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Those who Served
Cpl. Benjamin Charles Jackman . Army 9th Btn. Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (d.16th Jan 1945) |
Sub Lt. (A) Arthur Myles Jackson . Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve H.M.S. Shrike from Douglas, Isle of Man) (d.23rd Jul 1944) Arthur Jackson was 22 years old and was married to Third Offr. Thelma Daphne Jackson, W.R.N.S. who was also killed the same day. |
Sgt. N. C. Jackson VC.. Royal Air Force 106 Sqd. |
3rd Officer Thelma Daphne Jackson . Womens Royal Naval Service HMS Shrike from Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland) (d.23rd Jul 1944) Daphne Jackson was the daughter of Charles Trench Stewart and Norah Eileen Trench Stewart, of Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland. She was married to Sub-Lieut.(A) Arthur Myles Jackson, R.N.V.R. who lost his life at H.M.S. Shrike |
Marion Jacobs . My great uncle's name was Marion Jacobs and he escaped from Stalag 3b during the spring of 1945 just before the russians bombed it. I was wondering if anyone was with him and could share stories? I know that they were picked up by some war correspondents and there story made the newspaper, but that is about all I know. Eager to hear from anyone who may have known him to find out details concerning his time as a POW. |
Ord. Seaman W. Jacobs . Royal Navy HMS Forfar W. Jacobs was one of the men brought ashore after the sinking of HMS Forfar. |
F/S S. Jarvis . RAF pilot 7 Sqd. F/S Jarvis survived the crash of Lancaster JA-718 on the the 29th of January 1944 and was held as a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft 6 and Stalag 357. We would love to hear from him or his family as my wife's brother Stanley Liddle was one of his crewmates. |
Sgt. Charles Colin Jeffrey . Royal Air Force w/op 106 Sqd. (d.30th Aug 1944) |
Gerald Jeffrey . Army 9th Btn. D. Coy Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Soon after my 18th birthday I was conscripted into the Army and had to report at Carlisle. Later I was transferred to Ballykinla in Northern Ireland to undergo about 10 weeks training with the Royal Ulster Rifles. On completion I was then posted to Keighley to join the 9th Battalion "Cameronians" (Scottish Rifles), D Company.
As the time drew close to the D-Day landings, we were moved to Hove to be part of the build up to the landings. However, we did not join the actual invasion itself, but arrived on the 17th June 1944 to support and relieve the initial forces. The first on-going battle after the landings was known as "OPERATION EPSOM" which began on 26th June 1944. I think it was said that about 60,000 men took part with an enormous support barrage by the Royal Navy and Royal Artillery.
Our company joined the start line and around 7.00am we moved across a corn field to commence our engagement with the enemy. It wasn't too long before we encountered cross-fire from the Germans in hedges either side. We were each given 3 or 4 hand grenades to lob in trenches that we saw ahead as we progressed. In my next move there was a trench, but not wanting to waste it, I tore past without using the grenade. However there were 3 Germans in it, whereupon I shouted to the men coming up from behind, and the next thing was the Germans had emerged and surrendered.
Our objective at Haut-du-Bosq was reached later that day. En route to Grainville-sur-Odon we had a bitter fight with the enemy, where I witnessed many men shot and wounded together with many falling dead around me. The cause of this was a sniper hiding out in a church. Having had to withdraw from that encounter, we sought to move forward again next morning. I was required to recover the dead body of an officer which was in a farmyard area and could be still under enemy fire. On his recovery to put him alongside other dead people, I saw many men who had suffered death by being charred by flame throwers. Other casualties had horrendous wounds including limbs blown off. After the battle there, we continued towards Grainville-sur Odon and were expecting to be relived for a rest and return to Mensil Patry. However, before that, 10 men were required to go on a night fighting reconnaissance into enemy territory.
Having infiltrated the German lines and being unable to find the enemy, our officer decided to call it a day and return back. At that point we came under attack and fell to the ground instinctively. Our officer, bren gunner and NCO were able to return fire and were able to flee the area. Unknowingly I was unaware I had been hit. With the Germans at the hill-top in the field, their fire towards us was clearly visible from the flashes from their weapons. Being very dark at the time (early hours after midnight) the remaining 7 of us huddled together along the hedgerow. Obviously the Germans knew we were somewhere there, and began scanning for us the other side. It didn't take them long to guess where we were, and began lobbing stick grenades over the hedge. In no time everyone was wounded in one way or another, and one named Allan Strathan Watson No 14515884 was severely wounded by shrapnel and died during that first night of captivity.
