Fred Whitfield - We Sat Alone

Discussion in 'The War In The Air' started by Suribachi, Jan 2, 2011.

  1. Suribachi

    Suribachi Junior Member

    Fred was my 'uncle' through marriage. He was a Lancaster read gunner during WW2, his exploits he recounted in a book "We sat alone".

    I did have a copy of this book but alas lost it when I Emigrated to the US. I have been unable to get a hold of Fred, I believe he passed away as I cannot get a hold of him from his old address or telephone number. He spent most of his non-service life in South Shields, married to the wonderful and effervescent Betty, who actually work on the line that produced the engines for the Lancaster’s.

    I would love to know if anyone has a .pdf of his book?
     
  2. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    I've posted your request on a local website in the Shields area - someone who knew Fred may have a copy that could be scanned.
     
  3. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

  4. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

  5. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    As the war started Fred was a van driver for Crofton's department store in South Shields.

    That's where he met his wife, Betty, then a shop girl at the same store and still in her teens.

    As Fred, of Walworth Avenue, Marsden, South Tyneside, was busy taking out German targets from his post as rear gunner in his crew's Lancaster, Betty had moved jobs. Crofton's had been bombed and she ended up making Lancaster engines in the converted Rover factory in Birmingham.

    "He was flying them and I was making them," says Betty.

    By D-Day Fred, now 83, was a rear gunner flying mostly in Lancasters with No.9 Squadron of Bomber Command. On the day itself they were flying up and down the English Channel "distracting Jerry, to give the impression that the real target was Pas de CalaisPas de Ca·lais

    "We never knew our target until we went into the briefing about six hours before the raid. We were told it would be one of the biggest of the war," explains Fred, or Sgt Whitfield as he was.

    A couple of days after D-Day their target was Caen.

    "The British troops had landed and were pushing the Germans back and back," says Fred. But they had reached an impasse at the River Orme, where strong resistance was preventing the Army from crossing.

    "It was a dawn raidDawn Raid Our job was to flatten the area. There were 942 aircraft on that raid and 6,800 tonnes of bombs was dropped."

    "Your life was on the line during every raid you went on. I flew 48 missions." Fred was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal for shooting down three planes in the air battle over Pas de Calais later that year in November 1944, in an aircraft that never flew again. "Once the Second Front had taken place there was a lot of hope."


    SOURCE : Aircraft gunner's life `always on line'. - Free Online Library
     
  6. Suribachi

    Suribachi Junior Member

    Yeah I came across that lot myself.

    I am a little concenred about the Amazon trader as he claims it is a hard cover. Fred used to print and distribute his book himself and never did a hard cover copy. It was a book of few pages and was a paperback.....albeit a glossy covered paperback.

    I will check out some of the bookfinder links.

    Thanks guys
     
  7. Suribachi

    Suribachi Junior Member

    I've posted your request on a local website in the Shields area - someone who knew Fred may have a copy that could be scanned.

    Thanks Jedburgh - I appreciate that. I could ask the ex to see if she has my copy, but I doubt she'd pass it on.....hell hath no fury and all that!;)
     
  8. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    This was written in 2005.

    Mourners packed into a Tyneside church to pay their last respects to a war hero and Dambuster.

    The service, held at St Aidan and St Stephen's Church, in South Shields, saw family, friends and veterans of the Second World War say goodbye to former RAF officer Fred Whitfield

    Fred died at the age of 84 on April 2, at his home in Walworth Avenue, in Horsley Hill.

    One of the original Dambusters during the Second World War, Fred was awarded one of the RAF's highest ranking medals, the Distinguished Flying Medal, aged just 25. Tears were shed as young officers from RAF Leeming carried his coffin, draped with a Union Jack, into the church led by RAF Flight Lieutenant David King.

    Fred's widow, Betty, was also at the funeral with the couple's children, Raymond, Brenda and Kevin.

    The service was led by Rev Ralph Shaw, who spoke of Fred's attempts to join the Air Force when he was too young and his rise through the ranks from rear gunner to warrant officer.

