415 Squadron, RCAF Crews – Albacore Era – 1943 - 1944
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2018 12:22 pm
415 Squadron, RCAF Crews – Albacore Era – 1943 - 1944
Swordfish - The Story of 415 Squadron - recalls that in September 1943 part of the Squadron began conversion training on Fairey Albacores. Six crews were sent to RAF Manston to commence training with 841 Squadron, which was a land based Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Unit. 841 Squadron’s aircraft assets, which included +12 Albacores and 3 Fairey Swordfish, were transferred to 415 Squadron in November 1943. This left 415 Squadron as the only Allied operational unit flying bi-planes. In April 1944, the Albacore Flight was moved to Thorney Island and the number of aircraft was increased to twenty. A comprehensive article on this era of the Squadron has been written by Mr. Andrew Thomas.
Crews consisted of two personnel, a pilot and navigator.
ARMSTRONG
Pilot F/Lt R. Armstrong (RAF)
Navigator F/O H.R.D.S. Cuddon (RAF)
BOWERS
Pilot F/Sgt W.C. Bowers (RAF)
Navigator P/O D.J.G. McKenzie (AUS)
BRASNETT
Pilot F/O W.G. Brasnett DFC
Navigator F/O T.H. Parnell DFC (RAF)
F/Sgt R. Lynes (RAF)
BROUGHTON
Pilot F/O F.W. Broughton
Navigator P/O J.M. Dawkins
BROWN
Pilot F/O R.E. Brown (RAF)
Navigator P/O L.W. Fostitt (RAF)
F/Sgt H.A. Hufford (RAF)
CAMPBELL
Pilot F/L J.D.W. Campbell
Navigator F/O J.E Lundy
CHADWICK
Pilot F/O N. Chadwick
Navigator W/O A.N. Bernel
COWAN – KIA 20 January 1944
Pilot S/Ldr E.W. Cowan
Navigator F/O D.T. Wood (RAFVR)
DAVIS
Pilot S/Ldr J.T.J. Davis DFC
Navigator F/O H.J. Thompson DFC
EADIE
Pilot F/O C.M. Eadie
Navigator Lt H. Pincknes (US)
EMMOTT
Pilot W/O R.H. Emmott (RAF)
Navigator W/O D.M Meek (RAF)
FRYER
Pilot F/O A. Fryer (RAF)
Navigator F/Sgt K.W.W. Bradley (RAF)
GADZOS
Pilot P/O W. Gadzos
Navigator W/O A.W.T. Joyce
F/Sgt K.E. Ashworth (RAF)
GATES
Pilot P/O R.C. Gates
Navigator Lt V.T. Rice (US)
GORDON
Pilot S/Ldr R.A. Gordon
Navigator F/O C.W. Collins (RAF)
P/O G.T. MacKenzie DFM
F/O J.F. Nowell (RAF)
GRAYSTON
Pilot F/Sgt V.S. Grayston (RAF)
Navigator P/O J.P. Rollefson
GUY
Pilot F/O B. Guy (RAF)
Navigator F/O A.J. Bridge (RAF)
HILDEBRANDT
Pilot P/O A.F. Hildebrandt
Navigator P/O W.E. MacCausland
KEILLOR
Pilot S/Ldr H.G. Keillor DFC
Navigator F/O C.A. Wondolowski (DFC)
MACKIE – Killed 9 April 1944
Pilot F/O P.D. Mackie (RAF)
Navigator F/O F. McFarland (RAFVR)
passengers also killed:
AM2 A.L. Thomas (RAFVR) (U/T Nav)
F/L L.G. Loft (RAFVR) (Flying Control)
McNEIL-WATSON
Pilot P/O D.B. McNeil-Watson (RAF)
Navigator P/O W. Tyler (RAF)
MENNIE
Pilot F/O O.H. Mennie
Navigator W/O R.A. Leach
PERRY
Pilot F/O R.A. Perry DFM (RAF)
Navigator P/O J.G. Jobe
PILKINGTON
Pilot F/L W.G. Pilkington
Navigator F/L R.S. Arrand (RAF)
RABBETS
Pilot F/O A.J. Rabbets (RAF)
Navigator F/O C. Grant (RAF)
REYNOLDS
Pilot F/Sgt E.J. Reynolds (RAF)
Navigator P/O J.T. Steele (NZ)
RIVERS
Pilot F/O L.W.F. Rivers (RAF)
Navigator F/O A.F.G. Hughes (Died of wounds 24 Mar 1943)
Navigator F/O A.W. Griffiths (RAF)
ROSS
Pilot F/L E.S.M. Ross (RAF)
Navigator F/Sgt J. Hyans (RAF)
SCANTLEBURY
Pilot F/Sgt W.J. Scantlebury (RAF)
Navigator F/O R.A. Moulton (AUS)
SENECAL
Pilot F/O J.H.A. Senecal
Navigator F/O T.R. Burtch (RAF)
THOMSON
Pilot F/O D.C. Thomson DFC
Navigator F/O A.H. Bartlett DFC
Source: http://www.415sqn.com/albacore-crews.html
Swordfish - The Story of 415 Squadron - recalls that in September 1943 part of the Squadron began conversion training on Fairey Albacores. Six crews were sent to RAF Manston to commence training with 841 Squadron, which was a land based Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Unit. 841 Squadron’s aircraft assets, which included +12 Albacores and 3 Fairey Swordfish, were transferred to 415 Squadron in November 1943. This left 415 Squadron as the only Allied operational unit flying bi-planes. In April 1944, the Albacore Flight was moved to Thorney Island and the number of aircraft was increased to twenty. A comprehensive article on this era of the Squadron has been written by Mr. Andrew Thomas.
