RAF Wethersfield

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WethersfieldRoss
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RAF Wethersfield

Post by WethersfieldRoss »

196 and 299 Squadrons were here at Station 170, RAF Wethersfield from October 1944 to January 1945. I can tell with photos and documents part of the story of two men Bill Littlewood RAF Wireless Operator 196 Sqd and Tom Mouser RAAF Navigator 299 Sqd.

Some antidotes from members of there family. Hopefully forum members will be able to add information about these two Squadrons, the Aircraft and the Personnel and Missions.

I'm open to all advice and guidance to further knowledge on the subject.
WethersfieldRoss
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Re: RAF Wethersfield

Post by WethersfieldRoss »

This is Bitter Sweet the Stirling that Tom Mouser with Pilot RCAF Tom Hogg flew. A Google search of Tom Hogg will show his Obituary in 2012.

Please assume I know nothing and tell me all you can about this Aircraft.

We have a 1/72 model to build as Bitter Sweet for the WW2 Diorama.
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WethersfieldRoss
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Re: RAF Wethersfield

Post by WethersfieldRoss »

The crew listed are (from left to right) Don (Eng), Mac (NZ), Tom Mouser, Buck (Eng), Tom Hogg (Canada - he is listed as the pilot in The log book and Tony (Aus).

From a small diary of Tom Mousers I now know Don is Donald (Dizzy) Oakes his best friend and it has an address for him in 1944 in Henely on Thames.
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WethersfieldRoss
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Re: RAF Wethersfield

Post by WethersfieldRoss »

Another photo of the Bitter Sweet Crew.
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AlanW
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Re: RAF Wethersfield

Post by AlanW »

Welcome to the forum. I would concentrate more on 299sqdn, as according to Tom Mousers service record, he was only with 196 a matter of a couple of days before being posted on to 299, so there will be nothing to gain from anything to do with 196sqdn. Nice set of photo's.
There is no paralell in warfare, to such courage and determination in the face of danger, over so long a period. Such devotion, should never be forgotten.
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wayne
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Re: RAF Wethersfield

Post by wayne »

Hi WethersfieldRoss,

Do you have full names for the rest of the crew?

I might possibly be able to check for anything on "Mac" if I knew his full name :)

Cheers,
Wayne.
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AlanW
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Re: RAF Wethersfield

Post by AlanW »

Wayne,
Mac, is actually 415170, F/O E.M McAlister RAAF, not NZ as quoted. I had my suspicions with the darker uniform, and downloaded the Dec 44 ops book out of curiosity. Full crew....
J.28013, F/O T.L. Hogg.
Aus.419391 F/Sgt T.G Mouser.
Aus.415170 F/O E.M. McAlister.
Aus 419766 F/Sgt A.H. Purcell
115149 F/Lt J.W. Buckler
1804512 Sgt D.J. Judd.
There is no paralell in warfare, to such courage and determination in the face of danger, over so long a period. Such devotion, should never be forgotten.
WethersfieldRoss
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Re: RAF Wethersfield

Post by WethersfieldRoss »

Thanks Alan and Wayne,

Yes Tom Mouser was only 196 a few days, his service record is all on the Australian Forces Records site, in the 4 months he was at the base he met a local Girl Freda King, at the village hall dance the night they met they both wrote letters to each other addressed to my future wife / husband, a year later they married and at 18 Freda set off to Australia with Tom.
She worked in Courtalds Silk Factory in Braintree and was a tester to select Parachute Silk, she made her wedding dress from silk that did not meet the grade that she had kept. Tom died when he was 57? Of Cancer, Freda passed away recently and their two daughters sent the wedding dress to Braintree Museum and brought me the photos a copy of his log book a small 1944 diary with a few names and addresses and a couple of other bits of paper of interest I will get round to posting.
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Re: RAF Wethersfield

Post by WethersfieldRoss »

So Don may not be Dizzy Oakes that was an assumption as the daughter knew Dizzy was her dads best friend. and his details were in the diary.
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Re: RAF Wethersfield

Post by WethersfieldRoss »

Bill Littlewood was in 196 Sqd, his sister is a Golfer at the golf course I now work, I'm a retired Chief Inspector MoD Police, I Voluntary run a museum at Wethersfield and host mainly American Visitors, ( I have some today so will be late evening before I post more).

Bill became a Policeman in Colchester after the war his sister made a folder of his RAF Service for me with photos, unfortunately his blue book was lent to someone and never returned.

Photo files are to large so need to wait until I reduce them.
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