RCAF (American) P.O.W.'s

[georgetanksherman]

I have looked high and low for aircraft, squadron and/or fellow crew members to see if I could get further info on these Warriors, it help me out on quite a few doing it that way, but these are not playing fair ! not sure where else to look, maybe Personnel number is wrong, letter left out of the name, not sure, but thought I would give a shout out for some help if someone has a spare minute or two

Flt Sgt R.B. Wyatt - R/122024 - Lacrosse, Washington, U.S.A.

W/O 1 J. Wilson - R/89650 - Youngstown, Illinois, U.S.A.

P/O G.P. Wilson - J/8374 - Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.

W/O 2 S.R. Pires - R/110645 - Valley Falls, Rhode Island, U.S.A.

Unknown D.A. Newman - J/6641 - Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.A.

P/O J.M Newman - J/86853 or J/86854 - Parma, Ohio, U.S.A.

P/O C.H. McMain - J/88873 - Belmont, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

Any help on these would be appreciated

Cheers
George

[78SqnHistory]

George,

All the service numbers are correct; J M Newman is shown as J86854 and J6641 is FO D A Newman shown as a prisoner of the Italians.

Regards
Daz

[Temujin]

Flt Sgt R.B. Wyatt - R/122024 - Lacrosse, Washington, U.S.A.

F/Sgt Wyatt was a POW, record from “They Shall Not Grow Old”

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And this record gives us his first name ROBERT.
Source Description: 275: Stalag XI B (Prisoners Ex-Stalag Luft IV): Nominal Roll

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The record below says his address in Canada was No 3 Wireless School, Tuxedo, Manitoba......this school was actual address was “Tuxedo Park”, Winnipeg, Manitoba..........the building that was used was the former “School of the Deaf” in Winnipeg. This school gave Wireless (radio) training to Air Gunners

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Found his birth record and date, on his draft card and confirms his name as ROBERT BERNARD WYATT

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[georgetanksherman]

Trying to find out the Squadron and or aircraft for my research, if they were in bombers, I am trying to recognize the whole crew, not just the Americans, like the example below:

R.C.A.F. No. 434 Squadron

Halifax, EB-258, August 17/18, 1943

Aircraft took off from RAF Tholthorpe, Easingwold, North Yorkshire, England outbound it was hit by flak and abandoned over Westerland. Most of the crew were killed by the flak bursts and the two who managed to parachute to safety landed on the runway of the German airfield on Westerland.

Crew:
Pilot: P/O F. Piper, J/18462RCAF Tuxford, Saskatchewan. Canada.
Flt Eng: Sgt. G. Irving, RCAF, Survived, Captured, P.O.W.
Nav: P/O A. Wetter, RCAF, Survived, Captured, P.O.W.
Bmb Aim: Flt Sgt. R. Jordan, R/137382, RCAF, Glen Rose, Texas, U.S.A.
Wop/ Gnr: Flt Sgt. G. Connor, R/114897, RCAF, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada
Gnr: Flt Sgt. C. Brown, R/106507, RCAF, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada.
Gnr: Flt Sgt. J. Renaud, R/82532, RCAF, Fassett, Quebec, Canada

Understand if the info is not out there, just thought I would ask, in case I was missing it !

Cheers

[Temujin]

W/O 2 S.R. Pires - R/110645 - Valley Falls, Rhode Island, U.S.A.

Cheers
George

Another POW George

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And this gives his full name SAM REÍS PIRES

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[Temujin]

Unknown D.A. Newman - J/6641 - Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.A.

Dennis A Newman

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[georgetanksherman]

Found a couple of them:

P.O.W., Flt Sgt R.B. Wyatt - R/122024 - Lacrosse, Washington, U.S.A

Halifax, HR838, August 10, 1943, RAF No. 51 Squadron

Aircraft took off from RAF Snaith on mission to Nurnburg, Germany. Aircraft was attacked and shot down by a German Bf-110 night fighter with the aircraft cashing near Asbach, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Seven crew members survived, sadly the pilot, W/O Leeper did not.

