Rescued British airmen from Serbia during Halyard mission

[vathra]

Hello,

here are few names that I believe were British airmen rescued during Halyard mission, by chetnik forces from Serbia in August 1944.

Those names are from messages that were sent by Yugoslav government in exile to allies. There were more than 100 names in those messages, other names I managed to connect to Americans through MACR and Escape statements. In these cases, serial nos and function indicates they are from RAF.

First message
April 22nd 1944.
Sgt Dadd (probably captured)
A. Elvin 146259 (not clear) Officer
S. A. Gibson 16291 Pilot

Second message
May 9th 1944
Richard Bernice Engineer
Edmund Flanagan Radio operator
Raymont Green Pilot

Dates are from the message, crash dates are probably few days earlier.
They were rescued on August 10. One airmen is listed as being captured, it is possible that some other airmen was also captured, killed o died of wounds.

On one internet list of crashed airplanes in Yugoslavia I found some planes that could fit this description, such as:
- May 7th, Wellington X, LN804, No 40 Sqn
- April 15th, Wellington X, LN562, No 40 Sqn
- April 8th, Wellington X, LP139, No 70 Sqn

Could someone check those names, and connect them to specific plane?

Attachment 14026
Attachment 14027

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

April 15, 1944

15/16 April 1944
No.40 Sqn
Wellington X LN562 'C'
Op: Turnul Severin, Marshalling yards.

Shot down by flak at Bor, Yugoslavia. All are buried in Belgrade War Cemetery.

Sgt J C J Bailey +
Sgt E F Deadman +
Sgt K Richardson +
Sgt H H Francis +
Sgt J B Lucas +


May 7, 1944.

7/8 May 1944
No.40 Sqn.
Wellington X LN804 'T'
Op: Filiani (Filiasi?) Bridge.

A/c crippled by light flak on bombing run and crashed at Zagubica, Yugoslavia. F/O McKenna is buried in Sofia War Cemetery. The survivors met up with Yugoslav partisans and returned to Italy in August 1944.

W/O T R Bradshaw RCAF - Evaded
W/O N L Reid RCAF - Evaded
F/Sgt W Taylor - Evaded
P/O I B H McKenna - +
Sgt L R Somers - Evaded

See:
Sweeping The Skies:A History of No.40 Squadron, RFC and RAF, 1916-56.
Gunby,David.
Bishop Auckland:Pentland Press,1995.
pp.375 & 376

Re: Dadd, Elvin & Gibson.

http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/sho...of-Wimpy-LP139

Col.

[vathra]

Originally Posted by Col Bruggy

May 7, 1944.

7/8 May 1944
No.40 Sqn.
Wellington X LN804 'T'
Op: Filiani (Filiasi?) Bridge.

A/c crippled by light flak on bombing run and crashed at Zagubica, Yugoslavia. F/O McKenna is buried in Sofia War Cemetery. The survivors met up with Yugoslav partisans and returned to Italy in August 1944.

W/O T R Bradshaw RCAF - Evaded
W/O N L Reid RCAF RCAF - Evaded
F/Sgt W Taylor - Evaded
P/O I B H McKenna - +
Sgt L R Somers - Evaded

Thank you for your help!

Bradshaw and Reid are also listed in messages, and they also gave statement some years ago, so they are rescued by chetniks. I didn't mention them since I know their case.
It is interesting that Taylor and Somers are not mentioned in messages, nor in Bradshaw and Reids statement, so it is possible they were rescued by partisans.