Hi, I’m trying to gather as much information as possible about a 467 Sqdn crew from 1943 to which my local butcher (yes, he still works!) belonged for part of his service as a tail gunner.
I’m trying to gather everything from individual aircraft histories, the crewmembers themselves (any others surviving?) the raids themselves, etc. I’ve done the various websearches (though failed miserably to find anything in the London Gazette as usual!) that I can think of and my next step is to hopefully go through his logbook, then to the NA for F540 and F541 plus appendices. If anybody can add any info at all I’d be most grateful. I have no experience with Bomber Command (I normally only research 609 Squadron) and no books on it so would really appreciate anyone who doesn’t mind looking in ones they have helping me out!
The crew were:
412670 Pilot Officer Alan Fisher, RNZAF.Pilot
Sergeant Smith. L.S. Rhodesian.Engineer.
967562 Sergeant Percy Reginald Wynde. Killed in Action 24/25th February 1944 with 463 Squadron.
Flight Sergeant McGalloway. H. Bomb Aimer.
Flight Sergeant Martin Arthur Rooney. Navigator.
Flight Sergeant Ronaldson. T.H. Wireless Operator.
Flight Lieutenant Andrews. D.A. Wireless Operator.
Warrant Officer Rayns. J.H. Gunner MU.
Flight Sergeant Frank Beamish. Tail Gunner.
Aircraft flown were:
DV277 PO-W. On 18.8.44 F/O Carey and crew were hit by Flak and the aircraft was damaged.Repaired by A.V.Roe and transfered to No 5 LFS before being struck off charge in November 1946.
ED500 crashed in Cheshire?
ED530 lost on 2/3.10.43 Munich.
ED538 PO-O
ED539 PO-V lost on 21/22.01.44, Berlin (OR ED539 was lost 27/28.01.44???)
ED549 lost on 27-28/01/44 on a sortie to Berlin (ED549 lost March 1943???)
LM338 PO-K (later PO-U) lost on 07/08.7.44 on a sortie to St Leu D’Esserent, France.
R5868 PO-S. at the Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon.
The Operations were:
11/12.6.43 Dusseldorf ED530
12/13.6.43 Bochum ED500
16/17.6.43 Cologne ED500
3/4.7.43 Cologne ED538.
8/9.7.43 Cologne ED539
24/25.7.43 Hamburg ED530
25/26.7.43 Essen ED549
29/30.7.43 Hamburg LM338
30/31.7.43 Remscheld LM338
2/3.8.43 Hamburg LM338
7/8.8.43 Genoa LM338
6/7.9.43 Munich LM338
3/4.10.43 Kassel LM338
4/5.10.43 Frankfurt LM338
7/8.10.43 Stuttgart LM338
10/11.11.43 Modane R5868
18/19.11.43 Berlin DV277
22/23.11.43 Berlin DV277
23/24.11.43 Berlin DV277
26/27.11.43 Berlin DV277
2/3.12.43 Berlin DV277
I know it’s a lot to ask, but maybe you have one or two small snippets you can share. I thank you in advance for any help you can give, and if the pilot is still alive Frank would be very pleased to speak to him – he named his son after him!
many thanks, and regards,
Mark
By: Snapper - 23rd April 2023 at 12:51
12 years later…yes, it’s S. I’ve just seen confrmation in the logbook of Allan Fisher.
By: maggiemole - 8th February 2011 at 17:40
Pathfinders?
Was this unit a Pathfinder squadron?
Maggie
By: Nick Warner - 16th August 2006 at 16:40
Nick:
“Dad (Martin Rooney, Nav) can’t remember anyhing about a kangaroo mascot, he remembers on another Lancaster they had a doll painted on the front with the words “pistol packing momma” written on it. He remembers that S for sugar had a quotation from Hermann Goering painted on the side of it. “no British aircraft would ever cross the German Reich”
I guess he’d have seen it….! Sorry.
