. There is a line up of 222 and 603 Spits, and “W” is one of them for sure.

Have you tried Richard Smith at the Hornchurch Museum?