The 49 Squadron Association

This is not the official web site, but one which was started as a second step to finding out what had happened to those I flew with and enjoyed their company in my National Service days, September 1951 to September 1953. The first step had been to link up with the Association, which in those days was only concerned with WW2 matters and membership. Not so, now of course, but due to the enormous debt that we owe those who failed to return, is still a key part of our activities. Consequently, the major part of the Squadron history has now been published via a new 49 Squadron Association web site. It has reached the stage where you can now read the full Roll of Honour with many photographs of individual graves and where available, a picture of the WWI, WWII and post 1945 airman concerned. It also includes memories of former serving members, a squadron history and details of the Association. Just started in a new section entitled 'Documents' are stories from some of our members.
So go to it NOW and see what a first class job it is.

This page has been provided for some years now as an on-going source of current information on the web about people and events related to 49 Squadron. While there are a few members who have e-mail addresses, most of the effort made to keep in touch is done through our magazine. And for the majority of members, this is the preferred way. Note that for those members with broadband, you can download the electronic version of the magazine at your leisure. Please ask the Secretary Alan Parr for details.
For others who find this site - read on. You can get some idea of the extent to which the Association has grown in the last few years and to the great lengths that members have gone to ensure that......... WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

I am still extracting items of interest from the current magazine and publish them here.

The latest issue No.14 May 2009, has a colour photograph on the front cover of the Nuclear Test Programme Monument at the National Arboretum, Alrewas. 49 Squadron played a key role in the tests and now that colleagues from that period have been joining the Association, it was felt appropriate to remind us of those who served.
Now a few extracts:-

1. We welcome all those who have recently joined us - member Malcolm Price, who flew his tour August 43 to March 44 as a gunner in P/O George's crew and three new associate members, John Fairbrother, the son of Sgt. J.W.Fairbrother, a Hampden Wop/Ag; Greg Nolan the son of F/Sgt. C. Nolan a rear gunner in P/O W.C.Shackleton's crew FTR 2nd June 1942; and Carol McQueen the great niece of rear gunner Sgt. H.Derbyshire lost on the Wurzburg raid on 16/17 March 1945. We also have two new Friends, Vic Lenton who became interested in the Squadron when he met Sgt. D.Blackham the navigator in Eric Jones' crew and Donald Snaith whose father was a close friend and neighbour of F/O Cyril Beatson, KIA 6th October 1944. Our two new Honorary Friends, Oliver Clutton-Brock and F/L Mike Chatterton need no introduction as you should recognise their names.
   
2. The Association strongly supports the proposed Bomber Command Memorial and the efforts to raise funds for it. Mention is made of the efforts by the BBMF at Coningsby organising an art exhibition and raffle as well as a banquet at the Petwood Hotel, Woodhall Spa.
   
3. Further news on 49 Squadron's Hampden P1206 is that the official opening of a section of the RAF Scampton Museum containing the returned wreckage is now set for July or August.
   
4. News of the setting up of a Valiant Museum at Thorpe Camp, Woodhall Spa, (see the website at www.valiants-r-us.co.uk) may be of interest to ex-air and ground crew.
   
5. In this issue you can read the first part of Bert Cole's remarkable story of what it was like to train as aircrew and to fly eleven ops before being shot down. There is also an interesting post-war story from Jim Bridger about operation 'Dodge' in September 1945. But to beat every airman's story our Editor has included part one of an ex Women's Land Army Member story by Bettie Baird. Yes, she has appeared on TV and been on the radio talking about mole-catching, but did you know that her connection with the squadron was through her husband Bill who was a Hampden pilot with 49?
   
6. Also included in this issue is a full page giving the dates of the Lancaster taxi runs at East Kirkby. Yes, you were right - it is the same Mike Chatterton ex BBMF and who drives 'Just Jane' for a ride there who is our new Honorary Member! Get full details from www.lincsaviation.co.uk.
   
