alacal.bsky.social
@alacal.bsky.social
Really surprised about that. Researching a Canadian uncle I had access (on line) to all his crews records, reports etc. on the one Englishman in the crew, here in the UK, nothing, because I was not a relative!
December 19, 2025 at 10:09 AM
They would live all over Britain. No units still recruited only from traditional areas.
October 29, 2025 at 8:46 PM
He lived in Edinburgh and worked as a barman in a pub.
October 29, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Good night for the squadron, only one aircraft lost. RIP
Lt L Hulthin RNAF
W/O I Blackburn
Sgt R Machan
P/O Murfitt
P/O A Barden aged 18
Sgt L Brawn
Sgt F Southern
p/O L Pringle RAAF
All rest in Hannover .
October 22, 2025 at 6:38 PM
“Jocks” from 1st Battalion, Highland Light Infantry.
City of Glasgow Regiment, leading the way!
October 22, 2025 at 6:24 PM
An unusual infantry soldier in Normandy, being a pre war regular.
August 12, 2025 at 10:01 PM
A Lanc sqdrn needed over a thousand people to keep the 20 bombers operational, inc the crews. When 300 Polish Bomber Squadron converted to Lancs in 1944 it took 8 months to provide all the crews at wars end. Faldingworth station still needed about 400 RAF staff to complete the 1200 required.
June 11, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Can I add this example?
On 5 July. 4 th Somerset Light Infantry rec’d 3 officers and 62 ORs. Followed by 12 officers and 479 ORs between 14 and 28 July.
The battalion remained under its official strength of 36 officers and 700 NCOs and men.
June 10, 2025 at 9:31 PM
An infantryman in Normandy had less chance of survival than one on the Somme in 1916.
People forget that of a divisions 18000 men, the infantry companies about 5000 of the total took almost all the casualties.
June 10, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Sgt William Norman Clague kings Liverpool Regiment. Son of William and Catherine Clague of Douglas Isle of Man.
Arttd No 5 film unit.
Interred Ranville.
June 5, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Well Zhukov did threaten to shell other soviet units that got in the way of his!
June 5, 2025 at 10:18 AM
P/o F Roper RCAF
Became the first American to complete his first tour 30 ops. In Bomber Command in 1942.
He subsequently transferred to the USAAF
and rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel!
May 18, 2025 at 12:21 PM
10 May 40 squadron lost six blenheims.
12 May 15 squadron lost seven blenheims.
14 May 110 squadron lost five blenheims.
May 17, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Could be a Hotchkiss?
That the mag at the right?
May 15, 2025 at 8:40 AM
Magnificent effort, but training was carried out over the Empire!
Pilots were also trained in the USA!
One of the reasons that Bomber Command especially could suffer the losses and still keep going.
Some nights raids would require +300 aircrew as replacements.
May 15, 2025 at 8:38 AM
With apologies to “High Flight”?
May 14, 2025 at 10:04 PM
The majority taking up the privilege of wounded men to dump their equipment!
May 14, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Stirling n 3658 lost 7/8 Aug. 1941.
Crew
P/0 j Needham
S/l j Vivian
Sgt g w Jeffrey RCAF
Sgt s h Broyd
Sgt j t Corbett
F/s r a Ross
Sgt k l Rowley
May 14, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Good, missed your posts!
May 10, 2025 at 6:45 PM
R1506 OJ-D failed to return. Shot down by night fighter. Ofw
Schönherr 11./ng22
Crew F/s CR Burch killed
Sgt GDK Jones POW
P/o D Martin. Killed
Sgt WGH Dauncey. Killed
Sgt JA Keates. Killed
Sgt D Westmacott. Pow
May 10, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Fitting that 300 Polish bomber squadron sent 14 Lancs on this mission, suffering two wounded crew.
The escort included Mustangs of 303,306,309,315,316 Polish fighter squadrons.
Surge Polonia!
April 25, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Crew: f/o D White
Sgt. N L Jones
Sgt. P J Hurst
Lac N Hornsby
Buried in Hamburg Cemetery Ohlsdorf.

Other two crews lost at sea.
April 25, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Read it years ago. Visited her brothers grave. On the Asiago plateau, a few years later. Still signs of battle about.
April 24, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Liberated, coincidentally by men of the Polish 1st armoured division!
April 12, 2025 at 5:20 PM
My dad was given a “lift” in an American light plane in Burma. He was trying to return to his unit 18 Field Regiment.
The American pilot said to him to keep his Tommy gun handy, because they flew so low!
April 10, 2025 at 7:09 PM