201 entries.
wrote on December 6, 2010
I am doing research on P/O (AG) Douglas D. Skingle, age 21, from Humber Bay, ON, KIA June 44 with crew members, RH Rolfe, JA Inverarity, RW Griggs, H Hugill, & RW Lowrey. Lancaster LL643 was lost on a raid over Achares, France. He has no known grave but his name is engraved on the Humber Bay Cenotaph.
The Skingle family were our next door neighbours and are now all deceased. I was very young but I remember the day Doug came to say \"Goodbye\" to my parents when he left of overseas with the RCAF. My parents named their 3rd born son after him in 1946. Mr & Mrs Skingle received a very impressive photo of Doug standing in front of a Lancaster with two other airman from 408 Squadron sometime after Doug was killed. I saw a copy of the photo in a brochure pertaining to a Squadron reunion at the RCAF Museum, Trenton in 1999.
I am a retired member of the CAF and am presently endevouring to ensure that Doug will not be forgotten by my family by including
what I know of his story in my memoirs.
Should someone read this who has some memory of Douglas Skingle, I would appreciate hearing from them.
Thank you
wrote on December 6, 2010
I have just found out the T.S.N. \"Tinny\" Constance died May 2008. He was one of the 408 pilots that not only sighted the 3 German ships in the English Channel,Feb 12, 1942, but unsuccessfully attacked them and received severe damage to his aircraft.
As a postscript I am downsizing my collections at home prior to moving to an apartmant and , if you are interested, I have an original Don Connelly painting of the Channel Dash featuring Tinny\'s aircraft. This painting is also signed by Tinny when he was in Ottawa in 1987. I will consider donating this painting to the 408 Mess for a tax credit but I am not sure how to get it out to you if you accept. I am only 3 hours from Trenton so this might be an option,by CAF transport.
Please advise so that we may set in motion the transfer.
wrote on December 6, 2010
Looking for any information/photos on Sgt. Anthony Lindsay (1053889) or his crew. Only information I have is that he was shot down on 3 occasions during WWII, and on two was the only person to survive.
Unsure when exactly he served, however he was serving during \'39-45
wrote on December 6, 2010
I am looking for 408(P) Sqn members circa 1951 = 1953 and especially
HOOTENANNIE clubbers. If some of them have taken off for the last time, maybe their close relatives can let me know.
wrote on December 6, 2010
Would appreciate any information anyone might have on my great uncle. His flight was shot down May 16, 1942 while on a minelaying mission off the coast of Denmark.
Other Members of the crew were;
Howard Copeman - Pilot
Sgt. Norman Smith
Sgt. Bill Millerd
There is some confusion as to whether he is buried Tranejberg Cemetery, Samso Island (this was mentioned in a book written by Harry Moyle). The family was under the impression that he was never found after the crash, and his name is listed on the Runnymede War Memorial. Any memories of him that anyone might have would be appreciated.
Thank you.
wrote on December 6, 2010
Hello again,
Here is an update on what I now know about Ralph Van Den Bok\'s service with 408.He was A) British,not Canadian. B) At the time of his service with 408,he was not a pilot,but a WOP/AG C) In 1942,he flew an \"op\" ,probably to Saarbrucken,in ,I think,a Hampden piloted by the squadron CO, Wing Commander Twigg, RCAF.On the return journey, they were attacked,possibly by Major Wilhelm Herget, and shot down. Wing Commander Twigg,& I think,his navigator ,were killed,but F/O Van Den Bok and a colleague,survived,evaded capture, and returned to England. But I have NO details of the attack, or whether the two survivors bailed out,or crash landed.Does anyone know please ?? Van Den Bok eventually became a B17 pilot,stayed in the RAF until 1955,then left following injury in a train-crash !!
Given the death of squadron CO ,Wing Commander Twigg, there must surely be a squadron record of it somewhere ??
Roger Mills
wrote on December 6, 2010
My step father Jim (James) Rogers,was with RCAF 408 in WWII. He said he was on Halifax and Lancasters I think. Does anyone recall him or have any wartime photo\'s. He mentioned EQ letters on planes. He was originally from Gravelburg Sask.
wrote on December 6, 2010
Great website and good work in progress - we would like to hear from relatives/members of WW2 408 squadron with a view to placing a page of honour to them - they need not have died during the war - just want to remember them and their stories.
Contact us vis our website at aircrewremembrancesociety.com
Best wishes and good luck to you.
