Air Force Index

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No. 622 Squadron Royal Air Force    No 622 Squadron was formed at Mildenhall from C Flight of No 15 Squadron, on 10 August 1943. It was operational the same night it was formed, part of the main force of 3 Group Bomber Command. It conducted attacks on German industrial targets until April 1945. Between this and disbanding on 15 August 1945, No 622 dropped food to the Dutch, repatriated POWs and ferried troops back to Britain from Italy. Airfields No. 622 Squadron flew from: RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, from 10th August 1943 (formed. Stirling III, Lancaster I, Lancaster III) disbanded 15th August 1945.   19th Nov 1943 622 Squadron Stirling lost 25th Feb 1944 622 Squadron Lancaster lost 30th Mar 1944 Aircraft Lost 29th Jul 1944 622 Squadron Lancaster lost If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Logbooks Do you have a WW2 Flying Log Book in your possession? If so it would be a huge help if you could add logbook entries to our new database. Thank you. View Logbook entries Those known to have served with No. 622 Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War 1939-1945. Braithwaite James Edward. F/Lt. Comber Douglas Ralph. Sgt. (d.16th Aug 1943 ) Comber Douglas Ralph. Sgt. (d.19th Nov 1943) Edgar Frank Shepley. F/Sgt. (d.24th Aug 1943) Ferguson George Robert. Flt.Sgt. (d.12th Sep 1944) Garbutt James Robin. Sgt. (d.15th Feb 1944 ) Jameson Andrew. F/Lt. (d.25th April 1944) Shelton Henry John. Sgt. White David Walter James. The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List Records of No. 622 Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources. The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website. Announcements The Wartime Memories Project has been running for 24 years. If you would like to support us, a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting and admin or this site will vanish from the web. 18th April 2024 - Please note we currently have a huge backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 263925 your information is still in the queue, please do not resubmit, we are working through them as quickly as possible. Looking for help with Family History Research?   Please read our Family History FAQ's The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web. If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation. Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. We are now on Facebook. Like this page to receive our updates. If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page. Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home. If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted. World War 1 One ww1 wwII second 1939 1945 battalion Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations. Want to know more about No. 622 Squadron Royal Air Force? There are:2003 items tagged No. 622 Squadron Royal Air Force available in our Library   These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. Sgt. Henry John Shelton No. 9 Squadron We have found our father's service record and release book from the RAF. Unfortunately, we didn't ask him enough questions when he was alive. Henry Shelton enlisted in 1936 at Uxbridge and joined the No. 47 Squadron in Khartoum. He trained as an electrician. He returned to England in 1942 and was stationed with No. 460 Squadron at RAF Wymeswold on 10 Aug. 1943. On 9 Sept. 1943, he joined No. 622 Squadron and then moved to No. 9 Squadron on 19 Sept. 1943. On 10 Dec. 1943, he joined the 9009 Servicing Echelon 53 Base. On 9 Sept. 1944, he moved to RAF Bardney. On 2 Aug. 1945, he is listed as 100 P.D.C. Class A, RAF Bardney. He was released to the reserves on 2 Nov. 1945. Anita Shelton Add to this record. F/Lt. James Edward Braithwaite 622 Squadron James Braithwaite was an American WW2 veteran, and flew in a Lancaster heavy bomber as a pilot for the RAF flying with 622 Squadron. On 24th of September 1941, he took a physical, and interviewed with the Clayton Knight committee in Pasadena, California. He was recommended for pilot training. On 21st of October 1941 he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force (in Vancouver Canada). On 9th of October 1942, he received his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant, upon graduating from flight school number 4, course 58, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada. Following graduation he went on 20 days leave back to America on 10th of October 1942. He then attended Flight Instructor's School 2, in Vulcan, Alberta Canada and graduated from there 3rd of January 1943. James stayed on in Canada as a flight instructor, teaching other cadets how to fly. In early November 1943, he shipped out to England He was discharged from the RAF on 3rd of December 1943, and at the same time received a commission as a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S Army Air Force. On 4th of December 1943, he was transferred (on paper) to the 8th Air Force, and