We had no hope of returning to our unit and so we decided to surrender, shouting out " Kamerad, Kamerad" we were dragged over the hedge where I collapsed with my injured foot. Immediately a pistol was put to my head by a German whereupon I screamed "Kamerad" at him. Another German spoke to him and he put the pistol away. Taken up to a farm out-building my boot was taken off while I was in great pain and screaming to stop. The bullets had entered my foot and ankle taking the sock and part of the boot as well. After spending 3 days at the front with the Germans they placed me on a pole-seat and took me to the roadway where a kind of jeep took me to be interrogated by a German officer. He insisted I told him the purpose of our patrol, who was on our left and right flanks and which regiments in the area were taking part. For my part I was completely ignorant of the answers, as we really did not know anything, so I was somewhat relieved not to be pressurised into telling him. However, after that I was placed in a field among many Hitler jugend members of the 12th SS Panzer Grenadiers where I was subjected to much verbal abuse.
Later I was placed in an ambulance along with 4 German wounded, but as there was no more stretcher room, I had to crouch at the rear, to suffer agonising pain with my wounded foot. The ambulance set off that night, but en route to its final destination, I was taken out of it and placed in a classroom at a school and left there alone and in pitch darkness. The next day I was taken to Rennes where it seemed a local school was being used as a hospital. I was in the hospital for the remainder of my captivity, not having any treatment whatsoever, save for the Nuns coming in to dress my wound. As the war progressed the American Army was getting nearer to the hospital, for we could hear gunfire in the distance. The Germans threatened us that anyone looking out of the window at the planes would be shot, and anyone able to escape, there would be 10 of us shot for their daring. As a bed patient I was naturally very concerned.
When eventually the American Army over-ran the area, I was taken to their field hospital and had penicillin pumped into me at regular intervals during the night. I was soon taken to Cherbourg to be taken by landing craft and on to "Blighty".
In taking details of everyone wounded and going home the American soldier with his clip-board, shouted out pointing to me, "This is one for the Poiple Heart" ( The Purple Heart was a medal issued to American soldiers for getting wounded). Of course I had to correct him that I was not entitled to it. I arrived back in Weymouth and taken to Winford Hospital near Brisol. Eventually I was discharged from the Army being medically unfit. All this happened between December 1943 until January 1945 and with only 9 months actual military service. I was still only 18 years old to the time I was released as a P.O.W. |
Chief Cook Paul Jeffries . Naval Auxiliary Personnel HMS Forfar from Liverpool) (d.2nd Dec 1940) |
Sgt. Donald John "Duncan" Jeffs . Royal Air Force pilot 15 Sqd from Derby) On 18 May 1942, a young airman was thrown out of a Stirling bomber as it crashed into a Danish forest following a one-sided altercation with several anti-aircraft guns and the massive firepower of the battle cruiser Prinz Eugen. The remarkable escape of Sgt Don Jeffs from the wreckage that claimed the lives of his fellow crewmen, and his subsequent incarceration by the Germans in Stalag 8b POW camp
The evening of May 17th 1942 was clear and cloudless, but with no moon to speak of. That was why it had been chosen, less chance of being seen. The nine airmen walked over to the huge aircraft that would shortly be their only friend over enemy skies; a role it had served many times and with distinction. They had just completed their pre-flight briefing, the officers going over the mission details and maps of the target area, the enlisted men smoking and chatting about the forthcoming evening. As usual the crew were well aware of both the target and the outline flight plan before the skipper had briefed them. Such was the way in squadron's all over England in 1942.
The crew climbed aboard using their various entry doors, and quietly and efficiently moved to their assigned takeoff positions. Jokes were exchanged, the recognised method of ignoring what was shortly to come. The second pilot answered an unheard message from the control tower and a few glances were exchanged. The voice was a new one to them, and any change in routine on a mission always caused some concerns for the highly superstitious bomber crews. Flight Lieutenant Neville Booth was a friend of the skipper, and therefore made welcome by the crew, but he had been added at the last minute as an RAF observer for the mission, and no-one liked last minute changes. They often meant trouble.
The two pilots began their pre-flight instrument checks, and the wireless operator Don Jeffs contacted the tower to check his radio. The navigator John Ryan, with the new rookie Ronnie Maycock alongside him, opened his leather case and took out his maps while the gunners Butterworth, Nicholson, and Sharpe, silently prepared the massive machine guns for the evening's mission. All round the aircraft airmen were preparing for their next mission. It was 21.40 hrs as the four massive Hercules engines started up, each producing nearly 1600 horsepower. The vibrations ran the length of the Stirling, call sign LS-F (for Freddie) and through the men inside it's belly. 'Men' was perhaps too easy a term to use given the times they were in. The Skipper, John Hall, who was a veritable twenty-four would have been considered old by the standards of warfare. So many proud young sons had perished long before reaching their twenties.
