Good evening folks, my name is Jim Trainor, I’m Canadian, and I have registered with this forum that I may thank the contributors to this thread who have posted some links that provide our family with the opportunity to continue a search for one of our father’s wartime logbooks. As a means to contribute here and to provide one viewpoint only as to the effectiveness of post-war distributions of pilot logs I will attempt to describe my father’s understanding regarding his lost records.

Dad flew with 126 Wing RCAF, primarily with 411 squadron in 1943-44 until he was given command of 401 Ram squadron in late-July of ’44. The second time he “stepped out”, during an operation in support of Market-Garden on Sept. 19, resulted in capture by the SS and eventual incarceration in Stalag Luft One for the duration of the war.

Upon his return to England he found the logbook that contained all of his flying records for the European theatre had disappeared from his personal effects which had been returned to England after his capture was confirmed. He continued to believe that his logbook had been removed by someone looking for a ‘memento’, although I have a later and vague memory of him relating that it may have been lost in the ‘purge’ of 1960 as described above, and this knowledge may have tempered his desire for a continued search. While our family became aware of the importance this logbook, I don’t know what formal steps he may have taken in search of it’s whereabouts, as he was generally a very private man regarding his wartime experiences, particularly post D-day.

My sister and I have been attempting to gather what information is available on our father’s wartime service to facilitate an understanding of his efforts for ourselves and future generations of our family. While we have reconciled ourselves to the idea that this logbook was lost long ago, I very much appreciate the opportunity these links provide to further ‘close the book’ on this aspect of his wartime experience.

Once again, sincerely, thank you! / Jim