I am researching the above, Charles Fairbairn. I know most of his sevice up to him being posted to 83 Operational Training Unit, RAF Peplow (Childs Ercall) on 17th February 1944, from Jack Curries book "Lancaster Target". Surviving relatives have advised me that he was shot down and evaded capture, which must be after this date. I appreciate family stories can be exagerated and this may not be the case. Does anyone have access to 83 OTU records, or know anything more of Charlies service. He was awarded the DFM from King George VI on Tuesday 8th May 1945 (Victory in Europe Day).
DFM gazetted SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 2 JUNE, 1944 p2537 1078762 Sergeant Charles FAIRBAIRN, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No. 626 Squadron. Also appears here 12 Squadron Airmen and Commanding Officers - P/O Thomas Forbes - Lancaster Bomber Pilot - 12 Squadron RAFVR 12 Squadron Airmen and Commanding Officers Capt: P/O Currie, JACK .A DFC ... 155488 - Completed Operational Tour(s) (626 Sqn) Nav: F/O Cassidy, JIM DFC ... 414901 - Completed Operational Tour? (626 Sqn) W/T: Sgt Fairbairn, CHARLIE DFM ... 1078762 - Completed Operational Tour? (626 Sqn) B/A: F/S Myring, LARRY .E F/E: Sgt Walker, GEORGE 'Johnny' M/U: Sgt Protheroe, GEORGE, V R/G: P/O Lanham, CHARLIE WESLEY DFC ... 404488 RAAF - Completed Operational Tour? (626 Sqn). Unable to ascertain the date on which he was shot down (to have evaded) but as not in "Footprints on the Sands of Time" he wasn't captured and then evaded. A FAIRBAIRN J.H. F/LT RAF 167978 does appear in RAF Roll of PoW's at Stalag Luft I Barth, but presumably he was not Bomber Command. I'd guess that when he evaded it was with 626 Squadron, as most evaders weren't sent back on BC Ops, so as not to jeopardise escape lines and members.
Nobody with that name or service number appears in "RAF Evaders" by Oliver Clutton-Brock. Regards, Dave
Thankyou all. The family do not have his service record, although I may apply for it in time. I am thinking that he may have been in a crew that crash landed, possibly with 83 OTU, in the UK and the family have expanded on this over time. I hope to look at AIR29/687/3 to see if that throws any light on the subject
Peter I think they need to apply for it as you know family memories could get confused over time regards Clive
Stop the guessing and apply for his records, then follow up on the details - otherwise you could be going around in circles for a long time TD
I have found he did his training at No. 4 Signals School, but can't find where that is? Also some abbreviations "1699 B.S.T.U., RAF Oulton". Is it Bomber Support Training Unit? He flew in B24 Liberators and his duty changed from WO/AG to S W/OP, SP W/OP, SPL W/OP and SPC W/OP, Whats "S, SP, SPL" and "SPC"?
That's quick if you've got his Service records. Royal Air Force Oulton or more simply RAF Oulton is a former Royal Air Force Satellite airfield located 3 miles west of Aylsham, Norfolk and 12.5 miles northwest of Norwich, Norfolk, England. The airfield was built during 1939 and 1940 as a bomber airfield with T2 type hangars and grass runways, the facility operating as a satellite airfield of nearby RAF Horsham St. Faith between July 1940 and September 1942 after which it operated as a satellite airfield of RAF Swanton Morley. In September 1943 Oulton was transferred from 2 Group to 3 Group and closed to flying for re-construction as a heavy bomber base with concrete runways, taxiways and parking areas. The work was completed in April 1944 and the airfield transferred to No. 100 Group RAF. Flying operations ceased at the end of July 1945, after which it was taken over by RAF Maintenance Command which used it to store de Havilland Mosquitos until November 1947.No. 1699 (Bomber Support) Flight RAF, operating the Flying Fortress were there from May 1944 to June 1945. Fancy a visit? Blickling Estate's RAF Oulton Museum Frequently wireless operators were also expected to man a gun position (of which there were many on the Liberator, nose, top turret, waist, ball and rear
They're all the same. Special Wireless Operator. Some Bomber Support squadrons ie. No. 214 Sqn, who operated out of Oulton, carried an extra w/operator to man the radio and radar jamming equipment. They were known as, take your pick, Special Wireless Operator, Special Duties Operator, Wireless Op (SD) etc.
Oulton was a base belonging to No 100 Group (Bomber Support.... sometimes referred to as Special Duties) formed in November 1943 to provided the ECM role for Bomber Command's main force support. To discharge this role, an aircraft carried experienced wireless operators trained to initiate and manage ECM transmissions, in addition to the normal Wireless Operator..... Jostle being the wireless ECM jamming transmissions to interfere with the management of the Luftwaffe air defence system and create confusion for their ground controllers. Window Spoofs were also conducted by the Group to create false indication of the being of a main force similar to the operation conducted by No 617 Squadron who performed the role during the night of 5 June 1944 in the English Channel between the south coast of Britain and Normandy. The Group occupied 8 airfields and were equipped with an assortment of British and US aircraft.The training flight, No 1699,for the Group was based at Oulton, equipped with the Fortress 11 and Liberator. No 223 Squadron was based at Oulton and F/S C Fairbairn was posted there as an experienced Wireless Operator towards the end of the war.The Squadron was equipped with the Liberator and Fortess 11.Its crew structure was configured for the ECM role.Pilot, Flight Engineer,Navigator,Wireless Operator, 2 Special Operators (these would be crew with a wireless operator background and trained as ECM Special Operators on site) plus 4 Air gunners giving a crew of 10. Looking at F/S Fairbairn's time on No 223 squadron,his first op was a Window Spoof against Homberg on 15/16 March 1945 supporting No 4 and No 6 Groups who were attacking Homberg and Zweibrucken German troop concentrations. He also appears on the final op of the squadron which took place on 2 May 1945...a Window Spoof op against Kiel for which the squadron put up 5 Liberators and 4 Fortresses.His skipper again was Flying Officer P Bowell who probably was the pilot on his ops while he was on the squadron.
Thankyou Harry Fairbairns first op with 223 was 8th March 45 to Kassel, He flew predominantly with F/O. P. Bowell. An op. on 10th April 45 to Dessau, with F/O. P. Bowell, has them landing at Florennes, any idea why? He returned to Downampley via Bruxelles Avere and was flying again, on another op., on the 14th.
Peter. Thanks for the added information. Florennes/Juzaine was a major Luftwaffe fighter airfield in Belgium until it was overrun.It was requisitioned by the 9th USAAF Air Force as Advanced Landing Ground A 78 and the first units were established there from September 1944.By April 1945 there was an assortment of US flying units based there. There must have been an operational reason for the diversion to A78. However it is interesting for the return home from Avere was to Down Ampney,an airfield belonging to Transport Command and a two squadron Dakota airfield. ie, a Command outside Bomber Command structure. I think the answer might lie that Down Ampney was the base of Nos 120 and 122 Staging Posts and it might be that some personnel might have been picked up at Advanced Landing Ground B 56 Avere for staging reasons through Transport Command's Down Ampney. At the time Avere was the main Bruxelles airport. Regarding No 223 Squadron,it seems that some postings to the squadron towards final victory were from B.C tour expired personnel possessing experience gained from main force squadrons
