Lancashire Aces?

W/C Braham

Born in Surrey but raised in Blackburn. Joined RAF from position with Lancashire Constabulary.

And W/C Braham was an Old Boy of QEGS, Blackburn, which Nick will recognise.

(long time, no speak, Nick, by the way!)

Happy to be of assistance.

It was more interesting than watching the TV to thumb through my copy of Aces High.

Had it ready for some background on another Ace from 607 Squadron whose logbooks I am currently scanning

Thanks 🙂

Thank you for all your help – confess I did take it home for the weekend & found a few more, but not as many as Thunderbird167 – Didnt find the Burnley one though & I am sure I read that recently in a local paper – perhaps it was journalistic licence & he wasnt officially an ace?

Anyway thanks again, with your help I have convinced our “Community History Manager” to place both volumes in the collection here, where it will be available for public reference – along with the full set of Bomber Command losses!

Lt Cmdr Mike Crossley – Rockferry

Rockferry was in Cheshire …..

Wg Cmdr Crossley

Born Halford, Warwickshire according to Aces High

Were there two aces named Mike Crossley from Lancashire?

Thunderbird lists Lt. Cdr. Mike Crossley (Lt. Cdr. R.M.Crossley – author of “They Gave Me A Seafire”) but there was also an RAF ace Mike Crossley who may have come from the county.

He was a son of the Crossley Motors (of Manchester?) family and although the family home when he joined the RAF was in Banbury I suspect he was born in Lancashire. A BoB pilot he rose to the rank of Wg. Cdr.

Crossley Motors owned Avro for a while until they sold it to J.D.Siddeley – I think marking the start of what was to become Hawker-Siddeley.

Roger Smith.

A Few More

Squadron Leader Michael Boddington – Hawkeshead, Lancashire
Wing Commander Peter Brothers – Prestwich Lancashire
Sgt Henry Cartwright – Wigan
Wing Commander Duke-Wooley – Manchester
Flt Lt George Genders – Oldham
Flt Lt Kenneth Gillies – Liverpool
Flt Lt Alan Harker – Bolton
Flt Lt David Haling – Liverpool
Flt Lt David Hughes – St Annes On Sea
Plt Off Rianford Marland – Preston
Wing Commander Roy Marples – Manchester
Wing Commander Thomas Neil – Bootle
Sqn Ldr Joe Singleton – Leyland
Sqn Ldr Edward Smith – Formby
Sqn Ldr Lawrence Stark – Bolton
Wing Commander James Storrer – Ormskkirk
Flt Lt Hamilton Upton – Manchester
Sqn Ldr Harold Walmsley – Preston
Flt Lt ohn Webster – Liverpool
Sqn Ldr Alfred Whitby – Liverpool
Lt Cmdr Mike Crossley – Rockferry

Wing Commander Bob Brabham

Born in Surrey but raised in Blackburn. Joined RAF from position with Lancashire Constabulary.

1 down

Thanks for that – but I’m sure there must be more – surely those on here can help? the collection policy here has changed & although I could just withdraw it & take it home, from a professional viewpoint, I think it would be better kept here where others can access it.

Seem to recall an “Ace” from Burnley? – anyone?

Frank “Spud” Murphy

This one do for a start – page 457 born in Bolton

Details of his passing here

http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/1997/5/23/827136.html

I am sure that many also trained in Lancashire or flew from the county.

The Aces books are not books I would be ready to see leave my shelves