Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum

I'm new to the forum and have joined due to my interest in PB 634. I have recently become the proud owner of the DFC group of medals earned by Fg Off Giggs who was the Rear Gunner in Lancaster PB 634 which has recently been found by your excavation. Any further details of him or the rest of the crew would be much appreciated . Congratulations on your excellent research.

Welcome to the forum, Kiplyn.
We are fortunate to have some very good researchers on hand to assist new members and alike so you are quite correct in your assessment, thanks.
If we can find any more details, we'll post it.
I know I have the ORB's for 101 sqn but don't seem to have anything from the start of 1944 onwards.
Cheers,
John

Kiplyn wrote:I'm new to the forum and have joined due to my interest in PB 634. I have recently become the proud owner of the DFC group of medals earned by Fg Off Giggs who was the Rear Gunner in Lancaster PB 634 which has recently been found by your excavation. Any further details of him or the rest of the crew would be much appreciated . Congratulations on your excellent research.

Hello Kiplyn,

I have researched this crew extensively, to the point of having the name of the German Oberst in charge of the flak battery which shot it down. The German folks who found the remains of the aircraft were told, nay, proven, that it was not a night fighter which brought it down yet Karacho told the niece of the the Flight Engineer it was a night fighter. German records don't lie, especially captured German records.

As you know own Ken Gibbs's medals you are undoubtedly aware that the CWGC got his age wrong. As he enlisted in 1941, there is no way he could only be 19. I have information on the rest of the crew as well with photos of all save the ABC operator. I also have the ORB pages for every one of their ops but as the PORs are missing post April 1944 I cannot tell you if Gibbs was the Squadron Gunnery Leader. PM me your email address and I'll see what I can for you with the Parke crew.

Dave

Thanks Dave. I would be grateful for anything you have.. My email address is kiplyn@ btinternet.com

There is in fact, every possibility that Ken Gibbs was the age stated at time of death, when you take into account the story of a Canadian airgunner, who lied about his age when enlisting, and was killed in April 45 at the age of 16.

Went that route, Alan, looking for a birth on freebmd for the 1925 timeframe. Nothing.

But did find one with the right parents names a few years earlier