Crews consisted of two personnel, a pilot and navigator.
ARMSTRONG
Pilot F/Lt R. Armstrong (RAF)
Navigator F/O H.R.D.S. Cuddon (RAF)
BOWERS
Pilot F/Sgt W.C. Bowers (RAF)
Navigator P/O D.J.G. McKenzie (AUS)
BRASNETT
Pilot F/O W.G. Brasnett DFC
Navigator F/O T.H. Parnell DFC (RAF)
F/Sgt R. Lynes (RAF)
BROUGHTON
Pilot F/O F.W. Broughton
Navigator P/O J.M. Dawkins
BROWN
Pilot F/O R.E. Brown (RAF)
Navigator P/O L.W. Fostitt (RAF)
F/Sgt H.A. Hufford (RAF)
CAMPBELL
Pilot F/L J.D.W. Campbell
Navigator F/O J.E Lundy
CHADWICK
Pilot F/O N. Chadwick
Navigator W/O A.N. Bernel
COWAN – KIA 20 January 1944
Pilot S/Ldr E.W. Cowan
Navigator F/O D.T. Wood (RAFVR)
DAVIS
Pilot S/Ldr J.T.J. Davis DFC
Navigator F/O H.J. Thompson DFC
EADIE
Pilot F/O C.M. Eadie
Navigator Lt H. Pincknes (US)
EMMOTT
Pilot W/O R.H. Emmott (RAF)
Navigator W/O D.M Meek (RAF)
FRYER
Pilot F/O A. Fryer (RAF)
Navigator F/Sgt K.W.W. Bradley (RAF)
GADZOS
Pilot P/O W. Gadzos
Navigator W/O A.W.T. Joyce
F/Sgt K.E. Ashworth (RAF)
GATES
Pilot P/O R.C. Gates
Navigator Lt V.T. Rice (US)
GORDON
Pilot S/Ldr R.A. Gordon
Navigator F/O C.W. Collins (RAF)
P/O G.T. MacKenzie DFM
F/O J.F. Nowell (RAF)
GRAYSTON
Pilot F/Sgt V.S. Grayston (RAF)
Navigator P/O J.P. Rollefson
GUY
Pilot F/O B. Guy (RAF)
Navigator F/O A.J. Bridge (RAF)
HILDEBRANDT
Pilot P/O A.F. Hildebrandt
Navigator P/O W.E. MacCausland
KEILLOR
Pilot S/Ldr H.G. Keillor DFC
Navigator F/O C.A. Wondolowski (DFC)
MACKIE – Killed 9 April 1944
Pilot F/O P.D. Mackie (RAF)
Navigator F/O F. McFarland (RAFVR)
passengers also killed:
AM2 A.L. Thomas (RAFVR) (U/T Nav)
F/L L.G. Loft (RAFVR) (Flying Control)
McNEIL-WATSON
Pilot P/O D.B. McNeil-Watson (RAF)
Navigator P/O W. Tyler (RAF)
MENNIE
Pilot F/O O.H. Mennie
Navigator W/O R.A. Leach
PERRY
Pilot F/O R.A. Perry DFM (RAF)
Navigator P/O J.G. Jobe
PILKINGTON
Pilot F/L W.G. Pilkington
Navigator F/L R.S. Arrand (RAF)
RABBETS
Pilot F/O A.J. Rabbets (RAF)
Navigator F/O C. Grant (RAF)
REYNOLDS
Pilot F/Sgt E.J. Reynolds (RAF)
Navigator P/O J.T. Steele (NZ)
RIVERS
Pilot F/O L.W.F. Rivers (RAF)
Navigator F/O A.F.G. Hughes (Died of wounds 24 Mar 1943)
Navigator F/O A.W. Griffiths (RAF)
ROSS
Pilot F/L E.S.M. Ross (RAF)
Navigator F/Sgt J. Hyans (RAF)
SCANTLEBURY
Pilot F/Sgt W.J. Scantlebury (RAF)
Navigator F/O R.A. Moulton (AUS)
SENECAL
Pilot F/O J.H.A. Senecal
Navigator F/O T.R. Burtch (RAF)
THOMSON
Pilot F/O D.C. Thomson DFC
Navigator F/O A.H. Bartlett DFC
Source: http://www.415sqn.com/albacore-crews.html