Crew:
Pilot: W/O R.E. Leeper, 155018, RAFVR, Hometown unknown K.I.A.
Flt Eng: Sgt D.H. MacKenzie, 577361, RAF, Survived, Captured, P.O.W.
Nav: Sgt R.C. Harris, 1167598, RAF, Survived, Captured, P.O.W.
Bmb Aim: P/O J.A. Weller, 1320172, RAF, Survived, Captured, P.O.W.
Wop/Gnr: W/O A. Galloway RAF, Survived, Captured, P.O.W.
Gnr: Flt Sgt J.S. Campbell, R/82146, RCAF, Survived, Captured, P.O.W.


P.O.W., P/O D.A. Newman - J/6641 - Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.A.

Wellington, T2749, July 11, 1942, RAF No. 148 Squadron

Aircraft was damaged by flak over Tobruk. An engine caught fire due to this damage and the aircraft was force landed on the beach behind enemy lines, Sgt A.L. Hall RAF being injured. The pilot, P/O P.W. Hoad RAF, elected to stay with the injured gunner while the rest of the crew attempted to walk back to Allied held areas, and they were both taken PoW. The other crewmen, P/O D.A. Newman RCAF (USA), F/O R.W. McNichol, Sgt T. Greggs RAF and Sgt L.L. Horsman were captured 4 days later when they tried to steal a truck. P/O Newman managed to escape Italy in September 1943.

Crew:
Pilot: P/O P.W. Hoad, RAF, Survived, Captured, P.O.W.
Pilot: P/O D.A. Newman, J/6641, RCAF, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.A., Captured, P.O.W., Escaped
Unk: F/O R.W. McNichol, Survived, Captured, P.O.W.
Unk: Sgt T. Greg, Survived, Captured, P.O.W.
Unk: Sgt L.L. Horseman, Survived, Captured, P.O.W.
Gnr: Sgt A.L. Hall, RAF, Survived, Injured, Captured, P.O.W.

[Temujin]

P/O J.M Newman - J/86853 or J/86854 - Parma, Ohio, U.S.A.

POW

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[Temujin]

P/O G.P. Wilson - J/8374 - Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.

POW

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Found a photo of G.P. Wilson with his Squadron in Africa.......I’ve placed a RED BOX around his name.......also, not that another Pilot in this photo was killed after this photo was taken. I’ve looked up this pilot and his Squadron when he was killed was 274 Squadron, RAF......so I would assume that this is also G.P. Wilson’s Squadron

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This photo was published in the paper on 28 Sept 1942

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Looked at the Op Records Books and was able to confirm that P/O G.P. Wilson was indeed flying with this Squadron (see CORRECTION below)

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CORRECTION ON ABOVE INFO

I have examined the records closely, trying to find out when P/O G.P. Wilson may have went down, when I discover that HE, and other Pilots from No 123 Squadron must have been “attached” to 274 Squadron......I’ve made a copy of one page, which is clearer, and you can see “123 Squadron” behind his name......and also another pilot from 123 Squadron on the same page.........and after looking at other pages, there were other 123 Squadron pilots flying with 274 Squadron.

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I think I found out WHY the pilots of 123 Squadron were flying with 274 Squadron. Here’s 123 Squadron brief history. From reading the info below, most likely the Squadron’s pilots were “attached” to 274 Squadron so they could continue flying until the Squadron recieved it’s own aircraft.

No 123 (East India) Squadron

The squadron reformed in the fighter role at Turnhouse on 10 May 1941. Equipped with Spitfires, it remained on defensive duties in Scotland until being despatched to the Middle East in April 1942. On arrival in Egypt, it found a lack of aircraft and it was therefore sent Iraq to act as a Maintenance Unit. It eventually received its own equipment in the form of Gladiators in October 1942, which were flown on Army Co-operation duties from Abadan. Hurricanes replaced the Gladiators in November and it conducted air defence of Iran until it moved to the Western Desert in May 1943.

In October, its ground echelon moved to India, with the air echelon following in November but it was December before he two were reunited at Feni, from where the squadron began carrying out escort duties. In May 1944, the squadron was withdrawn from operations and in September converted to the Thunderbolt, which it took into operations in December as a fighter-bomber role, which it maintained until 20 June 1945, when it was disbanded by being renumbered No 81 Squadron.

[georgetanksherman]

I am guessing that the RAF No. 123 Squadron was headed to the far east and got stopped in transit for an assist or training, I noticed they were both using Hurricanes for ground attack missions, I think the term used was "Hurribombers" or something like that, really appreciate the help, these were kinda throwing me for a loop, all it would tell me is the P.O.W. stuff, but not what happened to put them there !

Cheers
George