Squadron Leader John Hall came over the intercom, 'crew get ready for takeoff'. Apart from the co-pilot alongside him, his friend Neville Booth, there were smiles all round from the rest of the established Reply crew. They were already veterans of many flights and had been 'ready' from well before the engines were fired up, but the skipper liked to be thorough which was why he was so liked and admired by the men who flew with him. This was a friendly crew, well used to living in close company both on and off the big bomber. All the crew had long since checked and rechecked their instruments and guns, knowing they would need the former to get where they were going, and in all probability the latter to be able to get home safely. The skipper and his co-pilot ran over the final instrument checks, while Tony Spriggs the engineer confirmed the bomber had all necessary oil and hydraulic pressures. Soon after they received their clearance from the tower, and started their slow approach to the runway.
The pilot lined the aircraft up along the designated strip, its huge engines throbbing with urgency. The two young men in the cockpit looked at each other and gave a simple nod, it was enough. They opened the throttles and W7531 began it's long deliberate lope up the runway at RAF Wyton fifty miles north of London. The huge aircraft gained speed at an impossibly slow rate and inside everything was vibrating and shrieking in protest, but as the Stirling's ground speed increased and Squadron Leader Hall pulled back on his stick, the huge beast lifted it's nose and rose slowly skywards. The fully laden takeoff weight of some 32 tons required maximum thrust from the engines, and vast plumes of black smoke accompanied the roar bellowing from the exhausts as the famous 'MacRobert's Reply' went to war.
The mission that night was to lay 6 tons of 'vegetable' mines in 'Daffodil', the code name for an area off the Norwegian coast called Ørersund. The Stirling was to fly north east to Malmo in Sweden and then reduce altitude to a few hundred feet and fly due west towards the Jutland peninsula of Denmark to commence the bombing run into the Sound. The outward leg went smoothly due to the masterly skills of the Kiwi navigator John 'Buck' Ryan who had joined MacRobert's Reply from the Canadian Royal Air Force. Buck had a trainee navigator with him on that flight, one Sgt Ronnie Maycock later to be known as the 'missing man'. The crew enjoyed the usual in-flight entertainment of local radio stations tuned into the aircraft intercom by the wireless operator Sgt Donald 'Duncan' Jeffs. As they neared the enemy coastline Sgt Jeffs cut the radio transmissions and they maintained radio silence to reduce the possibility of detection. As they flew over Malmo they received the customary burst of blank anti-aircraft fire, accompanied by the crossed searchlights indicating their target destination. For a neutral country, Sweden always made sure the allied bombers received as much assistance as possible. As they began to turn southwest, Squadron Leader Hall pushed the stick forward and reduced speed to commence the bomb run.
RAF intelligence had indicated that the only hazards were the batteries on the Danish coast, but the MacRobert's Reply and it's gallant company intended to be flying back home well before that. However, as they descended to 200 feet and prepared to open the bomb bay doors, the roar of heavy guns and the piercing crash of shrapnel exploding beside the aircraft shattered the peaceful evening. The intelligence report, while correct about the shore batteries, had omitted to include the huge cruiser 'Prince Eugen' working its way up the Great Belt in the Sound and now using its anti-aircraft guns at an impossibly large target just 200 feet off the water's surface. The plane shuddered as the port engine took a direct hit and burst into flames. 'Skipper the port engines on fire' echoed several of the crew together, but Squadron Leader Hall was having his own problems trying to gain steerage and altitude. As the aircraft somehow continued to defy the laws of gravity, it remained fixed on a westerly heading - towards the Danish islands. The crew were desperately trying to jettison the six tons of sea mines but the control mechanism for the bay doors had been damaged by the shelling and refused to play it's part as the huge bomber struggled to stay in the air. 'Skipper, were coming up to Funnen, watch out for the Little Belt bridge up ahead; we must try to go round' shouted Don Jeffs as he surveyed the coastline through the huge fire streaking past the window next to his wireless operator's chair on the port side. 'Yeah Duncan I know, but I've no controls' the skipper responded 'I'm going to try to get to the North Sea so we can ditch her if we need to'.
