Hi all, Is there anybody who can help me finding the DFC/DFM citations for the following airmen. I am struggling to find them in the London Gazette. DFC - CAMERON, THOMAS HENRY - Service Number J/17785 DFC - MARTIN, BARRY - Service Number 403790 DFC - PARTRIDGE, THOMAS NOEL - Service Number 37574 DFC - SMITH, WILLIAM ARTHUR - Service Number 63414 DFM - HERBERT, GEORGE RACINE - Service Number 142149 DFM - BROOKER, ROBIN NEVILLE BENEDICT - Service Number 573732 DFM - DEMPSTER, WILLIAM JOSEPH - Service Number R/83543 DFM - SMITH, JOHN OSCAR NOEL - Service Number 550971 Many thanks in advance!
Partridge: plus see attached Page 4570 | Issue 35241, 8 August 1941 | London Gazette | The Gazette Martin: Page 702 | Supplement 35894, 5 February 1943 | London Gazette | The Gazette
From Hugh Halliday's Honours and Awards database: DEMPSTER, FS (later WO2) William Joseph (R83543) - Distinguished Flying Medal - No.7 Squadron (dead) - Award effective 1 March 1943 as per London Gazette dated 17 April 1945 and AFRO 918/45. Born in Toronto, 13 April 1919. Educated at Bloor Collegiate Institute and Wester Technical School. Home in Toronto (restaurant manager); enlisted there 21 November 1940 and posted to No.2 Manning Depot. To “B”, 2 January 1941. To No.2 WS, 2 March 1941; promoted LAC, 3 April 1941; to No.4 BGS, 19 July 1941; graduated and promoted Sergeant, 18 August 1941. To Embarkation Depot, 19 August 1941; to RAF overseas, 21 September 1941. Taken on strength of No.3 PRC, Bournemouth, 7 October 1941. To No.1 Signal School, 11 November 1941. Promoted Flight Sergeant, 18 February 1942. To No.12 OTU, 17 Match 1942. To No.214 Squadron, 12 June 1942. To No.7 Squadron, 18 October 1942. Promoted WO2, 1 November 1942. Missing, presumed dead, 2 February 1943 (Stirling R9624). In all his operational sorties, many of which have been against the enemy's most heavily defended targets, Flight Sergeant Dempster has displayed courage and coolness. He has largely contributed to the successes achieved by his determination to press home the attack however heavy the opposition. This airman has obtained some excellent photographs. The website “Lost Bombers” provides the following details of his last flight. Stirling R9264 of No.7 Squadron (MG-L) was to bomb Cologne. Airborne at 1926 hours, 2 February 1943 from Oakington. Shot down at 2205 hours, 2 February 1943 by a night-fighter (Oblt Reinhold Knacke, 1./NJG1) and crashed at Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht (Zuid Holland), 13 km SE of Rotterdam, where those killed are buried in the city's Crooswijk General Cemetery. Publication of the awards to Flight Sergeant Brooker and Flight Sergeant Dempster took place 9 February 1943 and 17 April 1945 respectively. S/L Smith's DFC was gazetted 9 February 1943, while his MiD had appeared 1 January 1942. Oblt Knacke was killed later that night. From the wreckage of the Stirling was captured the first H2S unit to fall into enemy hands. An account of how S/L Smith had tried to save his aircraft was communicated from his PoW camp by Sgt Newman. Full crew was S/L W.A.Smith , killed in action, Flight Sergeant R.N.B.Brooker, DFM, killed in action, F/L B.Martin DFC (RNZAF), killed in action, Flight Sergeant W.J.Dempster, DFM (RCAF), killed in action, Flight Sergeant F.Quigley (RCAF), killed in action, Flight Sergeant J.Bragg (RCAF), POW, Sergeant R.G.Newman, POW. Directorate of History and Heritage file 181.001 D.24 has report of interrogation of F/L J.P. Bragg on 18 May 1945 re the loss of Stirling R9264, 2 February 1943. We took off from Oakington about 8.00 p.m., 1 February 1943. Not much to relate on the way in - very quiet. As we neared target area navigator informed pilot that we were 20 minutes late due, he said, to trouble he was having with H2S. Experienced some flak target but it was inaccurate. We put our markers down and photographed, and then set course home. It was a very dark night and we could not see very far. Just over Dordrecht we were hit in the port inner engine, which broke out in flames right away. I reported to the pilot that engine was on fire and he said, “I got it”; assuming that he could control it, I remained in position. Perhaps 30 seconds later I noticed a glow below me and after a little trouble I got out of turret. Intercom had failed and aircraft started to dive. I could not reach front of aircraft due to fire and as aircraft dived I crawled through to rear escape hatch. When I opened hatch flames were licking past this also. I baled out and landed in Dordrecht, Holland. Aircraft passed over my head, when I left, but I didn’t see it crash. I think that we received two attacks and that the people up front were wounded or killed in the second attack. I hurt right leg as landing.
