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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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228 Squadron crest
18.12.1943 No. 228/270/201 Squadron Sunderland III DW106 Fl/Lt. John E. Wood

Operation: Transfer to Jui, Gambia - West Africa

Date: 18th December 1943

Unit: No. 228 / 270 / 201Squadron

Type: Sunderland III

Serial: DW106.

Code: ?

Base: RAF Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, West Wales

Location: Cape St. Vincent, South of Portugal

Pilot 1: Fl/Lt. John Eric Wood 132329 RAFVR Age 22. Missing - believed killed

Pilot 2: F/O. Norman Edmond Hanna J/14348 RCAF Age 22. Missing - believed killed

Fl/Eng: F/O. Reginald Robert Terance Crump 143797 RAFVR Age 24. Missing - believed killed

Navigator: P/O. Neil Proctor Chapman AUS/411629 RAAF Age 23. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: W/O. Frederick Raymond Brown DFM 935941 RAFVR Age 27. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: F/O. Edward James Jay 147513 RAFVR Age 23. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Francis McPhee 1009818 RAFVR Age. 29. Missing - believed killed

Crew: Fl/Sgt. Charles Albert Mark Barber AUS/409883 RAAF Age 28. Missing - believed killed

Crew: Fl/Sgt. Eric Piggott Botting 921409 RAFVR Age 24. Missing - believed killed

Crew: Fl/Sgt. Leslie Robinson 622736 RAF Age 23. Missing - believed killed

Passengers: Total of 19 persons on board this aircraft (Including flight crew) can you assist us in providing further information?

Pilot: F/O Vernon Maurice Sparkes 129285 RAFVR 270 Squadron Age 25. Missing - believed killed

Navigator: F/O Raymond John Elderfield 124315 RAFVR 270 Squadron Age 26. Missing - believed killed

Fl/Eng: Fl/Sgt. Maurice Robert Hunt 576940 RAFVR 270 Squadron Age 20. Missing - believed killed

Air/Gnr-Flt/mech (A): Sgt. Samuel Hughes 1500685 RAFVR 270 Squadron Age 22. Missing - believed killed

Air/Gnr-Flt/mech (E): Sgt. Edmund Albert Hooker 911243 RAFVR 270 Squadron Age 27. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. William Henry Cryer 1313475 RAFVR 270 Squadron Age 21. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Henry Leonard Thompson 1285255 RAFVR 270 Squadron Age 23. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. William Peter Houston 1086452 RAFVR 270 Squadron Age 21. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: F/O. Stanley Kidd 151602 RAFVR 270 Squadron Age 20. Missing - believed killed

We would appreciate contact from Julie Chandler her email address that we have on file is no longer valid. Also Doris Hughes MBE and Paul Connor. Another relative contacted us in November 2016 and we would like to place all of you in touch with one another.


REASON FOR LOSS:

This article has been kindly submitted by Julie Chandler who has researched this loss. We are also very Grateful to Mrs Doris Hughes MBE. (Wife of Sgt. Samuel Hughes).

Sgt. Samuel Hughes was a native of Wales although his family had moved to Hartlepool before the war. Samuel was an air gunner but also qualified as a flight mechanic (Airframes). He trained with 131 (Coastal) OTU at Killadeas , Northern Ireland and later with 302 Ferry Training Unit in Oban, Scotland. He met his future wife Doris at the local Toc H canteen in Wolverhampton which had been Doris's home town and not far from Cosford. Married only seven months before he was killed. They did have a daughter who was born after his death.

Sammy was a member of a Catalina crew of Coastal Command and at the final stages of training at Oban which consisted of long offensive patrols and even convoy escort duties. One of their final operations from Oban involved escorting the liner Aquitania into the Firth of Forth.

After note: We have recently been contacted by a relative of the crew who has kindly submitted us with the complete crew details. We appreciate the assistance from Carlos Guerreiro and also to Paul Connor - relative of 1009818 Fl/Sgt. Francis McPhee.

The original crew members from 270 Squadron - Back row L - R: Sgt. William Cryer, Sgt. Henry Thompson, Sgt. William Houston, Fl/Sgt. Maurice Hunt. Front row L - R: Sgt. Edmund Hooker, P/O. Laing, F/O. Vernon Sparkes, F/O. Raymond Elderfield, Sgt. Samuel Hughes. This was the last time the crew flew together. P/O. Laing, the 2nd pilot parted company for other duties.

They left Pembroke Dock on Friday 17th December 1943 at 23.45 hrs. in transit to 270 Squadron in West Africa. On board this Sunderand DW106 were a total of 19 air force personnel including it's crew. Sometime on the 18th December 1943 the aircraft was lost with all on board somewhere in the south of Portugal, in all probability victims of roving German fighters. A distress IFF signal was picked up by another Sunderland that was following DW106, EK589 Flown by F/O. Weskett 30 miles off Cape St. Vincent. A thorough search was made in the area but no trace could be found.