Immediately after the verbal exchange the anti-aircraft batteries on the bridge saw the huge target lit up by the fires and lumbering toward them. As the spotlights picked up W7531 and the crew saw the shadows reflecting from the intense glare in the windows, and unnatural silence sat heavily in the plane as their destiny began to take shape. The first barrage of 20mm shells from the guns on the bridge found it's mark and the MacRobert's Reply is hit again and again. The plane turned violently to starboard and dived earthwards, her gallant fight for survival all but over. As the huge aircraft descends it ploughs through the spruce tress of the Mathilde plantation and crashes with a colossal explosion that tears a massive rock from the ground and lays waste to over an acre of prime forest. At 02.10am on the morning of 18 May 1942, the crew of the MacRobert's Reply proudly, and with honour, fly their last mission in W7531 LS-F (for Freddie).
The German military arrived at the crash scene at 02.30hrs and quickly enlisted the 'help' of the local fire service that had already arrived at the site under the supervision of the Chief Fire Officer Jensen. C/O Jensen organised his teams into two parties. The first would fight the fire raging around the wreckage and threatening the surrounding forest. The second 'Falck' (salvage) team would find anything at the crash scene that could identify the plane and its crew, and would remove the bodies for later burial. The first fire crew fought the fire for two hours before the salvage crew were ready to move in. Immediately the local residents formed a human blockade to prevent the Germans from moving onto the crash site; a galant gesture of defiance and tribute to the fallen allies. A standoff ensued for many tense minutes. The German commanding officer ordered weapons to be readied and issued instructions for the locals to depart otherwise they would be shot. Reluctantly they were forced to retreat, but one man still refused and was taken into custody, later to spend the rest of the war in a prison camp for his defiance.
The Germans knew the plane downed was a Stirling and their salvage crew had collected a total of 7 'dog tags' from the remains of the young allied airmen. It was well known that a Stirling's usual compliment was seven, so once the tags were found it was naturally assumed all the crew had been accounted for. One of the first people at the crash site had been a local man, Willy Schmidt, with a couple of colleagues. Realising that the Germans would arrive quickly he conducted a simple search for bodies, braving the severe flames and continuing explosions of the mines. Willy spotted a crew member some distance from the main wreckage, obviously thrown just beyond the centre of the inferno, but still badly burned. As he approached he heard a cry, and at that moment the burning body opened it's mouth to try and speak. Sgt Jeffs was blind, scarred with burns, and with multiple injuries, but he was alive....
Several days after the crash, and when the Germans had left the site, the local residents returned to honour the airmen who had given their lives for the liberation of the occupied countries of Europe. Seeing the huge rock gauged out of the ground by the crashed aircraft, they banded together to roll the massive granite stone back to the place it had originated from, on the edge of the crater formed during the crash, before the Germans had moved it aside. Simple winter flowers and foliage were laid on the stone as a memorial that day. It stands in that same spot to this day, still standing guardian over the crater, and is still the focus of a memorial service in May every year. The people of Denmark will never forget the sacrifice of those brave airmen.
Back in 1942, Willy and his friends took a badly injured Don Jeffs down from the crash site to the edge of the forest, by way of a drainage ditch which runs towards what is now a popular tourist beach at Gals Klint. The ditch is still there. From there he is taken to the nearby Adler Hotel where Danish Resistance members are summoned to help. To avoid capture by the Germans, Don is kept in the loft of a large shed adjoining the Adler.
The crew were:
- F/O Ryan
- S/L J.C.Hall DFC MiD
- F/L N.G.R.Booth
- Sgt A.Spriggs
- F/O J.P.Ryan RCAF
- Sgt R.Maycock
- Sgt J.B.Butterworth
- Sgt F.L.Sharp
- Sgt R.Nicholson
- Sgt D.J.Jeffs, the only survivor was taken PoW and held in Stalag 8b.
Update: F/L Booth was a not a member of 15 Sqdn. It was said that he had been visiting Wyton and, on impulse, had asked to join the crew. But, Sgt Jeff's son tells us that F/Lt Booth was assigned to W7531 for that flight, not as a guest on impulse, but as an official observer of the new GEE Radar System. The rest of the crew were forbidden to talk about this late entry. |
Gwyn "Snowy" Jenkins . Royal Air Force flt eng. 158 Sqd. My father, who is the last surviving member of A.G. "Pop" Salter's crew was based at Lisset from June 1944 until the Squadron moved to Stradishall and exchanged their Halifaxes for Stirlings and changed destinations from Fortress Europe to India. Dad flew 36 operations, 16 of them as "spare" Flight Engineer as Pop Salter "only" had to do 20 ops to complete his second tour. If anybody remembers my father or any of the others in Pop Salters crew please send me an email. |
F/S E. W. Jenner . Royal Air Force 514 Sqd. (d.30th Jul 1944) F/S Jenner was lost without trace over the English Channel on the 30th of July 1944 when his Lancaster failed to return to Waterbeach after a raid on Caen.
