157 & 235 Sqn Aircrew Christian names

[Chris Goss]

Does anyone know the christian names of:

Plt Off G Davidson Nav/rad 157 Sqn
Plt Off H J Thomas pilot 235 Sqn
Flt Sgt T C Price nav 235 Sqn
Flt Sgt E C Day nav 235 Sqn
Fg Off M W Shand pilot 235 Sqn
Flt Sgt R C H Burton nav 235 Sqn

All were on respective sqns late 1943-early 1944

VMT in advance

[Martin Gleeson]

Hallo Chris,

At present I can only find 912779 Temporary Flight Sergeant Murray Walcott Shand, promoted to Pilot Officer (118814) with seniority from 18 March 1942.
What interests me about him is that on 21 March 1942 he was pilot of a 254 Squadron Blenheim that shot down a He 111 of 9./KG 40 off the south coast of Ireland. I only have the pages from the 254 Sqn. ORB concerning that sortie, but he is still described as a F/Sgt. on March 21st.
This begs a question from me. Should Shand be shown as an NCO or officer when discussing that combat ?

Hope this helps.

Martin Gleeson.

[Chris Goss]

Martin-the 540 would be correct as if you look at the date of the Gazette, the promotion would have been backdated. Thanks

[dp_burke]

The AIR78 microfilm, did you check them?

The only matching initials are that I can see:

Ronald Cecil Harman BURTON 1302367

Shand and Price ought to be easily found in them I'd think.

Plus he is the only match in FreeBMD.org.uk for those initials. Didn;t check Scotlandspeople site

[Chris Goss]

Thanks Dennis-it is Ronald Burton (whose last address is 15 miles from where I am typing this). It is also the same Shand so almost there!

[andy bird]

Cheers Chris for notifying me.

Ron 'Ginger' Burton moved form Twyford in the late 1990's with his wife Bunny to the south-west. Ron died in 1998 having just moved.

Was in contact Murray Shand & Tom Armstrong, too, I'll have to dig out the paper records.

Regards

Andy Bird

[andy bird]

'Taff' Thomas

At the height of the 1990's I was in touch with roughly 100 former 235, 248, Squadron chaps, sadly not many remain.

[Frank Olynyk]

I have Henry James Thomas, 127152, DFC (LG #36374, Feb 8, 1944/S5 of Feb 11, pg 739; no cit).

I have his observer as T G Price, 176140.

Nothing on G Davidson, but I don't have his pilot's full name either (F/O J L Clifton).

Enjoy!

Frank.

[Chris Goss]

Frank:

VMT. It was John Clifton and the F540 says T G Price?

Andy

VMT also. Know what you mean-I have in front of me the 248 Sqn Association list dated Nov 93 and there are almost 2 pages worth of names. Armstrong doesn't figure in my research (20 Nov 43)

[udf_00]

http://www.dargies.de/Modellbau/Bild...ito_fbmk6.html
28.9.44 F/Lt H.J. Thomas and F/O T.G. Price, patrol, no sightings

s LG 20 June, 1944 PP 2920-2921
Thomas George PRICE Flt. Sgt. 1137085 commissioned Plt. Off. 176140
backdated 11 Apr. 1944

s LG 19 January, 1943 P 388
John Lowrey CLIFTON Flt. Sgt. 1376614 commissioned Plt. Off. 136320
backdated 31 Oct. 1942
http://www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-d...ualty/2948374/
http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=71695