F/S Paul Walter Gregory 923461 RAF

[Paul Squires]

Hi,

Been a while.

I just got to F/S P.W. Gregory RAF, lost from 61 Squadron Lancaster R5615 QR-H June 27-28, 1942. He is listed in They Shall Grow Not Old as a Canadian, from Forest, Ontario. But the only record I can find on this airman on a web search indicates he was from Paignton, Devon, England, which is where his parents are also listed from on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Oddly, he is not found on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial, and being RAF has no records on the Library and Archives Canada website.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find- ... r-gregory/

https://rollofhonour.nottinghamshire.go ... ails/44834

Is it possible that he was born in Canada, or a resident prior to the outbreak of the war, or had some other connection with Forest, Ontario, before enlisting in the RCAF? Or is his listing in They Shall Grow Not Old in error. Both are possible.

A relative of F/S Gregory, Brian Roberts, was involved in a discussion on this loss in 2021 on the tapatalk website with Dave Campbell, a relative of F/S J.H. Kinch R69338 RCAF, lost in the same crew, but I am not a member there nor have I ever come across that site before, so I'm a bit reluctant to join (call me cautious).

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/squadro ... -t274.html

Does anyone have any further information on this airman? Or possibly know Mr. Roberts, Mr. Campbell, or if the tapatalk forum is secure?

Paul Squires
Wetaskiwin, Alberta

[Temujin]

Found these records. 1921 Census seems to indicate he was born in Canada, and the record indicates his father and mother arrived in Canada in 1920

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[Temujin]

And I believe this is his Parents grave, where he also has a marker

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[Temujin]

And I think this is his fathers arrival documents into Canada. I haven’t found anything on when he left Canada yet

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[Paul Squires]

Hi Temujin,

I'm stunned! I really thought this would be a dead end.

But, hey, it wasn't.

Many MANY Thanks for this. I'll add it to the information in the Errata.

All the Very Best,

Paul Squires
Wetaskiwin

(your sources are amazing!)

[Temujin]

Your Welcome Paul

Of course, once I get going, I keep researching until I can find anything and everything………so this is info that you may already have and know, but scince I found it, thought I would post it

Operations Record Book

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Aircraft Loss Card (sorry, hard to read)

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RAID REPORT

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Aircraft Movements Card

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[Temujin]

Just a follow up on where his aircraft crashed (and crew reported by Germans as “date and location” of death.

The record I sent you indicates their bodies were “found” in Delmenhorst, which is a location right next to their target of Bremen. Google Maps included

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And it says “ The war graves in the Protestant cemetery on the Wildeshauserstr”

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[Paul Squires]

Hi Temujin,

Impressive. I've never seen a post operation report before.

Paul
Wetaskwin

[Temujin]

Hi Temujin,

Impressive. I've never seen a post operation report before.

Paul
Wetaskwin

Some of them have the actually flight route of the various bomber streams to targets…….their not like the actual navigation map that the bomber crews used, but a small (one page sometimes) map of the route. These are NOT in every post operation report as you can see, but in some. They normally do not give the actual loss report (aircraft and squadron)…….but they sometimes list the Squadron’s and Wings participating in the operation.

So its kind of “hit and miss” of what info you will get…..but in this case it tells us “flak” was very heavy and some of the bomber streams had a LOT of German night fighter action and the missions that night had a higher loss rate than normal.

These I normally try to find for family’s trying to find our more detailed information on “how” their relative may have died or been captured.

Cheers