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Able Seaman Robert Harry Jennings . Royal Navy HMS Forfar from Kilburn, Middlesex) (d.2nd Dec 1940) |
Michael Jepson . HMS Scylla was one of the Dido Class of light cruisers built at Scotts’ shipyard on the River Clyde and commissioned in 1942; her displacement was about 5250 tons. There were originally nine ships of the Dido Class and they were designed to carry ten 5.25 inch guns. However, supplies of these guns were getting short when Scylla (and her sister ship Charybdis) were being built and also the need for effective anti-aircraft fire was vital, and so these ships were armoured with eight 4.5 inch high angle quick firing guns. Being fitted with these smaller guns the two ships got the nickname ‘the toothless terrors!’ – however, German aircraft soon found out that they had good teeth!
Soon after she was commissioned, Scylla took part in her first Russian Convoy (PQ 18) to Murmansk and back (QP)15, during which Rear Admiral Robert Burnett (whom we knew as ‘bold, bad Bob Burnett!) flew his flag in her. Following that, Scylla took part in the Allied landings in North Africa (Operation Torch): on her way home from the Mediterranean she sank a German merchant ship – a blockade runner. Back in the UK she first moored in the River Tyne (where I joined her) and then back to Scapa Flow. She then set off on her second Russian Convoy to Murmansk (JW53) and back (RA53) to Scapa. (Identification of Russian Convoys had been changed from PQ & QP to JW & RA).
Soon after our return to Scapa, King George VI came to inspect the fleet. He inspected Scylla and then we had the honour of taking him back to the mainland at Scrabster.
In early May 1943, we sailed to the River Clyde where we joined the escorting force for RMS Queen Mary on the first leg of her journey across the Atlantic carrying Mr Churchill to meetings with Mr Roosevelt, president of the USA. Scylla’s next assignment was the escorting of convoys of merchant ships from Plymouth to Gibraltar and back. These convoys were much pleasanter than the Russian ones, but there were always plenty of attacks from German aircraft when crossing the Bay of Biscay.
In September, before we joined our sister ship Charybdis and came under the command of Rear Admiral Sir Philip Vian (flying his flag in HMS Euryalus) to protect the aircraft carriers providing air cover for the troops landing at Salerno, we put into Algiers, where all our guns, which had been almost worn out after the many shells we had fired, were re-barrelled.
Those who remember the ancient Greek legends are always fascinated by the fact that, on the way to Salerno, Scylla and Charybdis sailed together through the Straits of Messina on the night that Italy surrendered.
While at Salerno, Scylla was ordered to make a dash at full speed to North Africa to pick up as many additional troops as possible and bring them back to reinforce the landings. Shortly after this, and, we thought, as a result of the strain of this high speed trip and of the many near misses from German bombs, one of the main propulsion turbines in the Forward Engine Room was found to have cracked mountings. There was great excitement on board and everyone wanted to come down and inspect the damaged turbine – they realized that we would have to return home for repairs! We did not waste our trip home but took our last convoy back to Plymouth, at the same time giving passage to quite a few Army personnel.
After we got back, we set off for Chatham and there went into dry dock, where we had a major refit. Not only all our repairs carried out, but we had masses of new equipment fitted which was to prepare us for being Rear Admiral Sir Philip Vian’s flagship at the D-Day landings. We were docked in Chatham from October 1943 till February 1944, after which we returned to Scapa to work up again to a high standard of fighting efficiency, and to test all our new equipment. At the end of April we sailed south again and were based at Portsmouth, where we spent the next month going on exercises with other ships and with the Army and the RAF, practicing for landings on enemy beaches.
On 5th June we set off for the Normandy beaches, and our time was taken up with, first of all, bombarding, then patrolling off the Gold, Juno and Sword beaches until, on the night of 23rd June (or D+17) we were mined. The damage was such that we could no longer move under our own steam so were towed back to Portsmouth and, a few days later, towed to Chatham. It was decided that there was no point in carrying out the extensive repairs needed and, in July 1944, HMS Scylla was de-commissioned and later broken up. |
Joan Doreen Jessop . ATS This is my mother, Joan Doreen Jessop in ATS Uniform, taken by Army Photographer at a Beauty Contest held in
London during WW2
Her
wedding to Dad in 1946.
