Trying to trace a Yorkshire Airman (A welcome 2003 zombie!)

Hi Ian,

It has been a long time. Apologies for that. A lot has happened since you kindly sent me the disc with newsreel footage.
My email address has changed since then. It’s now: [email]jonkhill@live.com.au[/email]
For your information. Cheers.

Hi TM1940

Yes I’ve been in touch with Felicity, I have also been contacted by Warne’s nephew who lives in Adelaide. One of Warne’s sisters is still alive. I sent them a copy of the Pathe News archive footage of 263 taken in October 1942 which clearly shows Warne in the white flying suit and for some unexplained reason walking with his foot in plaster.

I’ve also emailed Neville and hope to glean some more about Warne.

Ian

Did Felicity ever contact you?

I gather her mother was Warnes widow.

Sqn Ldr Warnes

Sorry to be so late (about 6 years!) but I have just come across this thread. If it’s any use to any of you gentlemen, Sqn Ldr G.B. Warnes was born in Leeds, Yorkshire on 22nd October 1914. His father, Clifford Norman Warnes, a clothiers manager, sent Geoffrey to Headingley kindergarten, St Chad’s (Headingley) and Cockburn High School (South Leeds). At the time he came to Cockburn, the family was living at 4, Claremont, Headingley, Leeds. He left school in 1931 to work in an office! (Cockburn Admission Registers, Yorkshire Archive Service).
I have just used Geoffrey Berrington Warnes in a school assembly at Cockburn where I teach. The pupils at this rather tough inner-city school (how times have changed since his time) were amazed and fascinated! It was a wonderful response. If anybody has a photo I could display at the side of our war memorial I would be extremely grateful, or if I can be of any help please don’t hesitate.

[email]nevgill68@yahoo.co.uk[/email]

Hi Benny

I’ve dropped you an email, I’d be very interested to hear from you.

Kind regards

Ian

Ian – a friend of an old flame is the niece of Warnes. Did she ever contact you? Her name, I think, was Felicity.

Hello All,

Im researching FO Tuffs Typhoon, for a project of mine. I believe the serail number was JR302.

Could anyone tell me the Squadron Letter assigned to that plane?

Thank you

Hi Benny

I’ve dropped you an email, I’d be very interested to hear from you.

Kind regards

Ian

Sqd Ldr Geoffrey WARNES

I realise this thread is a bit old.

I am the nephew of Geoffrey Barrington WARNES. DFC DSO. Geoffrey had three sisters, Nora, Peggy & Joan; they all lived in Shrub End Road in Colchester, Essex. After the war Peggy emigrated to Australia; followed later by Joan. Nora is currently in her 90’s and still lives in Colchester. I am the son of Joan and reside in Adelaide, South Australia. I found this thread by ‘Googling’ my uncle’s name.

There is a chapter in the book, ‘Fringe of the Clouds’ that describes Geoffrey’s determination to be a combat pilot. He was originally refused due to his eye sight and they would not let him wear glasses under his flight goggles. He paid for the experimental contact lenses himself and the rest is history. His siters have missed him terribly over the years.

If anyone wishes to contact me in relation to this I can be found at:
[email]jonkhill@bigpond.com[/email]

Many thanks to those who keep the memories of those who have past alive.

From an email:

“nothing on Geoffrey Warnes except it was widely reported amongst our squadron that Geoff was colour blind and bribed the medical orderly to loan him the Ishihara colour slides in order to memorize them.”

Could be worth trying BBC Look North. It’s the local Beeb for this area, based in Leeds, and they seem fairly human.

This could be a start:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/

Good luck

http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/archiveSearch.asp?WebType=0&Referer=WW2

Came across it recently. London Gazette is now online. As is my Grandfather.

Oh, I searched via his Service Number. Otherwise i’d find other Warnes etc, but bear in mind people being commisioned after being an other-rank, I think they had different numbers in that instance.

Snapper

Thanks for the details on his ranks and promotions, where did you dig this out from?

Here are all London Gazette wartime entries for our chap:

Acting Pilot Officers on probation.
2nd Apr. 1940.
Geoffrey Berrington WARNES (78429)

The undermentioned Pilot Officers are
granted the war substantive rank of Flying
Officer:—
I2th Feb. 1941.
Pilot Officer on probation Geoffrey
Berrington WARNES (78429) is transferred to
the General Duties Branch, 1st Nov. 1940.

