Bedford

Research and coincidence

Remembering Frederick ‘Freddie’ Biddle, his many comrades, and his crew mates aboard Halifax HR788 lost over the Oosterschelde 12th June 1943.

With love, sadness, gratitude and pride from the families and friends you never knew.

F/Sgt James John Anderson,
Sgt Frederick John Biddle,
Sgt Albert Edwin Brodie,
Sgt George Edward Evans,
Sgt David Glassman,
Sgt Anthony Ribour Helliwell,
Sgt George Luff.

Benedictus, benedicat eis, et benedicat nobis.

Eastbourne U.K.

Research on Eric Verrell Granddad

My Granddad Eric Verrell flew 19 operations from RAF Snaith between end Nov 1944 & 15th March 1945 mostly in NR142 MH-S he survived the war but sadly passed before i was born, I have some pics of him & crew and also a Tankard presented to the officers of 51 Sqd on display at the wings museum in West Sussex.

Braniel, Castlereagh, County Down, Northern Ireland

Act of Remembrance

On this the 78th anniversary, let us remember the crew of Halifax HR853, 51 Squadron, RAF Snaith, Yorkshire.

Brown, Sgt Alfred, Air Gnr.
Busby, Sgt Stanley, Wireless Operator / Air Gnr.
Chambers, Sgt William John, Flt Eng.
MacPhedran, Flt Sgt James Cumming, Air Bomber.
Price, Sgt William, Pilot.
Richardson, Sgt Christopher Arthur, Nav.
Worden, Flt Sgt Arthur Cephas, Air Gnr.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them

Devon,England

Grandfather

I am here on behalf of my Grandfather William Bamsey who proudly flew a Halifax bomber during the second world war.
Thanks You for the website

RAF Cottesmore, England

Regular visitor

Halifax HR853. 22/23May1943. Shot down by fighter and crashed at Malden.

Jimmy HILGEN [& friends have searched the site and sent over a piece of Perspex]
Thanks Jimmy for your efforts.
In memory of the crew.

Austin Texas, USA

I\'ve been here many times.

I\'m not really sure if the gardens are in good order. I used to get update newsletters long ago. I\'m still a little upset that my grandfather was a BIG part of this organization and it refuses to fly the American flag. YES. I offered to pay. KIA, 25 of May 1944 FO Carl McQuiston from Kansas USA. His sister died just last year (2019)and regaled us with wonderful stories. You did a great job \"Tex\"and you were a friend to the end. RIP

Near RAF Cottesmore, Rutland, UK.

Previous contributors

We wish to update the memory of the crew of Whitley Z6811.
Whitley Z6811; MH-D, 51 Squadron, RAF. 18/19-8-1941.


Departed RAF Snaith at 2134 hrs, on 18.8.41 for a raid against Cologne and crashed at 0200 hrs the next morning near Malden, south of Nijmegen.

JAMIESON, John Alexandra Barrie, Sgt, 1002131, Pilot. Age 19.
Son of Ronald Barrie and Barbara Low Jamieson, of Kerriemuir, Angus.

JOHNSTON, Howard Robert Franklin, Sgt, R/75095 Royal Canadian Air Force, Air Gunner.

MILNE, Angus, Sgt, 407091, Royal Australian Air Force, Observer. Age 28.
Son of Arthur and Eva Milne, of Wirrabara, South Australia.

The above three airmen died on Tuesday 19.8.41 and are buried at Uden. [5.D.8 - 7 - 6].


F.W. SHORROCK, P/O, promoted to Fl.Lt. #J/4843, RCAF, Pilot, was captured & became a P.o.W., nr.3740 in camp L3 - Stalag Luft 3 in Sagan and Belaria.


F.W. COLES, Sgt, promoted to W.O., #929448, RAF, Wireless Operator, survived to become a P.o.W., nr.23619 in camp S357, Kopernicus.
We placed a plaque in their memory in 2005/6.
Anyone with info, please contact us &/or Jimmy HILGEN [See posts of HR853]

Vorden, The Netherlands

Searching relatives crew crashed in Vorden, The Netherlands

Hello, I was wondering if your organisation can help to find relatives of the crew crashed in Vorden in March 1943. Registrationnumber BB244. I have contact with the son of the pilot (harris). I hope you can help me to find the relatives of the other victims.