7. While it is reported that former German wartime military personnel are no longer allowed to take part in signing sessions at Duxford for fear of negative publicity, efforts to find out more about their wartime experiences and what happened to our crews continues. This and future issues has extracts from Peter Hinchcliffe's translation of the book 'Enemy in the Dark' by a former Luftwaffe night fighter pilot Peter Spoden.
   
8. Once again our Reader's Letters (4 in this issue!) have come up with more comments and observations. Not only is the magazine being passed around to friends and relatives but our greatly expanded website is helping many more to find out about their long-lost kith and kin. We also have requests to support initiatives by others concerning today's servicemen.
   
9. Our 'Can You Help' pages have, as always, some critical requests. More details are sought on the crash of Lincoln SX984 on the 19th February 1955, especially from anyone who was serving with the forces in Kenya at that time.
   
10. We are also looking for anyone who remembers James I. Rollins, an RAAF rear gunner who flew with 49 Squadron and KIA April 1943. His son Peter was born 3 weeks later and would like to make contact with anyone who knew him.
    
11. Did anyone train at Carberry, Canada, in 1942 and remember the collision of two Anson's?
    
12. Nobby Unwin of 138 Squadron recalls the Valiant days and seeks Drew Spence, Woody Bennington and Jim Fairburn.
    
13. In the last issue we were trying to make contact with the relatives of the crew of Wellington R1397 of 103 Squadron from Elsham Wold that crashed in Holland. They were P/O Mervyn Sydney Lund from Auckland, NZ; Sgt John James Cox of Knowle, Bristol; Sgt. Alfred Le Poidevin, Channel Islands; Sgt. Arthur Edward Owen of Birmingham; Sgt. Frank Gordon Walker of Hornsea, Yorkshire; Sgt. Ray Williams of Bridgend, Glamorgan. No luck yet, but we will keep trying. We also wanted to make contact with relatives and friends of the crew of a 49 Squadron Lancaster EA-K, JB714, shot down on the night of 9th June 1944. They were P/O T.S.Smiley; F/S L.A.Hinch; Sgt. D.V.Blaikie; Sgt. L.J.Rainbow; Sgt.D.Sanderson; Sgt B.F.Webb; F/Sgt. R.D.Stuart, RAAF. Now, guess what, our Hon Padre, Tony Buckler, wrote in to say that he remembered his mother telling him about a Mrs Rainbow living opposite them in Victoria Avenue, Worcester, who had lost her husband in the war. There is only one RAF 'Rainbow' listed on the CWGC website, a Wop/Ag serving with 49 Squadron, so did he come from Worcester?
    

One of the greatest problems for the Secretary is being asked by relatives and old friends of squadron members for information on past events. Obviously most enquiries relate to aircrew who were killed in action, but an increasing number seek information on post-war members. This has now resulted in yours truly helping in this, by acting as the post-war members archivist/correspondent. Bearing in mind that the total number of post-war members could run to over a thousand, even though the Squadron was disbanded on the 1st May 1965, it has been possible to use email and the Internet to link up old friends. Yes, there are other sites that do this, but they cover a much bigger group and so it's less likely you will find them there.

So this was started some nine years ago now as a first attempt at spreading the word that the Association does have a presence on the WWW.  It has resulted in many new members, relatives and friends getting in touch with people who they never thought they would ever speak to or see again. Although our new website is now attracting many more enquiries, it seems worthwhile to continue with these pages. I have also provided a potted squadron history which may help you to sort out where your relative or friend might have been stationed. You can go to it now.

I have put some of the previous newsletters on a separate archive page if you wish to look back at them here.

There are always requests in the magazine in the "Do you know? or Can you help?" category - in many cases these are friends or relatives of past members seeking news or information. If you are ex-49 Squadron and have not yet joined your Association, why not get in touch? You may just be the person they are looking for! As a first step, I have now added a "Can you help" page help where I have listed some of the enquiries from emails I have received and also those mentioned in the magazine. Please email me if you have any information to add or can suggest some answers.
It does get results!

If you would like to find out more, e-mail me. But please put 49 Sqdn in the subject line so that I do not throw it out with the spam.

David Boughton

49 Squadron, 1952-1953

Latest update: 17th June 2009