She married Sgt. Hermanus Koomans (a Dutch Allied
serviceman) of the Army's REME, who had recently been repatriated from
Belsen POW Camp in Germany. She later went to Holland with him and had 3
children (I was one), but later we migrated to Australia, Holland was just too cold. |
Master at Arms. F. Johnson . Naval Auxiliary Personnel HMS Forfar F. Johnson was one of those to survive the sinking of HMS Forfar. He is listed in the cast of the revue
"Get Sailing" which was performed onboard the Forfar on the 19th of June 1940. |
Fred Johnson . Army 5th Btn. The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders |
Iris Johnson . Land Army Iris worked with me in Somerset, I would love to get in touch with her again. |
Ross Johnson . Canadian Army Princess Patricia's Light Infantry I am looking for information on two brothers from Albert who served in WWII. Ross Johnson who was with the Princess Patricia's Light Infantry and Vernon Johnson who would have been with the RCA third battalion. Any help would be appreciated. |
Flt Sgt. T. F. Johnson . RAF 103 Sqd. (d.20th Feb 1944) |
Sgt. Thomas L. Johnson MM.. Australian Land Army 2/11 Btn. AIF. My uncle was a POW, Sgt Thomas L Johnson MM of 2/11 Bn. from March 1944 until May 1945. He was captured at Crete as I understand it. |
Vernon Johnson . Canadian Army 3rd Battalion. Royal Canadian Artillery I am looking for information on two brothers from Albert who served in WWII. Vernon Johnson would have been with the RCA third battalion and Ross Johnson who was with the Princess Patricias Light Infantry. Any help would be appreciated. |
Able Seaman Frederick Johnston . Royal Navy HMS Forfar (d.2nd Dec 1940) |
Stewardess Margaret Johnston . Merchant Navy SS. Athenia (d.3rd Sep 1939) |
Janet Sproat Johnstone . Land Army During WW2 my mum, Janet Sproat Johnstone and my aunt were both in the Land Army. At the time Janet was working in Patersons, (the grain merchants) taking the orders for the various grain feedstuff over the phone in the office. As the men were called up to go into the services, she then graduated to going out with a small lorry taking and delivering the orders to various farms.
She was called up into the Land Army and was sent to the farm where she’d been born (one of the farm cottages at South Woodhill Farm near Kilmaurs). Once she was there she helped with the milking, the planting of potatoes and corn etc, and stacking the corn after it was cut by a scythe at harvest time. She them took the corn back to the farm by horse and cart for it to go through the threshing machine, which at the time was still driven by steam traction engine. She also worked at the hay and various other chores around the farm and as the season’s work progressed, the ploughing and harrowing with a team of horses.
On one occasion she was going back to the farm after visiting her parents at Stirling Avenue, Bonnyton, Kilmarnock, and had started to walk back up to Fardalehill road towards the farm of the same name. As she walked up she was met by the farm manager whom we later called Uncle Quint. He had come across the grass park from the farm to meet her coming back from the town. He did this because of the mandatory blackout which meant there were no lights for fear of attracting any German pilot’s coming over on a bombing raid.
One day as they met on the road, they both heard the loud of an approaching plane coming overhead. Quickly my mum and Uncle Quint dived into the ditch beside the hedge and took cover. “Quick Jinty, get yersel doon in here…the plane’s nae one of oors, it’s a bloody German!” After waiting for a while till the noise of the engines died away they got up from their hiding place and duly made their way back to the farm. Whereupon my Aunt Jenny made my mum have a restorative drink before packing her off to bed. That particular plane later crashed somewhere between Kilmaurs and Stewarton.
My Aunt Bessie drove a milk float to collect the milk from the farms to the dairy for bottling, bringing in the full milk churns and returning the empties. Sometimes when she was driving back along the Ayr road, she gave the soldiers a lift to the road that led to the Dundonald Camp, not meaning to, but sometimes they would sneak onto the back of the float as she made her way between the town and the various farms.
My Aunt Grace on the other hand was sent to work at a market garden.
My uncle Bill (my mum’s brother) & uncle George (Bessie’s husband) were both in the RAF and my uncle Reynold (my dad’s younger brother) was in the army and over in France. My father, Johnnie Johnstone was in a reserved occupation as he worked as a grain compounder with Patersons. However, he was also on firewatch looking out for incenderies on the roofs of the various town buildings.