Kind regards,

Robert Ellenkamp

Ewijk, The Netherlands

The crew of HR853

Hello,
I\'m trying to get in contact with familymembers from the crew of HR853. I saw that some have reacted below in the past and I sent them an e-mail already. Recently I was at Uden Commonwealth War Cemetery where the crew of HR853 caught my attention. I saw that not a lot was known about the crash and crashsite and I tried to find out more about it. Via some local residents I found out where it must have crashed on May 26, 1943. Unfortunately I don\'t have any photos from the entire crew (except for F/Sgt Worden, RCAF). I would really like to get into contact with family from the entire crew:
- Sgt Alfred Brown, RAF
- Sgt Stanley Busby, RAF (I sent the Busby family who posted below an e-mail)
- Sgt William John Chambers, RAF
- Sgt William Price Davies, RAF (I reacted on Brian West his post in this guestbook)
- F/Sgt James Cumming MacPhedran, RAF
- Sgt Christopher Arthur Richardson, RAF
- F/Sgt Arthur Cephas Worden, RCAF

Thank you.
Jimmy Hilgen
Ewijk, The Netherlands

Braniel, Castlereagh, Northern Ireland

A Time To Remember

On this the 75th anniversary of VE Year, let us remember the crew of Halifax HR853, 51 Squadron, RAF Snaith, Yorkshire.

Brown, Sgt Alfred, Air Gnr.
Busby, Sgt Stanley, Wireless Operator / Air Gnr.
Chambers, Sgt William John, Flt Eng.
MacPhedran, Flt Sgt James Cumming, Air Bomber.
Price, Sgt William, Pilot.
Richardson, Sgt Christopher Arthur, Nav.
Worden, Flt Sgt Arthur Cephas, Air Gnr.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them

Canada

Researching my great-grandfather Flt Sgt Arthur Cephas Worden, [Air Gnr.]

Thank you for remembering. God bless

Ben-Vista, Castlereagh, Northern Ireland

A Time to Remember

Once again it is time to remember the crew of Halifax HR853, 51 Sqdn. RAF Snaith, Yorkshire.
Seventy- Four years on and their names and their sacrifice are not forgotten.

BROWN, Sgt Alfred, Air Gnr.

BUSBY, Sgt Stanley, Wireless Operator/Air Gnr.

CHAMBERS, Sgt William John, Flt Eng.

MACPHEDRAN, Flt Sgt James Cumming, Air Bomber.

PRICE, Sgt William, Pilot.

RICHARDSON, Sgt Christopher Arthur, Nav.

WORDEN, Flt Sgt Arthur Cephas, Air Gnr.

At the going down of the sun we will remember them.

Ben Vista, Castlereagh, Northern Ireland

A Time To Remember

Once again it is time to remember the crew of Halifax HR853, 51 Sqdn. RAF Snaith, Yorkshire.
Seventy-Three years on and their names and their sacrifice are not forgotten.

BROWN, Sgt Alfred, Air Gnr.

BUSBY, Sgt Stanley, Wireless Operator/Air Gnr.

CHAMBERS, Sgt William John, Flt Eng.

MACPHEDRAN, Flt Sgt James Cumming, Air Bomber.

PRICE, Sgt William, Pilot.

RICHARDSON, Sgt Christopher Arthur, Nav.

WORDEN, Flt Sgt Arthur Cephas, Air Gnr.


At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.

Lincoln

Link from \"Key Publishing\" web site

My father flew Avro Yorks briefly, after WW2, on this Squadron, before beeing posted to 511 Squadron, and being demobbed shortly before the Berlin Airlift.

Sheffield.