Again, from Hugh: CAMERON, F/O Thomas Henry (J17785) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.255 Squadron - Award effective 20 January 1944 as per London Gazette dated 25 January 1944 and AFRO 644/44 dated 24 March 1944. Born Leith, Scotland, 21 January 1919. Educated in Saskatchewan. Took one year of electrical and welding courses. Labourer in smelter mill, Trail, British Columbia and and baker for one year. Served briefly in Calgary Highlanders. Home in Sylvan Lake, Alberta; enlisted Calgary, 20 December 1940 and posted to No.2 Manning Depot, Brandon. To No.11 Equipment Depot, Calgary, 27 January 1941. To No.2 ITS, Regina, 29 March 1941; graduated 29 April 1941; promoted LAC 2 May 1941; to No.5 EFTS, Lethbridge (later High River), 3 May 1941; to No.3 SFTS, Calgary, 3 July 1941; graduated 20 September 1941; promoted Sergeant). To "Y Depot, Halifax, 22 September 1941; to RAF Trainees Pool, 6 October 1941. Taken on strength of No.3 PRC, 19 October 1941. To No.2 SFTS, 3 November 1941. Attached to No.1516 Beam Approach Training Flight, 15-29 December 1941. To No.51 OTU, 27 January 1942. Promoted Flight Sergeant, 20 March 1942. To No.255 Squadron, 21 April 1942, later proceeding to North Africa with that unit. Commissioned 15 February 1943. Promoted Flying Officer, 15 August 1943. Returned to Britain 6 November 1943 (tour expired). To Headquarters, No.9 Group, 21 November 1943. To No.63 OTU, 22 November 1943. To No.51 OTU, 18 January 1944, serving there until 20 July 1944. He was considered a satisfactory but not outstanding instructor. Expressed a wish in July 1944 to be posted to No.418 Squadron and although this was recommended it did not happen. Embarked for Canada, 11 August 1944 on special leave; returned to Britain by air, 12 October 1944. To No.410 Squadron, 17 November 1944. Promoted Flight Lieutenant, 15 February 1945. Killed in flying accident in Holland, 11 May 1945 (Mosquito MM786, No.410 Squadron, on air test; killed with R251263 LAC Llewellyn Morganog Thomas). Chris Shores, Those Other Eagles, confirms that his radar observer was F/O James Lascelles Wood (RAF, awarded DFC) and provides the following victory list: 12/13 December 1942, one Junkers 88 destroyed in Bone area; 23/24 January 1943, one Dornier 217 destroyed twenty miles north of Bone; 31 July/1 August 1943, one Junkers 88 destroyed forty miles northeast of Palermo. Award presented to next-of-kin, 1 December 1948. Photo PL-25540 (right) is a portrait. This pilot has destroyed three enemy aircraft in the course of a long and arduous operational career. He has completed eighteen months of operational flying in the Mediterranean theatre of war and has always shown the utmost keenness and enthusiasm for his duties. His courage and devotion to duty have been outstanding at all times. NOTE: On 17 March 1944 W/C H.W. Eliot filed a report which, in spite of its date, covered his service with No.255 Squadron from 15 February 1943 to 15 October 1943. It described him as having flown 759 hours (180 in the previous six months) and described him thus: An excellent all round officer possessed of sound judgement and considerable initiative. Has tackled his work with consistent skill and efficiency. As of February 1945 he was reported to have flown 1,094 hours (53 in previous six months). Circumstances of death: It appears that his aircraft had not been refuelled following earlier flying, and on a test flight both engines failed through fuel starvation. He was too low to allow time for engines to restart after switching from outboard to inboard tanks. He was losing height gradually when the port wing struck the ground, the aircraft rolled over and broke up. He was killed instantly and his body thrown clear. LAC Thomas (fitter) was dragged living from the wreckage but died a few hours.
