What happened to "Rags"?

First post

What wonderfull first post Margaret and welcome, you will find this is thee place to come for info on service personnel in WW2.

He was my uncle. My dad has his log books and other items from his career. My Dad (also known as Rags) Francis Rabagliati was Sandy’s younger brother and served in coastal command and requested to be on my Uncle Sandy’s search or rescue (not sure of the terminology). He was never found. My dad is now 90 and lives in Wiltshire and would probably appreciate any conversation or memories about his brother. My cousin (the nephew talked about above) Antony Gaitskell sadly died of cancer last year.

Obviously my dad is very old and I’m wondering what or whom to pass the log books etc. on to after he goes. My dad may very well have a plan but hasn’t told us. He never talked about the war at all when we were growing up but around the 50th anniversary of D Day he started opening up and now seems quite comfortable talking about it all.

My dad used to catch up with his buddies at the RAF Club (he’s still a member, and my sister is also as was Antony). but rarely goes any more because he says everyone seems to be dead from those days.

If anybody is intetrested in meeting with my Dad and checking out the log books etc. please contact me [email]mwood@onebox.com[/email]. I now live in Pennsylvania but my sister is in the UK and could arrange a visit.

Margaret Rabagliati Wood

Thank you NiallC and 25deg South – all I had to go on was “we were very grieved when Rags was killed, especially after all we had been through together in Malta”

I met a nephew (?) of his who was serving as an RAF Squadron Leader Admin many years ago. My interest in Rags being that , like my father, he was ex 126 Sqn Malta.

‘Rags’ Rabagliati

Rabagliati was shot down by flak off the Dutch coast during a Roadstead op. in Typhoon EK273. He is believed to have baled out, but was not rescued.

NiallC