then attached to the Royal Air Force, London. On 6th of December 1943 he was assigned to the 12th Replacement Depot, Station 591, Tidworth, England, then 15th of February 1944 he started multi engine bomber training in short Stirling bombers at school 1653 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit) at RAF Burn. 24th of April 1944 he started Lancaster finishing school 3 at RAF Feltwell. After finishing Lancaster training, he was posted to 622 Squadron at RAF Mildenhall, and was assigned to Lancaster LL782 (GI-H) to replace a pilot that was killed in action. He and his crew flew 10 successful missions, participating in the allied transportation plan (the systematic destruction of German and French transportation infrastructure in preparation for the Normandy invasion). On their 11th mission 1st of May 1944 to Trappes, France, they were shot down by a German night fighter. One of Lancaster's engines was hit, the propeller blown off, plane and engine caught fire, and went into a dive. After regaining control, the 5 surviving crew members bailed out. The two rear gunners were killed in the attack. A third crew member, the flight engineer. fell to his death after bailing out. He lost his parachute, when the plane was hit, and he decided to hang onto the radio man, and they jumped together. When the chute opened, he lost his grip, and fell to his death. My father, being the last out, was burned on the face, neck, and arms. He was turned over to the German authorities for medical treatment. He spent 22 days in a Paris hospital, and then was sent to Stalag Luft 3. Two of his crew evaded capture until France was liberated, but the radio man was captured, and ended up a POW as well. In February 1945 Stalag Luft 3 was evacuated, and the prisoners were marched to other Stalags. He marched for 12 days, ending up at Stalag 7a, in Bavaria, where he stayed until being liberated on 29th of April 1945 by the U.S. Army. Then on 7th of May 1945 the war in Europe was officially over. Dad received a purple heart for his injuries 21st of May 1945 and on the 3rdof June 1945 had a full physical, including a mental exam at the 7th General Hospital in England. (The report stated that he lost 30 lbs while in captivity). He had a second interview 6th of June 1945, and was then transported by troop ship back to the USA. Upon arrival, he was given 75 days leave and told to report to the Army Air Force Base (AAF re-distribution Station 3) in Santa Anna California on 1st of September 1945 for re-assignment. By then, the war in the Pacific was also over. He was put on reserve status, and was assigned to an Air Reserve Unit. He stayed in the Reserves until 1965, when he was discharged with the rank of Major at age 49. Adrian Add to this record. F/Sgt. Frank Shepley Edgar 622 Squadron (d.24th Aug 1943) Frank Edgar was a friend of my aunt. They had worked in a department store in Whangarei, New Zealand. He went to Canada to train before going to the UK and joining Bomber Command based at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk. 622 Squadron was established on 13th of August 1943 and conducted attacks on German industrial targets until April 1945. Flying a Stirling MIII BF251 the crew departed on 23rd of August 1943 at 20.45 hours, The Operation Name was Berlin. Frank's aircraft crashed near Doberitz, Germany on 24th of August 1943. Frank was aged 24. His name is on the RAF War Memorial at Runnymede and on the War Memorial in Whangarei NZ. Carol Walker Add to this record. Flt.Sgt. George Robert Ferguson 622 Squadron (d.12th Sep 1944) George Ferguson was my uncle. Bonnie Keough Add to this record. Sgt. James Robin Garbutt 622 Squadron (d.15th Feb 1944 ) I am the great niece of James Robin Garbutt. I would love to find out more about him and his mission during World War 2. Fiona Owers Add to this record. Sgt. Douglas Ralph Comber Bomb Aimer 622 Squadron (d.19th Nov 1943) My Uncle Douglas Comber was shot down over Bussy-le-Chateau in Nov 1943. The villagers under German instructions were told to take the bodies of the eight crew members to the church. Later all the crew members of the Stirling 622 Squadron were buried in the village churchyard. I have since visted the village in France and made friends with some of the people that saw the event and helped. Valerie Henderson Add to this record. Sgt. Douglas Ralph Comber Bomb Aimer 622 Squadon (d.16th Aug 1943 ) My Uncle was a crew member shot down in Bussy-Le-Chateau, France in a Stirling EJ 113Q on a return bombing raid. The villagers took the eight bodies from the plane under German instructions and took them to the village Church where they are buried in the Church Grave area. We visted and spoke to a man who was 14 at the time who helped take the crew to the Church. Also he still has part of the propeller to the Stirling in his Farm yard dug up some years later. Toni Henderson Add to this record. Recomended Reading. Available at discounted prices.

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