Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum

This is a new photograph section featuring the 'Short Stirling' and the crews who flew in them.

Bob

The caption to this photo says, ' Stirling Aircraft towing gliders at the "take off" for the Allied Invasion of Holland' Taken on 17th September 1944. Source Australian War Memorial.

Notice the invasion stripes! Can anyone identify the airfield?

Flying Officer W.M. Walton of Perth Scotland. Photograph taken 11th April 1945.Source Australian War Memorial.

This is a picture of Flying Officer Francis William Douglas 425692 RAAF.Source Australian War Memorial.According to the CWGC,he was killed on 24th March 1945,and is buried in ' Mazargues War Cemetery France'. He served with RAF 46 Squadron.

These two Stirlings belonged to RAF 46 Squadron,and the photograph was taken on 11th April 1945.
Source:- Australian War Memorial.

Shepherd's Grove, England. c. 1944-10. Informal group portrait of an air crew of No 196 Squadron RAF, beside their Stirling IV aircraft (7T-K).

Shepherd's Grove, England. c. 1944-10. Informal group portrait of an air crew of No 196 Squadron RAF, beside their Stirling IV aircraft (7T-K). Left to right, back row: Sergeant Pete Smith (flight engineer); 420682 Flight Lieutenant Charles King, RAAF (pilot); Warrant Officer Jack Corcoran, Royal New Zealand Air Force (navigator); Warrant Officer Howard McLaren, RAAF (bomb aimer); front row: Flight Sergeant John Heslop, RAF (gunner); Flying Officer Dudley G. Hunt, RAAF (wireless airgunner). Note the nose art on the aircraft of a boxing kangaroo, the inscription `It's in the bag' and the tally of daggers beside the kangaroo. The squadron was with the Allied Expeditionary Air Force towing Horsa gliders and dropping paratroops at this time. (Donor C. King) Source Australian War Memorial.

This picture is of aircrew members of RAF 196 Squadron, and was taken two days before 'D' Day 1944.before they towed gliders carrying airborne troops too take part in the Normandy landings on the 6th of June.The picture source,from the Australian War Memorial.

The crew of Short Stirling III EF259 HA-G RAF 218 Squadron,which came down on the Chably Operation on 1/2nd May 1944. Picture source:- Australian War Memorial.

Woolfox Lodge, England. c. April 1944. Informal group portrait of the crew in front of their Stirling bomber aircraft of No. 218 Squadron RAF. From left to right: Charles 'Jock' Weir RAF, mid ...
Description Woolfox Lodge, England. c. April 1944. Informal group portrait of the crew in front of their Stirling bomber aircraft of No. 218 Squadron RAF. From left to right: Charles 'Jock' Weir RAF, mid upper gunner of Scotland; Ted Hawkins RAF, flight engineer of England; Paddy Clayton RAF, wireless operator of Ireland 415242 Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Noel Stirling Eliot RAAF, pilot; 429068 Flying Officer Kevin John O'Neil (Jack) Lynch RAAF, bomb aimer; Johnny Grantham RAF, rear gunner of Sussex, England; Jack Hassett RAF, navigator of England. The aircraft this crew were flying was shot down on 1 May 1944 while on a bombing raid over the Chambly railway marshalling yards, north of Paris. Those killed were Jack Hassett, Ted Hawkins, Paddy Clayton and Johnny Grantham. Flt Lt Eliot was one of four survivors, including Charles 'Jock' Weir, schoolteacher from NSW before enlistment and Sergeant Wilson. The Germans buried the remains of the crew near the crash site but the bodies were reburied in the churchyard of the Church of St Denis at Poix after villagers had begun to put flowers at the crash site. Flt Lt Eliot escaped from the aircraft by parachute and was picked up by members of the French Underground, surviving via the Comet (Comete) escape route, ending up in two camps of 152 Allied airmen , along with Jack Lynch and seven other Australian airmen, in the Forest of Freteval until liberation. (Donor N. Eliot)

Bob,

This is a No.623 Squadron Short Stirling Mk.III of "A" Flight. Had the pleasure of becoming friends with Jock and Noel and the son of Ted Hawkins a number of years ago. The crew were originally posted to No.623 Squadron, on the squadrons disbandment in December 1943 the crew were posted across the tarmac to No.218 (Gold Coast) Squadron. I have a lever arch file of information on this crew. This photograph was sent to me in 1991 by Ted's son from his private collection.

Regards

Smudger

Hi Smudger,

So the A/C in the background is a RAF 623 Stirling III of 'A' Flight before the same crew pictured joined 218.Thank you for these interesting facts,and can I post this new information under their picture?
It proves how posting these photographs can bring fresh information to light,and thanks once again for posting it.

Regards

Bob