The Giant Plane That Wrecked U-boats (Courtesy DarkSkies via YouTube)

Doris received the last letter from Sammy on the 20th December and at the same time the dreaded 'Missing' telegram was also received.

Fl/Sgt. Charles Albert Mark Barber (courtesy Mrs Senta Angwin-Koy)

Mrs Doris Hughes then became very active in the War Widows Association and such was her life-long commitment she was awarded the much deserved MBE by the Queen.


left to right: back row: Brown (possibly Warrant Officer Frederic Raymond Brown DFM RAF), 1009818 Flight Sergeant (Fl/Sgt) Francis McPhee RAF, 132329 Flight Lieutenant John Eric Wood RAF, 409883 Fl/Sgt Charles Albert Mark (Mark) Barber RAAF, 921409 Fl/Sgt Eric Piggott Botting RAF, 143797 Flying Officer (F/O) Reginald Robert Terance Crump RAF, 147513 F/O Edward James Jay RAF, White.


Front row: 411629 Pilot Officer (P/O) Neil Proctor Chapman RAAF, Alexander; Wood, pilot; Brown (possibly Warrant Officer Frederic Raymond Brown DFM RAF).



Burial details:



Fl/Lt. John Eric Wood. Runnymede War memorial: Panel 122. Son of Frank Murray Wood and Eveline Wood, of Sheffield, England.



F/O. Norman Edmond Hanna. Runnymede War memorial: Panel 173. Son of Samuel and Elizabeth Hanna, of Bangor, Co. Down, Northern Ireland.

F/O. Reginald Robert Terance Crump. Runnymede War memorial: Panel 124. Son of Ernest William and Elizabeth Adelaide Crump, husband of Hilda Frances Crump, of Short Heath, Staffordshire, England.

P/O. Neil Proctor Chapman. Runnymede War memorial: Panel 190. Son of Oswald Howse Chapman and Olive Chapman, of Coopernook, New South Wales, Australia.

W/O. Frederick Raymond Brown DFM. Runnymede War memorial: Panel 134, Son of Frederic W. Brown, and of B. Muriel Brown, of Ilkley, Yorkshire, England.

F/O. Edward James Jay. Runnymede War memorial: Panel 125. Son of James Harry and Florence Mary Jay, of Morden, Surrey, England.

Fl/Sgt. Francis McPhee. Runnymede War memorial: Panel 138. Born on 20th December 1913. Son of Francis and Martha McPhee of Glasgow, Scotland.

Fl/Sgt. Charles Albert Mark Barber. Runnymede War memorial: Panel 192. Son of Albert Ernest Mercer Barber and Ellenor Barber, of Essendon, Victoria, Australia.



Fl/Sgt. Eric Piggott Botting. Runnymede War memorial: Panel 135. Son of Mrs. A. L. Botting, of Haywards Heath, Sussex, England.

Fl/Sgt. Leslie Robinson. Runnymede War memorial: Panel 139. Son of Thomas and Mary J. Robinson, of Whitehaven, Cumberland, England.

F/O. Vernon Maurice Sparkes Runnymede War memorial: Panel 129. Son of George Henry and Ethel, husband of Enid of Barry, Glamorgan, Wales

.

F/O. Raymond John Elderfield Runnymede War memorial: Panel 124. Son of Ernest John and Lilian Elderfield of Reading, Berkshire, England.

Fl/Sgt. Maurice Robert Hunt Runnymede War memorial: Panel 137. Son of Willie and Harriet Annie of Rampton, Nottinghamshire, England.

Sgt. Samuel Hughes Runnymede War memorial: Panel 154. Son of George Alfred and Wilhelmina, husband of Doris of Wolverhampton, England.

Sgt. Edmund Albert Hooker Runnymede War memorial: Panel 153. Son of Edmund and Rosina Florence, husband of Rosalie Florence of Pinner, Middlesex, England.

Sgt. William Henry Cryer Runnymede War memorial: Panel 146. Son of Guy and Lavinia of Gloucester, England.

Sgt. Henry Leonard Thompson Runnymede War memorial: Panel 167. Son of Henry Leonard and Caroline Mary, husband of Gertrude Thompson of Brockley, London, England.

Sgt. William Peter Houston Runnymede War memorial: Panel 154. Son of James and Fanny of Newton by Chester, Cheshire, England.

F/O. Stanley Kidd. Runnymede War memorial: Panel 125. Son of Thomas Herbert and Annie Kidd, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, England.

With thanks to Julie Chandler who researched this loss for Aircrew Remembered, Carlos Guerreiro for his further detailed reseearch into this loss, Paul Connor relative of Fl/Sgt. Francis McPhee, Mrs Senta Angwin-Koy relative of Fl/Sgt. Charles Albert Mark Barber who contacted us in November 2016. In May 2017 the sister, Dinah Rudman of Sgt. William Henry Cryer contacted us. His brothers also served with the Airforce in Bomber Command and Coastal Command - we hope to have further information from Dinah on this. Thanks to Julian Hall for the correction of the unit's base.

RS 16.12.2018 Correction to the Unit's base.

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and Captain François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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