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"Joner" Jones . Royal Navy HMS Manchester |
Sgt. C. G. Jones . Royal Air Force 149 Sqd. Sgt Jones was taken POW when his Wellington was shot down by a night fighter whilst on Ops to Duisburg, it crashed at Haelen in Holland. |
Cmdr. (E) Charles Cunningham Jones . Royal Naval Reserve HMS Forfar from Waterloo, Lancashire) (d.2nd Dec 1940) |
Carpenter David Jones . Naval Auxiliary Personnel HMS Forfar (d.2nd Dec 1940) |
Flight Engineer F R Jones . RAF 1656 HCU (d.3rd September 1944) The Halifax bomber JD417 crashed into a hillside in North Wales while on a training flight on 3rd September, 1944, flying from RAF Lindholm. The crew consisted of six; five Australian, one Englishman, Flight Engineer Sergeant F R Jones. I would like any information if anyone has it please. Also, is it possible to trace any relatives of the other crew members? |
Louisa "Lou" Jones . Land Army I am looking for information about my mother who was known then as Louisa Jones (nickname 'Lou') during the was was she was working in the Womans Land Army. She worked on a farm near Akeley Woods, not far from RAF Bicester. Does anyone stationed at there during the war recall any land army girls visiting the base? She may have visited the base, perhaps for whatever reason, I do not know. She did visit a Canadian servicemans' hospital in the area, so it could be that maybe she visited RAF Bicester when they had social gatherings etc. Any information you could tell me would be greatly appreciated. |
Flt Lt Norman Jones DFM.. Royal Air Force flight eng. 9 Sqd. from Caerwent, Monmouthshire, South Wales) My father was born on the 12th of December 1921, the only on of farming
parents. The farm was just outside the Roman village Ventra Silrum, better known as Caerwent.
Dads father was a lay preacher and a follower of John Wesley, he did not
approve of dad joining the R.A.F:- He never inherited the farm.
Dad first tried to join the R.A.F after a little girl playing by the Severn
tunnel junction was killed by a German plane flying overhead. Nothing else
was around at this time. Dad was eventually recalled in February 1941 and
was told that he would need to be prepared to fly. He trained as a fitter
engineer at R.A.F Cosford and worked on Hampdens, Manchesters and
Lancasters. He was then posted to Swinderby in 1942 and left in charge of a
major overhaul team working on Lancasters, attending Rolls Royce in Derby to
qualify as a test engineer. In May 1943 due to a shortage of flight
engineers, he joined a Lancaster crew to take part in operational rids
flying over Germany. Dad’s role as a flight engineer included controlling
engine pressures, temperatures and fuel consumption, assisting the pilot and
taking over the controls as and when required. He also had to plot a
navigational course using the stars, send emergency radio signal and man the
gun turrets. Before he earned his Pathfinder badge he was required to carry
out the visual bomb aiming.
The crew he flew with consisted of 7 young men:-
Pilot squadron leader-Mitchell (who later became group captain,) a Canadian
Flight engineer- Norman Jones (dad), Navigator, Bomb aimer, Wireless operator, Mid upper Gunner, Rear gunner-Known as “tail end Charlie,” a very lonely position.
In June 1943, the crew were posted to No. 9 Squadron Bardney Lincoln. The
Lancaster was U-Uncle. By then Dad had completed his first operational
tour, which consisted of 30 operations flying over enemy territory mainly at
night, 7 to 8 hours through search light and enemy flak. From the minute
they flew over France they were under attack and often returned to base with
a damaged plane.
Dad was then invited to join the Pathfinders along with his Lancaster crew,
and joined 83 Pathfinder squadron. The Pathfinders were the Lancaster crews
who flew in first, dropping flares to mark targets for the bombers. They
circled around and above the target until the last bomber left. Sometimes
the Pathfinders had to re-mark the targets before finally flying over and
dropping their load. They were the crews that went in first and were the
last to leave.
The crew were very close, in fact Mitch, Dad’s pilot, refused to fly
without him. They practiced “the
corkscrew” to evade enemy fighters. They would complete this move by
closing the throttle so that the plane would drop, and then increase the
throttle on the climb. This would cause the plane to corkscrew. No mean
feat when you consider the size of the Lancaster, 69 feet and 6 inches in
length, with a wingspan of 102 feet and 4 large Merlin engines, plus fuel.
On one occasion whilst flying, there was a group captain who was on board as
an observer. The rear gunner called out “corkscrew right,” so
immediately dad and his pilot carried out this procedure, dad then glanced
over his shoulder to see his “special passenger” dangling in the air due
to the force of the corkscrew, and then of course when they came out of it
he landed rather forcefully! On return to base he gave the crew an
excellent report and stated “they will be the crew that survive.”
