Search for crew photos.

This is an old thread….

But still very much alive with interest in the Wednesfield area.

An update….On 17 May 2015 myself and Ivan carpenter joined approx 50 other people at the crash site to take part in a church service to remember ‘our’ fallen crew men. Again the matter was covered by the Express & Star:

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2015/05/18/lancaster-air-crash-crew-remembered/

My own research with several eye witnesses to the crash has revealed that RF124 could have been on it’s final few minutes of flight from almost all directions of the compass. One witness states he also saw a crew member on the wing before it crashed. (Not impossible as we know from Sergeant Norman Jackson, 106 Squadron, RAFVR who won the VC for doing a similar thing)

I now have a copy of the RAF investigation report that simply states that RF124 was out of control in an inverted vertical dive before hitting the ground. East Kirby ground crew also stated that the pilot (Hall) and the F/engineer (O’Donnell) had talked about swapping seats once the training flight was underway.

So If we use common sense, the RAF explanation seems to be more accurate in as much as if the plane had been flying at low level and had crash landed the airframe would not have been so severely damaged. RF124 would not have left a crater big enough to put a house in if it had belly flopped onto a road/field.

Much was made during talking after the memorial service about the plane being seen from different directions, one suggestion was that the crew had carried out a ‘U’ turn to try to land on the crash site (field) The facts would be that there would be no need for them to do this as the area was almost all fields so the crew could have continued on whatever heading they liked and still have attempted a belly landing. I also doubt very much if it would have been a wise move to attempt to make a tree top high turn in a Lancaster that is clearly ‘going down’

Perhaps the main item is that at last talks are being held over a permanent memorial near the crash scene and that these lads will not be forgotten by this and future generations…….We will remember them.

At Last!!

Thankyou for that Bruce. Sad to hear about Geoff Copeman.
As it happens, I managed to get in touch with Barry Meade, the son of Victor Meade, who was the Air Bomber on RF124. he was in my area last week and we met up to swap pictures and documentation. Barry never met his father. His Father and Mother married on the 19th May 1944. The aircraft crashed on May 17th 1945. They were only together for 3 weeks of that year. His Moms father refused to let them marry until Victor had completed his 30 missions, which he did. He then signed up to the RAFVR.
He has supplied me with a signed photo of the crew of RF124, minus Ronnie O’Donnell for some reason (maybe he took the photo??). Thats no problem as I already have photos of Ronnie and also John Sills.
I hope you find the following pieces interesting. Take a look particularly at the post card from John Sills. Look at the dates of the writing and of the post mark. Makes the last couple of lines all the more poignant. 🙁
Although I now have all the crews pictures, I still want to continue to trace relatives, to pass on mementoes from the 60th anniversary memorial service.
Incidentally, Barry Meade currently flies a rather nice 1947 Cessna 120!!

search for crew photos

Ivan, sadly Geoff Copeman passed away last year. I am privileged to have had him as a friend and a source of info. I met Geoff at EK in 1999 and he was instrumental in my joining 57/630 Squadrons Reunion Association. From this conncection was able to locate most of my Dad’s crew. Dad was a MUG on 57 nand he and the Nav were the only 2 Canadians.
Cheers, Bruce McT

Don’t know if this will help you, we have been trying to trace photos of our crew too, a new source we have been using with some success, it to try and contact the local libraries where the crew members lived, to see if they hold archive newspapers from that period. We have found some newspapers have not only a photo of the crewman but additional information about them, some have proved fruitless, but others have been well worth while. Not a complete answer to your problem, but may get you a little further.

Resurrection!

Sorry to drag this up from the archives!! I have still been unable to contact Geoff D Copeman after using his last known address. In his book Bomber Squadrons at War, (Which, thanks to you lot, I managed to grab a copy of thanks to a kind young lady who contacted me via this forum!!!) many of the crew photos are taken by a Mrs Kay Rowlands. I am unsure if he was in possesion of them or used them with her permission. Do any of you here still know if Mr Copeman is still with us and his current address? Or indeed the same with Mrs Rowlands. The reason I ask, is that another relative of the crew of Lancaster RF124 LE-S 630 squadron, that crashed near me here in Wednesfield, has very recently asked if I could trace photos of the rest of the crew. I have been able to oblige with images of FO Ronnie O’Donnell and FS John Sills. I am now after images of FO bernard Hall, FO Victor Meade, FS Gordon Rabbetts, FS Reginald Smith and FS Vincent Southworth and also of the aircraft itself. I have sent letters e-mails to the local papers in the areas where their partial remains were laid to rest, with just one response in respect of Victor Meade.
Hoping that you can once again help me.

Kind regards to all
Ivan

Northeagle, you are a star! Many thanks Robert.
Fingers crossed now eh?

Ivan.

Hi Ivan,
I think the book you refer to is; ‘Bomber Squadrons At War’ by Geoff D. Copeman and published by Sutton Publications November 20 1997, ISBN 0750917105. This is a history of 57 Squadron and its connections with 630 Squadron. Address of Sutton is: Phoenix Mill, Thrupp. Stroud. Glos. GL5 2BU. Hope this helps.

Robert.

Still having no luck on the name of the book. Anyone know the address of the publishing house that did “silksheen” or even if the author is still with us?

Ivan

I have a copy of ‘Silksheen, The History of East Kirkby Airfield’ by Geoff D Copeman, sounds like the book you refer to.

Thats the author!!! Not the book though unfortunately, unless that too has some of her photos in as well. Might be an idea to contact them then.

Thanks for that.

Ivan

I have a copy of ‘Silksheen, The History of East Kirkby Airfield’ by Geoff D Copeman, sounds like the book you refer to.

Other details are:

ISBN: 0 904597 68 7
Published by Midland Counties Publications in 1989

Midland Counties is now part of the Ian Allan empire, of course.

Hope the above is of use.

Regards

Allan