Prior knowledge

I\'ve already put this on the 51 Sqn site on Facebook, having myself served with Ops (EW) Sqn at Wyton, and having flown many \"supernumerary\" trips on the R1s to Malta, Gib, Cyprus and many other trips from Wyton itself, but I felt I had to widen it out a bit. I was at the Fenland and West Norfolk Aircraft museum today, when I happened to meet up with one Henry \"Wag\" Wagner, whose story is amazing. At 0249 on 28 Dec 1944, Halifax NR248, MH-A of 51 Sqn took off from Snaith to bomb Duisburg. They bombed on time and on target. However, at 0636 the Halifax was attacked by Me 110 G4, G9+EM of 4/NJG1 which set the starboard wing on fire. Wag, a Sergeant Navigator, was the only member of the crew to bale out, the remainder died in the aircraft and were buried by the Dutch about 100 yards from where the aircraft crashed. The Me110 was flown by Leutnant Walcher, his crew being Feldwebel Biermann and Unteroffizier Flor. The German aircraft fired only 120 rounds. The Halifax Crew were W/O W Bates (Pilot), Sgt E Berry (Eng), Sgt L Roberts (Bomb-Aimer), F/Sgt J Jones (W/Op AG), Sgt T Worthingham (AG), Sgt R Thomas (AG) and of course Wag himself. He was on the run for six days but was captured on Christmas Eve 1944, and imprisoned at Stalag Luft VII, Bankau and was later on the Death March to Luckenwalde. Meeting him was an honour and a privilege. He is an incredible man, with the brightest of blue eyes, a ready smile and a handshake like a vice, despite being 94. This was a man who did a bungee jump at age 90 (on YouTube). An incredible day indeed! Per Ardua?n It certainly makes you proud.

Sheffield, England

I have an autograph signed Elphick from c1944

Hello. I have a photo of an autograph signed Elphick 51 Squadron from c.1944 which I hoped might be of interest.
If you could give me a current email address, I\'d be delighted to forward it over.
Kind regards,
Jonathan Taylor

Northern Ireland

72 Anniversary HR853

Until very recently I had only ever spoken to one survivor of bomber command. He was a neighbour David Martin (long deceased) a wireless operator air gunner who spent the majority of the war as a prison of war after the Halifax he was in was shot down over Germany.
Last month (April 2015) I met Martin Charters 94, a Tale End Charlie who flew with a Halifax squadron from an airfield in Yorkshire. Martin completed forty missions over occupied Europe and during our long and interesting conversation he revealed to me a great deal about the horrors of being in bomber command.
For the first time in my life I now have a partial understanding of what life was really like for those in Bomber Command.
On this the memorial of HR853 I wish to remember my uncle Sgt. Stanley Busby wireless operator / air gunner with 51 squadron and those of his six crew members who were all men of extreme courage, young men who despite the fear of battle did what they had to do without question and accepted that death was much closer than they really wanted.
Martin Charters still has flash backs and nightmares about some of the horrors he witnessed during those forty missions over occupied Europe. Martin concluded our talk by saying, “I would do it all again, for the cause was just and honourable.”

At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them, ALL.

Sidcup

Anniversary

In loving remembrance of Sgt Ronald Jack Colley and the other 7 crew members FTR 24/5 Feb 1944 Schweinfurt , Halifax LV778. RIP

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Google search for Rublee

My Uncle Bill Rublee was part of 51 Squadron. I remember him when I was small at family weddings etc he would drink too much and then start talking with a Scottish accent, I never found out why. He died 60 years of age climbing the stairs from his basement - I believe his war experiences took 20 years off his life, that and the alcohol problem. He was a farmer in Dodsland SK after the war. I admired and loved him.

Northern Ireland

71st Anniversary

Over the years I have never forgotten the ulitmate sacrifice my uncle Sgt. Stanley Busby wireless operator / air gunner and his six crew members of Halifax HR853 made on this evening all those seventy one years ago. It was to be their ulitmate mission in a struggle against an evil of the highest magnitude. Let us thank God that Stanley\'s sacrifice, and the sacrifice of other soldiers, sailers and airmen both male and female from all the Allied nations who took part in this titanic struggle was not in vain.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.

Earlier this year my uncle Stanley finally received his bomber command clasp which has been attached to his medals that I currently hold. I wonder how many of his six crew members families applied for their relatives clasp? If you have not yet applied it is never too late.