Kelvin
wrote on December 6, 2010
Hi ! I am trying to find out anything I can about Sqdn/Ldr Ralph Van Den Bok,DFC **, RAFVR,with whom my father flew on ops from RAF Oulton,Norfolk, in 1944/45,operating Boeing B17 Fortress mk 2 & 3. I believe that Ralph Van Den Bok had previously served (1942 ?) with 408 (Goose) Squadron,at which time he won the first of his 3 DFCs.I am keen to discover whatever I can about this distinguished officer,one of whose DFCs was for \"Devotion to Operational Flying\", or words to that effect,so that I can get his name put into the 214 squadron list of personnel,from which he is ,inexplicably,missing. I hope someone has heard of him !!!
wrote on December 6, 2010
flight sgt deighton was my fathers cousin
wrote on November 30, 2010
I was hoping that someone would remember my great uncle
Flying Officer JOHN NICHOLAS KERRY
J/37220, 408 Sqdn., Royal Canadian Air Force
who died age 23
on 11 September 1944
If anyone remember John (Jack), can you please contact me by email: keeping6@hotmail.com.
wrote on November 30, 2010
Royal Air force Bomber Command Losses 1943 Volume 4,
June 21-22 1943 408 Squadron Operation Krefeld
Halifax II, BB375 EQ-T Pilot Sergeant CC Reichert
RCAF Pilot Officer J E Monahan, and RCAF Sergeants C C Richert,
G M Mclean, JP Dockerill and W Searle died and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. P/O J C Russell and Sgt G I Pridham were Prisoners of War and Pridham was held at Heydekrug and repatriated May 28, 1944.
Take off 23:35 Leeming. Shot down by a night-fighter crashing at 02:24 into the Lop near Lopik 18 km SSW of Utrecht. While trying to assist his skipper a cannon shell exploded and Sergeant Pridham lost a leg . Realizing he was unable to maintain control, Sergeant Reichert ordered the badly wounded air gunner to bail out.
Since 1945, parts of this Halifax have been recovered from the river and now form a memorial to this RCAF crew. At it’s unveiling the citizens of Lopik invited Sgt Pridham to attend as their honoured guest
Excellent example of the Netherlands appreciation
wrote on November 28, 2010
Hallo,
My name is René Bosma from Wolvega Holland. I do some research about bombers that crasht in the northern part of Holland.
Now I looking for some information about the Halifax Halifax MK.II JB898 EQ-Q that crasht near the town of Akkrum. The crew members were:
R. O. Blackhall
F. H. Scythes
K. E. Emmons
C. B. Norton
G. I. Semper
K. E. Godfrey
A. J. Sutton
C. L. Horn
Now i got two questions: what were the first nams of Scythes, Norton, Semper, Godfrey, Horn. And maybe somebody can help me whit pictures that related to this plain or crew.
Thanks, René Bosma
wrote on November 14, 2010
Please help me locate the flight log book, squadron picture and medals of my father, Robert Henry Larson (408 Goose Squadron).They were \'lost\' at a reunion. The reunion to which he sent these items may have been the 60th anniversary in 2001 (or it may have been a bit earlier than that). I know that Dad, having suffered a severe stroke, was too ill by 2001 to attend personally, so he sent his things with his friend, Doug Boynton. When they didn\'t come back with Doug, Dad tried to locate them, but as near as he could tell, they may have been put in a museum. Unfortunately, my mom doesn\'t recall where the reunion was held other than that it was on the \'prairies\' somewhere. After he died in 2003, various members of our family have taken up the cause of trying to locate his war time artifacts. I would be happy to pay for replicas for any museum that is interested in having copies of these items, but the originals really do belong to our family history. Dad was stationed at Linton on Ouse: he flew 3 missions as a rear tail gunner in the Lancaster bombers and was home on furlough waiting to be recalled to go to the Pacific theatre when the armistice was signed. He told me that he was up on the roof, painting his parents\' house in Langley BC., when he heard the news of the end of the war. Apparently he leapt up, spilling the paint in his excitement. Grandma never allowed that streak of paint to be removed. Until the house was torn down, the streak on the roof remained a symbol of the blessing of the end of WW11. Thank-you for any help you can offer in this matter, Linda MacGregor
wrote on November 14, 2010
Hi, I was wondering if anyone could help or offer any info / photos - my Great Uncle flew with 408 sqdn and was killed on the 19th July 1942. Can anyone offer any information please or can anyone remember flying with him? His name was Sgt Edward (Teddy) Haville. Thank you, I know it\'s a long shot but worth trying nonetheless.