[peterf]

Hi Ross,
Firstly thankyou for your reply - I do appreciate that you have taken the time to scan through your records.

Since I first posted my " please help" back in May 05 I have had help from Junkers - who was able to confirm some specific detail for me. As well I have had an ongoing discussion with Soren Flensted, Larry Wright has also helped and been very patient!

I can now say to this forum that I have found a number of facts which begin to fill in a few of the gaps surounding EE138, as a result of time that I have spent at our National Archives in Canberra - Australia searching through official documentation.

The AR code was AR-E2 call sign E for Easy. (E for Edward JA683 was also flown that night 3/9/43 by Marshall). My Uncle had a pocket book which, like Sqldr Kelaher was also recovered from the crash site the next day near Stadil Denmark, this pocket book recovery was reported in the The Air Ministry "Casualty Report" as being provided to the Red Cross and as a result my Grandmother later ended up with it, a search by my sole remaining Aunt ( SM Forresters sister) last year unearthed a small case containing many of his possesions returned from Binbrook including this particular notebook and accompanying correspondence.
I had also been attempting to find a pictire of AR-E2 of which I do think I have one of the nose art of the plane possibly taken following repairs after its early operation 26/6/43 to Glushenbench, when it was hit by Flak and sustained 77 Flack hits ( Regular crew Jeff Oakshott).
The Photo from the Archives in Canberra has a photo donated by G Hayes and described as the....

"Nose art on bomber aircraft of 460 Squadron RAAF. A large billed water bird wears a sporran and tam o' shanter cap and underneath is written 'cobber'. Two kangaroos indicate the aircraft has flown two missions. On the back of this photograph is written the word 'Gremlin'.

The photo shows the picture as described above as well as it has smudged and patchy repaired paint and showing just 2 operations. In all EE138 completed 23 ops and was returning from its 24th when lost.

My most recent information gathering surrounds the Authenticity/comparrison of a photo image of Ltn. Karl Rechberger and that of Rudi Magelsdorfe and his crew, but at this stage that is very much an ongoing saga - a story for another day !!! Unless someone can further assist me,
Any way thankyou for you interest and if any one can provide any thing further please.... Please let me know.
Best Regards

Pete