FLYING DRAMA IN THE PYRENEES – December 5th, 1944

Flying Drama – Dakota FL 588

Click on above link for pdf version of full story – its about 5MB in size

Another most interesting email from Nick Scarr set about a whole chain of events, including a link up with France, as you will see.

Dear Sir

I would be most grateful for your assistance. A colleague of mine, Mr J.C. Mathevet, has written a report on the Pyrenean crash of Dakota FL588 on the 5th December 1944. This aircraft belonged to the 24th Squadron of the Transport Command of the RAF based at Hendon. Mr Mathevet is in the process of re-writing the work and wishes to include an accurate, authentic image of the type of Dakota in question. The Dakota was a Mark III, RAF Number FL588 with twin wasp R1830-92 engines – I can supply more information about this if you require.

This seemed like a good case for Simon Batchelor, who had some success in assisting Lt Col Air retd Jean Claude MATHEVET of Lyon. He has given us permission to include some of the extract of a booklet he written about the incident.

The XXIV crew members on the fatal flight were F/LT N.O. CLEMENTS Pilot , F/LT M.L. RICHARDS Navigateur, F.O W.P. GRIFFITHS Radio.

In Memory

On December 1944, a new tragedy hit the Royal Air Force, the Army Air Corps and the Glider Pilot Regiment again. A Royal Air Force C-47 Dakota crashed on a snowy, majestic ridge in Ariège.

Twenty three airmen were on board, twenty of whom belonged to the Glider Pilot Regiment. Seventeen of them died on that day; another one died a few days later because of his injuries. Some of the bodies were only found the following Spring, when the snow had melted away.

Three men were saved thanks to the courage and outstanding determination of two among their comrades who, though seriously wounded themselves, managed to reach the village of Mijanes for help.

This story is dedicated to the memory of those eighteen British airmen who lie in Mazargues cemetery today.

Military Dads wanted for BBC TV series on Fatherhood

The blog seems the quickest way to get a message out and about, so here goes.  I received this week a letter from Testimony Films asking us to publicise the following press release. If you can help or want to be involved with the documentary do contact Testimony films direct in Bristol at the address below.

The BBC is making a new TV series, looking at the way fatherhood has changed during the course of the last century. We want to talk to veterans of the Army, Navy or RAF who were, or were about to become, dads when they fought in the Second World War.

Although as a dad in the forces you had a duty to King and Country, it must have been incredibly difficult to leave your sons and daughters, or your pregnant wife behind when you went off to train and fight. How did you cope with that moment, knowing that you might never see your family again? And what was it like seeing them when you came home on leave?

And while youwere away, whether at homier abroad,^were~you able to rontact your family? Did the thought that you were fighting for their freedom keep you going, or did you have to try to forget all about them?

For those taken prisoner in the early part of the war, it must have been particularly hard -whether you were held in Germany or the Far East. Were you able to communicate with your family? And what happened when you were released?

For all dads in the military, homecoming must have been a joyous occasion. What was it like to see your family again? Did your children remember you? Was it hard to settle back into family life? Or were you one of those who faced the agony of receiving a ‘Deai John’ letter before the war ended?

We’d also love to hear from the children whose dad went off to fight – so if you’re in your sixties or seventies now, perhaps that’s a memory you have?

Whatever your story, please write to Pete Vance or Hazel Fearnley, Testimony Films, 12 Great George Street, Bristol, BS1 5RS; email pete.vance(a),testimonvfilms.com or telephone 0117 9258589

F/L Henry Edward Bryant – repair of Mountbatten’s Dakota

Chris Bryant contacted us from Ontario, Canada with this request:-

His father joined 24 Squadron in August 1945, and after some working in went to the Far East with F/L O’Neill in Dakota KN386 flying the new Secretary of State for War, Mr. Jack Lawson, returning early October.

He was given his beloved, brand new Dakota IV KP230 which had been VIP’d at Kemble and was assigned as the personal pilot for Lt-Gen Sir Charles Gairdner and flew the British Legation out to Chofu, Tokyo. He was still there with the General when Lord Louis Mountbatten’s Dakota Sister Anne FL510 forced-landed on Sado Island off the eastern coast of Japan on January 18, 1946.

Because he had AME qualifications which he had earned before the war he was assigned along with his co-pilot F/O Cox to go and repair the aircraft. He apparently did a great job because Lord Louis was very pleased and sent Dad a very gracious letter of thanks. I have the letter now.

Chris is writing an article for Aeroplane about this incident which is remarkable for more than just his father’s connection to it. The Countess Mountbatten of Burma is interested to see the story as well!

He is am looking for any details that may be in people’s memory or in any archives the Squadron might have in order to flesh out this story. He has articles from Flight archives and AM Sir Victor Godard’s article but no repair details.

He should be contacted via the 24 Sqn Sec, see main web site.

Air Force Records Book

I receive quite a few email requests during the year from people who are researching family and friends who flew in the Royal Air Force, most with the impression that it was XXIV Squadron that the person was attached to.

My usual response has been to direct them to the Public Records Office who have the complete series of WWII information. The book I have included in this post has been recently featured in the Telegraph Books section and may be of some help. I have not read or used it personnaly but it certainly looks like it has all the key facts together in one document to be able to do a good job on tracking down that elusive missing piece of the jigsaw.

Cover of the Air Force Records Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Its published by the National Archives at £12.99,  written by William Spencer. ISBN13: 9781905615254

It is newly revised including expanded section on the interwar years including records of RAF actions in North and South Russia, Mesopotamia, Persia, Somaliland, India and Palestine.

Trying to trace Flt Lt J. F. Haffenden

We have recently had a letter from Ralph Barker who is trying to trace Flt Lt J. F. Haffenden who served on the Squadron from August 1941 and did a series of flights to Gibraltar and Malta. Ralph met up with him in 1954 when JF had left the RAF and was director of a whisky firm. Use the add a comment facility to contact us if you have any information. Regards from The 24 Sec.

Without Fear – WWII Memoirs

Association Member Graeme Donald has sent us a complimentary copy of his newly published memoirs – Without Fear. If you would like borrow it, please contact The Sec.

Graeme Vivian Donald, a former pilot in the RAF, saw active service throughout World War II. Encouraged by a childhood friend, Donald learned to fly aeroplanes at the airfield near Masterton in New Zealand where he grew up. He accepted a commission in the summer of 1939, joining RAF Coastal Command shortly after war was declared.

Without Fear will make fascinating reading for those with an interest in the RAF or aviation in general, but it also contains a great deal about the author’s childhood and his life after the war, during which time he worked in civil aviation for KLM, started a family and began a business in wool and other industries.

A tale of two VE DAYS

Air Commodore John L Mitchell flew with Mr and Mrs Churchill on many wartime missions and was in Moscow when hostilities came to an end. John is a csma member who lives in Lymington Hants.

The above words and title caught my eye this weekend as I flipped through my latest copy of Motoring and Leisure, the monthly magazine of the civil service motoring association. We have been serialising John’s exploits in the Association Newsletter each issue for quite some time now.

I aim to publish this condensed version in this years Issue 14 Newsletter.

WWII Memories

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