Target for Tonight

[Versuch]

POST 9 ,typo
900012 Sgt J R Bird RAF Missing 27-28 August 1942........

[RodM]

Five of the six crew of F-Freddy are now confirmed.

Pilot: "S/L Dixon"

39392 S/L Percy Charles Pickard RAF, of course


2nd Pilot: "P/O Willett"

82710 P/O James Gordon Woollatt RAF

Woollatt trained at No. 15 OTU as 2nd pilot to F/O David Donaldson. They were posted as a crew to 149 Squadron in September 1940 and flew 14 ops together before Woollatt left to captain his own crew. Donaldson flew the last op of his tour on 1 March 1941. Woollatt flew the last op of his tour on 19 March 1941.

Critical for identification is a crew photo, where F/O Donaldson is 3rd from the right, and P/O Woollatts is 2nd from the right.

https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.a...document/16136

Woollatt is a visual match for "P/O Willett" in the movie.


Observer: "Sgt MacPherson"

755331 Sgt Alexander More RAFVR

Confirmed through photos, including a crew photo from Aug-Oct 1940. when he was P/O More in the crew of F/L Les James.

Dennis Burke over on the RAF Commands forum also just posted photos originating from the More family.


W/Op: "Sgt Lee"

Still unidentified, but the hunt continues...


Front Gunner: "Sgt Bell"

900012 Sgt. Joseph Ronald Bird RAF

Confirmed with a photographic match.

https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/c...onald-Bird.pdf


Rear Gunner: "Sgt Harrison"

NZ391353 Sgt. Jack Desmond Harris RNZAF

Confirmed through photographic matches:

https://fotoweb.airforcemuseum.co.nz.../?q=MUS1001612

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/ne...ate=01-01-1941




As an aside.

When P/O Woollatt ("P/O Willett") finished his tour, S/L James eventually took over his crew. Then Sgt More ("Sgt MacPherson") joined that crew. Sgt Bird ("Sgt Bell") flew a few missions with that crew as well.

The core Woollatt crew (ignoring rotating 2nd pilots) was:

P/O Morris (O), Sgt Brook (W/Op), Sgts Baxter & Jarvis (A/Gs)

S/L James took over the crew in August 1941, with Sgt More replacing P/O Morris as Observer. Sgt Bird replaced Sgt Baxter as AG on a couple of operations in August 1941.

As previously mentioned,

Sgt Bird ("Sgt Bell") was MIA on 27-28 August 1942. It was his first op of a new tour.

S/L James, P/O Baxter, and P/O Brooks were all later killed on their first op of a new tour with 9 Squadron on 20-21 June 1942.

(then) P/O Woollatt ("P/O Willett"), Sgt More ("Sgt MacPherson"), and Sgt Harris RNZAF ("Sgt Harrison") all survived the war.

[Nick Beale]

Next question: who was the pilot with the incredibly posh accent in Coastal Command (1942)?

[RodM]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

Next question: who was the pilot with the incredibly posh accent in Coastal Command (1943)?

Ha, not my area of research and not within my comfort zone. I think a Coastal Command question is best aimed at Ross O'Neill over at RAF Commands.

However, as a layman, I will say that I'm sure the posh pilot in the 'Coastal Command' movie evaded capture in France by hiding out in the house of Frenchman René Artois....

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by RodM

Ha, not my area of research and not within my comfort zone. I think a Coastal Command question is best aimed at Ross O'Neill over at RAF Commands.

However, as a layman, I will say that I'm sure the posh pilot in the 'Coastal Command' movie evaded capture in France by hiding out in the house of Frenchman René Artois....

And I didn't even mention his handlebar moustache!

[RodM]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

And I didn't even mention his handlebar moustache!

I had a look at the movie to hear exactly how posh the pilot sounded. Thus, I also saw his fine handlebar...

[Buckeye30]

W/C E. L. Hyde DFC KIA over Norway in Nov. 42; went to my local school in Bedford and on their Roll of Honour.
He's in a video flying a Sunderland in the Hebrides, Scotland in 1941.
Regards
Nick


The Sunderland in the main film is Mk.I L2160 DQ-T from 228 Sqn. There is a clip from the 342nd. Composite Group P-40Cs on Iceland. "Handlebar" (the sandy-coloured one) has an Air Gunner's Brevet.

[RodM]

All six personnel starring as the crew of F-Freddy in 'Target for Tonight' are now identified (ranks are those held at the time of filming in Mar-May 1941):

"S/L Dickson" (Captain)

39392 Squadron Leader Percy Charles PICKARD DSO DFC RAF.


"P/O Willett" (Pilot)

82710 Pilot Officer James Gordon WOOLLATT RAF.
born Nottinghamshire, England, 17 November 1915.
died Honiton, Devon, England, 14 July 1991.
Awarded DFC, 2 June 1944, while with 12 Squadron.
Held rank of Squadron Leader at the end of the war.


"Sgt MacPherson" (Observer)

755331 Sergeant Alexander MORE RAFVR.
born Maryhill, Glasgow City, Scotland, 29 November 1917.
died Virginia Water, Surrey, England, 8 January 2001.
Awarded DFC, 23 December 1941, while with 149 Squadron.
Held rank of Flight Lieutenant at the end of the war.


"Sgt Lee" (W/T Operator)

618337 Sergeant William McCABE RAF.
born Motherwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland, 1920.
Killed in a flying accident, 30 April 1945, 51 OTU Mosquito HK245.
Awarded DFM, 18 July 1941, while with 149 Squadron.
Remustered as a pilot after his second operational tour and held rank of Flying Officer at time of death.


"Sgt Bell" a.k.a. "Sgt Jones" in the promotional booklet (Front Gunner)

900012 Sergeant Joseph Ronald BIRD RAFVR.
born Derby, Derbyshire, England, 15 March 1920.
Lost at sea, 27 August 1942, 218 Sqn Stirling R9160/G.
Held rank of Flight Sergeant at time of death.


"Sgt Harrison" (Rear Gunner)

NZ391353 Sergeant Jack Desmond HARRIS RNZAF
born Dunedin, Otago, NZ, 28 November 1917.
Date of death unknown.
Awarded DFC, 15 September 1944, while with 582 Squadron.
Held rank of Flight Lieutenant at the end of the war.