The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War

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230792 Flt.Sgt. Alexander Brace Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 101 Sqdn. from:St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada (d.9th July 1942) Alexander Brace (my cousin) served in the Royal Air Force Voluntary Reserve as a Flight Sergeant and from what I understand, he served as a rear gunner on a Wellington Bomber. Sandy was killed in action on 9th July 1942, over 18 years before I was born. During this time, as stated in the brief history of the 101st Squadron, the squadron had been equipped with Wellington Bombers and did not receive the bigger and more robust Lancaster Bomber until a little while after Sandy was killed in action. It has been a curiosity as to how Sandy was killed. Not specifics (as in how his plane was shot down) but more to the point of what he would have been doing in the war at the time of his death. Although I don't have concrete answers, I think I have reached some reasonable conclusions, given the information I was able to obtain on the net. On July 9th, there were two missions involving Wellingtons. The first would have left England on July 8th to return in the early hours of July 9th. Their mission was to bomb the dock area in the town of Wilhelmshaven. Wilhelmshaven is a North Sea coastal town located in the North Western portion of Germany. This mission involved approximately 285 bombers of which 137 were Wellingtons. The mission resulted in five bombers being lost, three of which were Wellingtons. The second mission left England on 9th July to return in the early morning hours of July 10th. This was a minelaying mission in the Heligoland and Frisian Island area of the North Sea. This area is close to Wilhelmshaven and, perhaps more importantly from a mine perspective, is located relatively close to the mouth of the Elbe River. fifty-nine aircraft were involved in this attack, of which one Wellington was lost. Although I don't have the official record, I would think that there is a better than average chance that Sandy would have been on one of the bombers lost on the Wilhelmshaven mission. Of course I have nothing to substantiate that (yet). My reasoning for thinking this is that this mission left England on 8th July and returned on 9th July. The Battle of Britain was two years prior, and although the Luftwaffe was far from finished, their resources were stretched rather thinly by this time. In 1942 there would still have been a chance to encounter enemy fighter activity early in the mission, but the odds were that the bombers would have been over Continental Europe by the time they had met any stiff resistance. As these were night missions, it also stands to reason that the clock would have rolled past midnight by the time the bombers would have been in the thick of things. Past midnight would have dated Sandy's death as 9th July. There is a somewhat less chance that he would have been a crew member killed on the Wellington lost on the mine-laying mission. I say 'less of a chance' because by the time they would have been over the target area it likely would have been well past midnight and into 10th July. Of course this is all supposition. 2nd photo of sandy canadian book of remembrance Name plaque at St. Johns International Airport, St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canda Sandys name is on memorial located in Bonavista, Newfoundland, Canada Glenn Brace Add to this record.  Related Content: No. 101 Squadron Royal Air Force Can you help us to add to our records? Add a record to our website. The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial? Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area? If so please let us know. Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice. Contact us. Celebrate your own Family History Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc. Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.

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