On the worst night 17 planes took off and only 7 came back, a total loss of
70 men from No. 9 squadron.
The D.M.F was awarded to dad in 1944 for courage and coolness of a high
order.
Prior to D-day he was involved in clearing the beaches ready for the
landings. On June the 6th 1944, he took off at 01.45am to bomb La Paenelle;
this was the start of the invasion. The following night he flew to Caen and
on the 8th to Auranches. When he had completed his 2nd operational tour,
dad had to accept being posted as a flying instructor to R.A.F Wigsley on
Stirlings. You were considered lucky to complete 5 ops in all, dad
completed 60.
His next posting was to R.A.F Hendon as a second pilot, where he flew VIPs
in Dakotas to visit the concentration camps. He also completed a trip to
Lagos in West Africa.
Dad was commissioned in October 1944, and this relatively easy posting was
not to last for long. The next posting was training on rescue gliders and a
trip to Burma to carry out this work. He served in Mingladon and Akyab,
making many friends along the way. Whilst serving in the Far East he became
very ill with Dinghue fever and jaundice. Dad still worried bout his
friends in Burma to this day because of the political state of the country.
My father remained in contact with Mitch until approximately 2 years ago,
when he received a goodbye letter. Naturally this was very upsetting.
Trying to gather information about dad R.A.F experiences has been an uphill
struggle, because for many men of my father’s age it is not an easy
subject.
I feel that I must mention here, because so much has been written about
bomber command, that on all bombing missions it was instilled in the crews
that they must aim for targets, e.g. Hamburg, where the U-boats were held
in pen, factories, communications and marshalling yards. Never once did the
crew think they were bombing civilians.
During this operational tour they flew to Berlin, Hamburg, Nuremburg,
Hanover, Munich, Essen, Manheim, Munchen, Gladbach, Remscheid, Frankfurt,
Leipzig, Kassel and Milan.
Over 55,000 bomber crew lost their lives, sometimes whilt training in this
country. I know my father still has nightmares about his wartime service,
and you can only begin to imagine what it must have been like night after
night, returning to base, going to bed to catch up on sleep and awaken to
see empty beds next to you.
My mother also served in the R.A.F and this is where my parents met. They
married in Yorkshire in January 1944 then travelled to Chepstow on
honeymoon, only to find a telegram waiting calling dad back to service.
They went on to have 3 children, myself and a younger sister and brother.
Ad continued in the R.A.F until 1946 and remained in the reserve until 1960. He also ran the A.T.C until we moved to West Wales. He now has 6
grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren, who
are all extremely proud of him!
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Ord. Seaman T. Jones . Royal Navy HMS Forfar T.Jones is listed as a survivor from the sinking of HMS Forfar. |
Vera Jones . Land Army My mother Vera Jones of Burnage, manchester was stationed on a farm near Ludlow with abouit 12 other women. I would like to find more about where the farm was and would like to hear from anyone who knew her. She was due to marry Capt Harry Tranter RASC on his return from abroad which she did. I am her elder daughter Carolyn. |
Pvt. William Jones . British Army 1st Battalion The Loyal Regiment Private William Jones of the 1st Battalion, The Loyal Regiment was captured at Calais on 28 May 40 and arrived at Stalag XXA (3) on 9th June 40. His Prisoner of War No. was 11677. He was a prisoner until he was repatriated in 1945 and arrived home in April of that year. His service No. was 3852683. My father would never discuss anything about the time when he was a prisoner so we know very little except for a lot of letters he had sent my mother and various photographs from the camp he was in. He was on the long march that they did through Poland and of course survived. He had nightmares for years and years. He came from Dowlais South Wales, but after his marriage he lived in Oldham.
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Able Seaman Horace Frederick Jordon . Royal Navy HMS Forfar from Harpenden, Hertfordshire) (d.2nd Dec 1940) |
Sgt. Anthony Jory . Royal Air Force mid upper gunner 115 Sqd. (d.16th Mar 1944) |
L/Cpl Albert Joseph . Army Royal West Kent Regiment I am trying to get information about my father who held in Stalag 8b. His name was Albert Joseph. He was captured in 1940. |
John Jossa . RAF navigator 101 Sqd. My father, Alfred Barnes was good friends with John Jossa for many years. John was a navigator on Lancasters in 101 squadron during the Second World War. He died some years ago.
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Sgt. Caspar Harold Jurgensen . RAF air gunner. 106 Sqd. (d.13th Jan 1943) |
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