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Re: RCAF 420 Sqdn, Hometown research

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2018 9:45 pm
by georgetanksherman
Temujin and Ludford, Thank You both very much for the help, seems since I got on the Bomber research, it seems that there were quite a few "Last Minute" crew member changes due to illness and such so the records are kinda all over the place.

On Obs: Sgt W.J. Chapman, 934647, RAFVR, CWGC shows this was the only Chapman killed on this date, is there a possibility that H. Chapman survived - P.O.W. or Rescued ???? or maybe they got the "H" wrong ????

CWGC
Sergeant (Observer)
CHAPMAN, WILLIAM JOHN
Service Number 934647
Died 13/07/1942
420 (R.C.A.F.) Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Again … Thank You Both !!!!!

Re: RCAF 420 Sqdn, Hometown research

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2018 9:57 pm
by Ludford 101
Temujin wrote:
Thu Nov 15, 2018 8:02 pm
Temujin wrote:
Thu Nov 15, 2018 4:38 pm
georgetanksherman wrote:
Thu Nov 15, 2018 4:03 pm
The R.A.F. Fallen Warriors out of RCAF 420 Squadron that I can not find hometowns on.

I”ll add them one at a time, If I find them:

Hampden, AE390, July 13, 1942
Obs: Sgt W.J. Chapman, 934647, RAFVR
I was having issues finding this man, check the records (below) and his name is H. Chapman. Will look for him?

117B061F-4A7B-4975-9686-3BDF09406355.jpeg


EDIT: Well the record I posted above is WRONG. He WAS W.J. Chapman. Confirmed in “They Shall Not Grow Old”........but having said that, still not finding any records to give me hometown
One thing about ORBs: Often very wrong. A now deceased friend of mine had his name spelled incorrectly on every one of his 30 ops.

TSNGO is also notoriously incorrect in many places. There's a thread somewhere on another forum with the myriad of errors to be found. Several RAF on RCAF squadrons are listed as Canadians.

There's no "H. Chapman" who was a POW. One POW Chapman with the initials GH turns out to be P/O George Kirkby Chapman, DFM. He retired from the RAF in 1974 so not him.

Re: RCAF 420 Sqdn, Hometown research

Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2018 10:09 pm
by Ludford 101
Temujin wrote:
Thu Nov 15, 2018 7:32 pm
Thanks Ludford.......I’m having a lot of problems finding the RAF personell, as you know. Any and all help appreciated

Cheers
I'm presuming you have an international subscription to Ancestry? I'd be looking at the man's full name in The 1939 Register. Don't know his home town? You can get a rough (not always precise) idea from his NCO service number. Keep in mind if he was underage in 1939 the record will be blacked out. If you want to go through the bother you can email Ancestry with the CWGC link showing the man died and they'll unmask it.

You can find the numbers showing when and where they were used here: http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showth ... ce-Numbers

So using Chapman's number "934647" we see it was issued to "English residents in Malta" from around June 1940. I'd be looking in Valletta.

One more thing about the RAF numbers is if the man was from Scotland, or enlisted there, you won't find anything without taking out a subscription to Scotland's People.

The other thing using Ancestry is to check the wills and probates. When they had a free weekend some weeks back I found about 300 chaps by their wills.

Re: RCAF 420 Sqdn, Hometown research

Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2018 5:58 pm
by Ludford 101
Wellington, X3814, March 29, 1943
Wop/Gnr: Sgt L. Jones, 1206582, RAFVR

Jones came from St. Thomas, Devon. Don't know where he was born as he was 36 when he was killed, making him born in 1906 or 7. But the UK didn't start putting the mother's maiden name on records until 1911.

So, he married Hilda Mary Slee at St. Thomas in the December 1935 Quarter. Daughter Yvette was born in the June 1940 Qtr in Devon.

Re: RCAF 420 Sqdn, Hometown research

Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2021 7:58 pm
by dannyyeh6
georgetanksherman wrote:
Thu Nov 15, 2018 4:03 pm
The R.A.F. Fallen Warriors out of RCAF 420 Squadron that I can not find hometowns on.

Hampden, AD869, April 20, 1942
Wop/Gnr: Sgt G.A. Player, 1165993, RAFVR

Hampden, AE389, May 8, 1942
Wop/Gnr: Flt Sgt A.S. Urquhart, 987978, RAFVR

Hampden, AE288, May 9, 1942
Wop/Gnr: Sgt C.S. Jefferies, 1163805, RAFVR

Hampden, AE260, June 3, 1942
Pilot: Sgt E. Harrison, 1190941, RAFVR
Obs: Sgt J.S. Gething, 999003, RAFVR

Hampden, AE390, July 13, 1942
Obs: Sgt W.J. Chapman, 934647, RAFVR

Hampden, AE202, July 27, 1942
Wop/Gnr: Sgt J.R. Elliot, 954417, RAFVR

Wellington, X3814, March 29, 1943
Wop/Gnr: Sgt L. Jones, 1206582, RAFVR

Halifax, NA188, January 17, 1945
Flt Eng: Sgt R. Hutchinson, 1595239, RAF,

Halifax, NA183, January 17, 1945
Flt Eng: F/O T.C. Jones, 158807, RAF,
Hi there,

Sgt. Ronald Hutchinson was my great uncle and was from Liversedge, West Yorkshire, England.

I'm trying to find out as much as I can about my uncle and his plane, any reccomendations would be much appreciated.

Many thanks

Re: RCAF 420 Sqdn, Hometown research

Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2021 1:26 am
by Temujin
Danny, will post up what we can to help you

January 16/17, 1945

F/O R. Ireland RCAF and crew, flying Halifax III NA-188 coded PT-E, 420 Squadron, failed to return from this operation.

Sgt R. Hutchinson RAF
F/O W. Dennis RCAF
F/O W. Webb RCAF
P/O L. Penny RCAF
F/Sgt F. Poole RCAF–POW
F/Sgt S. Cameron RCAF–POW
5 crew were killed and 2 POWs after being shot down by a Nightfighter.

Pages from 420 Squadron Operation Record Book for that date
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Re: RCAF 420 Sqdn, Hometown research

Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:26 am
by Temujin
I found all this information on P/O W Webb’s file, it gives a bit more detail on the crash, survivors etc
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