This is the Luftwaffe ID Book and medals of the Flight Engineer Feldwebel Julius Urhahn (4/KG/55) from that aircraft

Try The Hulton Picture Library in London, Andy

John Ellis ‘ The Saint’

Many are familiar, but a few new ones – to me, anyway.

Mostly 17, 85 and 264 Squadron. Mostly, I can put names to faces if interested although no time at moment. Dickie Lee, J H M Ellis, Peter Townsend and Bird-Wilson among them.

Nice one of John Ellis (85 Squadron) showing ‘The Saint’ painted on his Mae-West!

Casualty Packs

I have today heard again from the MOD regarding the possible release to Kew of RAF Casualty Records. These were scheduled for release to the TNA but the release was blocked because of ‘sensitivity issues’. The following e-mail from the relevant MOD department refers:

“Further to my (previous e-mail), approval to proceed with the limited public consultation has been received, and a description of the records and the sensitivity issues arising from them been issued to a range of ex service and RAF associations. We have asked for a response by mid November and would therefore anticipate (allowing for a consideration of the responses and further approval) to know an outcome by early 2013.”

The public consultation is, indeed, very limited it seems! Am I alone, I wonder, in suspecting that the organisations consulted have been given a very definite and biased ‘steer’ to ensure that the desired outcome is achieved and that these important archives remain firmly ‘Closed’?

Defence Business Services (DBS) have the job of transferring 56,000 packs to the NA, the first 8,000 are to be reviewed and transferred by the 31st March 2014. 316 were delivered to the NA on the 28th October 2013. Vince Groom the Chief Information Officer of DBS has stated that the first section to be released will cover the 4th September 1939 until 13th May 1940 and will include the raid on the Albert Canal (12th May).
An interesting period which will include ‘The Battle of Barking Creek’ !!

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In a different thread I came across mention of AC2 John William Compton as being awarded the Battle of Britain Clasp,I was intrigued because it was the lowest ranked airman I had seen to be given an operational award.
It has been kindly confirmed by Peter Colwill on RAF Commands that Compton was indeed a Radio Observer (RO)

And soon afterwards was promoted to sergeant !

I eventually remembered reading (years ago) that some of the early RO’s flew without any Flying Badge or Rank for a short while because the RAF was so short of potential Radar operators for Airborne Interception…it took time for the ‘system’ to catch up with them !
It was not unusual to see LAC (Leading Aircraftsman) aircrew (A/G’s) at that time but AC2 rank really was the lowest of the low !

Here’s another!

I’m curious about the reasoning behind using a non staved upkeep as apposed the staved version.
The staved version was abandoned because it would break up on contact with the sea. However I have seen test drops where the wooden upkeep is intact especially where it bounces up on the beach at Reculver. Was the test upkeep ever dropped at 60feet or was it abandoned before that? If before would the test upkeep have actually worked if dropped at it’s correct height ?

Didn’t the wood cladding make the bomb veer off it’s path?

Hi Simon,

I assume it was yourself who gave the excellent “A Canadian Dambuster” talk at Shoreham airport on Thursday evening?

If so please accept my thanks, as it was excellent, and to sit there with F/O Urquhart’s logbook on my lap, open at that very same page, looking at the signatures of Maudslay and Gibson, on the eve of the 70th Anniversary was a real “goosebumps ” moment.

Thanks for helping keep the memory of one of the lesser known Dambusters’ “names” alive.

Paul F

Many thanks Paul, I felt that way too when I first saw it. Thanks for your appreciation of my talk, you were a good audience to speak to.