Thanks for asking Snapper
By: steve_p - 15th August 2006 at 23:23
460 RAAF Squadron at Binbrook late 1944 had an aircraft with “Pistol Packing Mama” nose art. The Australian War Memorial has a photo – UK2411. Lanc code was P for Peter.
Best wishes
Steve P
By: Snapper - 15th August 2006 at 21:44
been doing a bit of research into Bomber Command mascots and believe 467 had a kangaroo mascot which used to sit on Sugar’s nav table – a long shot I know, but if Frank remembers anything about it that would be very interesting!
Nick:
“Dad (Martin Rooney, Nav) can’t remember anyhing about a kangaroo mascot, he remembers on another Lancaster they had a doll painted on the front with the words “pistol packing momma” written on it. He remembers that S for sugar had a quotation from Hermann Goering painted on the side of it. “no British aircraft would ever cross the German Reich”
I guess he’d have seen it….! Sorry.
By: Snapper - 14th August 2006 at 22:39
Cracking job guys.
The Nav, Martin Rooney, is alive and I have tracked down his daughter. I’ll ask about the mascot. Frank has AP photos of that raid he said.I’d found the Modane info too. I don’t have any back issues of Flypast (gave them all away). Frank was B Flight it seems. James, I may well ask for a couple of bits, I know not what. perhaps just verifying words I acn’t quite make out from the scanned ORB’s!
Cheers, keep me in mind…..!!
Mark
By: TwinOtter23 - 14th August 2006 at 10:56
Possible Assistance
Snapper
There might be some background assistance in an article published in Flypast April 2004, about a Wireless Operator, Stan Bray, who trained with 1661 HCU at RAF Winthorpe.
He then did a tour between 17/06/43 to 16/12/43 on 467 [RAAF] Squadron ‘B’ Flight at RAF Bottesford, Lincs on Lancasters. He then returned to 1661 HCU as an instructor.
His crew was Captain – F/Sgt N M McClelland; F/Engineer – Sgt A W Martin; Navigator – Sgt W Booth; A/Bomber – Sgt H Griffin; W/Operator – Sgt S Bray; M/U A/G – Sgt S G W Bethel; Rear A/G – Sgt K L Worden.
His Log Book also shows ops on S-for Sugar.
By: JDK - 14th August 2006 at 10:02
Hi Snapper,
If I can help at the RAAFM Archive (easy) or the AWM (harder, but I will be going there in a month or two…) just give me a shout.
Cheers
By: Nick Warner - 14th August 2006 at 09:52
Hello Snapper, my first post so hope it’s ok. The following is from the RAF Museum’s history of S-Sugar:
10/11 Nov 43 Modane. 1 x 4000 lb 108 30 LB, 840 x 4 lb incendiaries. Pilot P/O A.Fisher.
Flight time 7 hours 35 minutes. The attacking force was over 300
Lancasters, the target the French end of the Mont Cenis railway tunnel. (78)
It was operation number 78 for Sugar. I’ve been doing a bit of research into Bomber Command mascots and believe 467 had a kangaroo mascot which used to sit on Sugar’s nav table – a long shot I know, but if Frank remembers anything about it that would be very interesting!
The RAF Museum guys may be interested in a copy of your friend’s log book, as it mentions their aircraft.
Good luck with the research,
Nick
By: Snapper - 12th August 2006 at 22:34
Cheers guys, am wading through ORB’s as we speak. have plenty to keep me going for days.
Typical, I publish a book, say ‘never again’, retire, go to buy some mince, sell a book, and start researching the butcher…..
By: steve_p - 12th August 2006 at 15:51
All the squadron ORBs are online here:
Moggy
True, but the Aussie National Archives site has additional files relating to the unit.
The Australian War Memorial will no doubt have photos.
Best wishes
Steve P
By: steve_p - 12th August 2006 at 13:18
Have you tried the Australian National Archives website for any information? They have digitised some, if not all of the Aussie orbs and put them online. They may well also have other paperwork relating to the unit. Type “467 Squadron” into the search engine at the site and see what comes up.
Best wishes
Steve P
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August 12, 2006 at 10:27 am