ADMINISTRATIVE AND SPECIAL DUTIES BRANCH.
To be confmd. in appts: —
ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE.
GENERAL DUTIES BRANCH.
To be confmd-. in appts.: —
Pit. Off. (prob.) G.B. WARNES (78429) confmd.
in appt. 2nd Apr. 1941 and to be Fig. Off. (war
subs.), 1st Nov. 1941.

ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE.
GENERAL DUTIES BRANCH.
Fit. Lts. granted the rank of Sqn. Ldr. (war
subs.): —
1942. (Seny. 23rd Oct. 1942.)
G. B. WARNES (78429). 1st Nov. 1942.

Distinguished Flying Cross.
Acting Squadron Leader Geoffrey Berrington
WARNES (78429), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve,
No. 263 Squadron.
Acting Flight Lieutenant Herbert John BLACKSHAW
(111980), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve,
No. 263 Squadron.
Squadron Leader Warnes and Flight Lieutenant
Blackshaw have participated in a great number
of sorties, achieving many successes. On one
occasion these pilots attacked and sank an armed
trawler, whilst on another sortie they delivered a
destructive attack on a distillery. In low level
raids on enemy airfields and other ground targets
they have invariably pressed home their attacks
with great determination. Squadron Leader
Warnes, who wears contact lenses to correct his
sight for flying, and Flight Lieutenant Blackshaw
have displayed high qualtities of leadership and
outstanding keenness.

Air Ministry, 6th July, 1943.
ROYAL AIR FORCE.
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve
the following awards in recognition of gallantry displayed
in flying operations against the enemy: —
Distinguished Service Order.
Acting Squadron Leader Geoffrey Berrington
WARNES, D.F.C. (78429), Royal Air Force Volunteer
Reserve, No. 263 Squadron.
Since the award of the Distinguished Flying
Cross this officer has been engaged on numerous
operational sorties, both by day and night, which
have included low level attacks on heavily defended
railway targets and attacks on enemy shipping.
One night in May, 1943, Squadron Leader Warnes
participated in the destruction of a medium sized
motor vessel. He has displayed considerable powers
of leadership and his skill and enthusiasm have
been an example to others.

You may well be right, I’m not contesting the accounts, I think at the time it would be hard for any particular pilot to claim Rommels wounding.

I’ll try dropping the lady listed a line it’s worth a shot.

I spoke to Peter Brothers last year and he can recall that a disconcerting feature of Warne was the fact that he had a habit of tapping his eye with the end of a pencil when he was trying to think.

After all the ‘euphoria’ of the past couple of weeks and the war in Iraq, I’m now taking steps to sit down and complete the first few chapters of the book on the Airmen lost around the Channel Islands.

Frenchman P/O Bernard Scheidhauer 131 Sqn, and Canadian Don McPhail 263 Sqn are well on their way to completion, as is Sqn Ldr Robert Woodward 263 Sqn.

Just Started on New Zealander F/O Robert Simm 616 Sqn and Australian P/O Max Cotton 263 Sqn.

I need a couple of day’s without the wife at Kew to get into the ORB’s and other records to check a few details.

Hi, Ian.

from the people I’ve researched I can confirm that a considerable number of widows didn’t remarry. Often the bond was so strong that many couldn’t consider loving another person. This attitude was confirmed to me by the widow of an air-bomber killed on Lancaster ops in 1942. A number of this lady’s friends were also widowed and never remarried. Shortly before she died she told me she would be meeting her beloved ‘Alex’ soon and that he came to her in uniform telling her everything would be alright. Who am I to argue?

Don’t worry about the pre-war fascist connection. Look at the cause for which he gave his life.

Regards,

kev35

Desmond Scott has the following:

“The biggest blow to the Germans came on the night of 17th July near the small village of Ste Foy de Montgomery. Rommel was attacked by Typhoons while travelling in his staff car after inspecting his defence positions. His driver was blasted from behind the wheel and the car crashed into a tree, hurling Rommel onto the road and gravely injuring him.”

He doesn’t claim 123 Wing, my mistake. Your account is more detailed, so probably more reliable – these are memoirs and I imagine going from memory.

