Hi Alan yes i have photo's of those displays at East Kirkby I visited EK and JJ last coup[le of years with 49 Sqd Association, and have a few images in my photobucket Dom
After our visit to EK we went to Newark air show both sites were very good and informative enjoyed by all. Alan
*** Update *** I will be returning to Germany this year to complete the recovery of ED702, I was planning on doing this last year sadly other things came up which delayed me going over. Over the past year i have been working closely with Peter Schrieber in Germany colating our reserch and gaining new information, includign new witnesses. I have emailed the families of the crew with details of this and invited them to join Peter and I for the recovery Though this trip is a few months away i will post new info as it arises Dom
Good luck with the hunt Dom, wish I could be there but it's looking impossible sadly. Please keep us posted. Lee
Cheers Lee, the final planning is getting there slowly, Peter and I are now going over maps and witness statements carefully. and the recovery work we did in 2011 Sorry to hear you may not be able to make it .. seems August is the wrong month for most of the relatives. Dom
Dom, it's a real shame, I would of very much appreciated being there. There is still a very slim chance of being there, if I can integrate it with another trip I need to make.
Lee If you can let me know as soon as poss, i will let the Metzgers know your a possibility, you dont need to arrive on the Sat you can see by the weeks plans.. all can be moved about very simply.. only one which cant be later in the week is Rheinberg Dom
Lee/Harry Many thanks for the futher information, I am sure I read somewhere that the original planes in the film came from the French Maritime Squadrons as they were the only lancs still flying. I was always told they were modified Lincolns. i believe these Lancaster,s were taken out of storage at Hullavington and flown by Hemswell Lincoln crews in the film.
I've long had sympathy for the way Cyril Anderson was treated after bringing his mine back to base. I'm now reading the 'uncensored' version of Enemy Coast Ahead. A few points stick out. First, Anderson is not listed in the dedicatees at the front of the book, which seems to be a comprehensive list of those pilots who served with Gibson and lost their lives in combat. Is this because he was no longer in 617 Squadron at the time of his death, or is this spite on Gibson's part? Second, Gibson refers to him as F/Sgt Anderson, yet the web suggests that he had been commissioned at the time of the raid, even if he didn't know that himself. Third, Gibson refers to 'Peter Townsend and Anderson' as the tail end of the force. "We heard Peter say that he had been successful, but heard nothing from Anderson". This discrimination of first and last names might have been based on rank (Townsend was listed as P/O) but might also have been a gesture of spite. Any clues from anybody? The apparently familiar and friendly reference to Townsend is somewhat undermined by the fact that Townsend's first name was Bill.
AM, Ive not read that book as yet probably with my great aunt saying how Cyril also disliked Gibson, the feeling apparently was mutual, Cyril and the crew returned to 49 shortly after the raid, he is in the "after breakfast" picture. He and the crew were happy to get back to 49 and continue with ops, at the time of the raid he was still a F/S his promotion to P/O was given 17 April was not gazetted until 29th June By the time Cyril got to the Sorpe after being redirected for his p[primary the Diemal , he was unable to even see the church due to fog, Dom
Thanks, Dom, Those dates explain the confusion. There's no denying Gibson's many and varied talents, but your great-uncle appears to have fallen victim to one of his flaws. I'm pleased to hear that he and his crew were happy to return to 49. It would have been easy for them to feel resentful.
Hi Anne Ive some information on Jimmy and where he was found ofter they were shot down if youd like to email me ive sent you a private message Dom
