name of pilot/crew of 40 Squadron Wellington LN982, lost on 6/7 May 1944 Bulgaria?

[Col Bruggy]

Originally Posted by SteveR

From David Gunby's Sweeping the Skies: A History of No. 40 Squadron, RFC and RAF, 1916-56:

Flt./Sgt. K.C.J. Martin RAAF POW
Flt./Sgt. G.M. Groat POW
Flt./Sgt. E.G. Carey POW
Flt./Sgt. K.G. Chambers POW
Flt./Sgt. R. Tyrell POW

Hope this helps.

Hello,

Flt.Sgt. R Tyrell POW, is actually, AUS426715 Raymond TYRELL RAAF (later W/O).
https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/vet...=1021416&c=WW2 - 40 Sqn Wellington X LN982:'Q'.

And not the first time that AUS20813 F/Sgt Coape-Smith RAAF had to abandon his aircraft. Returning from attacking Sofia, on 10/11 January, 1944, Coape-Smith RAAF, and virtually the same crew (1239957 F/Sgt A Bayliss RAFVR, in place of AUS417421 F/Sgt R G Sauerwald RAAF), had to bale out of No.40 Sqn Wellington X HE287:'W', short of fuel. AUS421285 F/Sgt R D Kilroy RAAF was injured. See: Gunby & Temple/BLME2/94

It is also worthwhile consulting the following:

Through Darkness To Light
Macdonald,Patrick.
Upton upon Severn:Images Publishing (Malvern),1994.
pp.99-112, 296, 306 & 352 (see particularly, pp.104-111 - lengthy accounts of the attack on, and abandonment of LP128, by F/Sgts Cormie & Dealtry)

Col.

[Stig Jarlevik]

All these losses are also listed in Gunby/Temple's book RAF Bomber Losses in the ME and Med Vol 2.

With regard to the losses dated 6/7 May the book adds (and I hope it is not hidden anywhere in previous answers...)
LN982 code Q, take off from Foggia Main 21.07H
LP128, take off Foggia Main 21.01H and poss shot down by Hptm Semrau 2./NJG 100

Three more losses are listed that night
MF197 code F (40 Sq) on a mission to Pitesti
JA525 code Q (150 Sq) on a mission to Bucharest
EV841 code H (Liberator 178 Sq) code H on a mission to Bucharest

Since you obviously don't have the book Theo, anything you need to know just fire away and I will look it up, but perhaps we should do it off TOCH?

Cheers
Stig

[AndyMa]

Originally Posted by Stig Jarlevik

Three more losses are listed that night
MF197 code F (40 Sq) on a mission to Pitesti

Stig,
Can you reconfirm MF197 please?
The Air Britain serials book says this was SOC from 40 Sqn in Apr45.
Thanks,
Andy

[Stig Jarlevik]

Well Andy

This is what they say:
Took off 21.00H Foggia Main to bomb the railway bridge at Pitesti.
Attacked by fighter. Undercarriage collapsed on landing, 04.30H.
Apparantly not repaired. SOC 26.4.1945

With Gunby's past work about the unit, I presume he has gone through their ORB and not seen any further movements of this aircraft, so I believe he is most likely correct.

Cheers
Stig

[AndyMa]

Stig,
Thanks, happy with that. I was imagining a rather more serious loss...
Andy

[Stig Jarlevik]

No worries Andy

I could have been more explicit from the beginning, but we were all beginning to stray from the subject at hand, so.....I took a shortcut.....

Cheers
Stig