Oh, and many widows didn’t remarry. My ex’s grandmother didn’t, and I don’t believe she was a rarity.

Thank you all,

I’m sure I’ve got a copy of the citations for Warnes DFC and DSO somewhere; I’m also in contact with Bob Tuffs relatives in Oz. At the time of Tuffs & Warnes loss the air ministry were split on whether Tuff should get the VC or court marshalled for the destruction of one of his Majesty’s aircraft.

I knew that the comment about Rommel and his shooting up would stir a few people, I’ve several different accounts of this and all are attributed to different pilots and Squadrons.

He has been described to me by several people who knew him as the big Yorkshireman, it also appears that he was also involved in politics before the war unfortunately as a member of the British Fascist Movement, on their website he is listed as being from Leeds. I don’t think should have any bearing on him as like many other he took up the fight against Fascism.

That’s a good lead Snapper, I wonder how likely it is that she didn’t remarry?

Yorkshire Airman – geoffrey warnes

Hi Guys – Wing Leader by Johnny Johnson has a lot in it about Geoffrey Warnes – and how an Australian F/O Tuff baled out to help him – both being lost – I will happily type it out if anybody wants it. To cause more upset – it was 602 (City of Glasgow) squadron of 125 Wing who shot up Rommel (Squadron Leader Johannes “Chris” Le Roux, D.F.C.**; with 18 kills to his credit, the top scoring British pilot since D-Day over Normandy. He left on a flight to England on 29 August 1944 in PL155 and, tragically, never arrived.) On Monday 17 July 1944 Feldmarschall Erwin Rommel, the commander of the German Forces in Normandy, visited Sepp Dietrich, commander of the 1st SS Panzer Corps. Afterwards he was driving back to his HQ at La Roche-Guyon, when his Horch staff car was sighted by twelve Spitfires of 602 Squadron, who were on an armed reconnaissance near Flers.

The commanding officer’s (Sqn Ldr “Chris” Le Roux) section had carried out a bounce on six Bf109’s, Le Roux attacking one which crashed before he could open fire. He then strafed a staff car and a motorcyclist; on this mission Flt/Lt Manson was shot down by flak. Upon sighting the car Sqn Ldr “Chris” Le Roux had called in his section and lined up his sights. His rounds ripped through the car killing Daniel the driver and seriously wounding Rommel, as a result.

He was dragged off the road, and taken to hospital, where it was thought that he would not survive. When Rommel came to a day later, he was in a French hospital being looked after by a French medical team. They feared for his life: he had suffered a quadruple skull fracture. A couple of days later, Rommel was evacuated to a rear hospital for a long slow recovery.

Later he later put under close arrest after the 20 July bomb plot to kill Hitler and, on 14 October 1944, two generals (General Burgdorf and General Maisel) visit Rommel at his home in Herrlingen and hand him a cyanide capsule and a message from Hitler: commit suicide and be buried with honours or stand trial for high treason and be hung, which implies the loss of his family’s honour. He bids farewell to his wife and son, and is driven off in an army car, where, having swallowed the capsule, Rommel is buried with full military honours and is bid a hero’s farewell.

At this time they were operating from B.11 Longues-sur-Mer – which was about a quarter mile from the Le Chaos gun battery – I have an airfield location map – so when you guys go there in June you can visit the site of the ALG. cheers Allan

Warnes,Penelope A, 5 Moorland Drive, Leeds LS176JP, 01132 942819

A long shot, but its worked for me recently with a Flight Sergeant’s brother. Worth a phone call?

Hi, Ian.

If you are reasonably confident he was a Yorkshireman I would put something on the letters page of as many Yorkshire newspapers as you could find. That might give you a start.

A letter to the AHB including personal details or the Officers Records at the PMA might give you an abbreviated service record which may or may not confirm personal details. The addresses are below.

Air Historical Branch,
Ministry of Defence,
Building 266,
RAF Bentley Priory,
Stanmore,
Middlesex.
HA7 3HH tel: 0208-838-7839

Officer’s Records,
Personnel Management Agency,
Building 248a,
HQ RAF Personnel & Training Command,
RAF Innsworth,
Gloucestershire.
GL3 IE7. tel: 01452 712612 ext 7906.

Hope that helps.

Regards,

kev35