    He also described how Fred twice overcame cancer with the support of his war-time bride Betty. The Dambusters' theme was played at the service and buglers from the Borneo Band played The Last Post.

    Groups including the North East Bomber Command Unit and The Normandy Veterans' Association also carried their flags.

    Mr King said: "We were honoured to have been able to pay our respects to one of the men who risked their lives during the war, and especially to someone as distinguished as Fred."

    Fred was famed for bringing down a Messerschmitt and Junker 88 over Germany during the RAF raids.

    :poppy: RIP Fred Whitfield :poppy:

    30th Dec 1920 to 2nd Apr 2005

    SOURCE : Veterans pay tribute to real hero. - Free Online Library
     
  9. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

  10. Suribachi

    Suribachi Junior Member

    This was written in 2005.

    Mourners packed into a Tyneside church to pay their last respects to a war hero and Dambuster.

    The service, held at St Aidan and St Stephen's Church, in South Shields, saw family, friends and veterans of the Second World War say goodbye to former RAF officer Fred Whitfield

    Fred died at the age of 84 on April 2, at his home in Walworth Avenue, in Horsley Hill.

    One of the original Dambusters during the Second World War, Fred was awarded one of the RAF's highest ranking medals, the Distinguished Flying Medal, aged just 25. Tears were shed as young officers from RAF Leeming carried his coffin, draped with a Union Jack, into the church led by RAF Flight Lieutenant David King.

    Fred's widow, Betty, was also at the funeral with the couple's children, Raymond, Brenda and Kevin.

    The service was led by Rev Ralph Shaw, who spoke of Fred's attempts to join the Air Force when he was too young and his rise through the ranks from rear gunner to warrant officer.

    He also described how Fred twice overcame cancer with the support of his war-time bride Betty. The Dambusters' theme was played at the service and buglers from the Borneo Band played The Last Post.

    Groups including the North East Bomber Command Unit and The Normandy Veterans' Association also carried their flags.

    Mr King said: "We were honoured to have been able to pay our respects to one of the men who risked their lives during the war, and especially to someone as distinguished as Fred."

    Fred was famed for bringing down a Messerschmitt and Junker 88 over Germany during the RAF raids.

    :poppy: RIP Fred Whitfield :poppy:

    30th Dec 1920 to 2nd Apr 2005

    SOURCE : Veterans pay tribute to real hero. - Free Online Library

    Thanks for the information, very sad indeed to find he did indeed pass away but he was having treatment for cancer when I knew him and I figured as much.

    He was very proud of what he did for his King and country and someone who would sit for hours with you and re-tell some of his old stories.

    Sad, sad indeed - but not forgotten.
     
  11. Mike L

    Mike L Very Senior Member

    Suribachi,
    Indeed a sad loss but through forums such as this NOT forgotten, and recorded for future generations.

    :poppy:
     
  12. Danger Weasel

    Danger Weasel Junior Member

    Hi,
    I have a very early copy of "We Sat Alone". It is 8 1/2" x 11 1/2" and 49 pages.
    It was printed by HENDON ADVICE SUPPORT & CARE CENTRE SUFFOLK ST. HENDON SUNDERLAND TYNE & WEAR. We lived overlooking Marsden Rock in South Shields where my Dad knew Fred. He gave him this copy; on the inside cover is written: To Johnny Clark, with all my best wishes. Fred Whitfield D.F.M.
    Ian
     
    June Pernet likes this.
  13. philips

    philips Junior Member

    Hi, I was the original publisher, as ditto Publishing, of We Sat Alone. It has been out of print for some years now but I have just converted the original text into an eBook and print version available on Amazon. The eBook should be available for download today or tomorrow and as soon as I remedy some formatting problems the print version should be available to order by tomorrow (26th Jan). I will add the link as soon as it is available.

    I did meet Fred and it was a pleasure.
     
    June Pernet likes this.
  14. June Pernet

    June Pernet New Member

    Hi lovely to hear that Fred was my sons great great uncle and I can on to search for a copy of the book we would love to read it I’m going to check amazon now x
     
  15. June Pernet

    June Pernet New Member

    Thank you I am off to see if I can get a copy of his great great uncle Freddie’s book.
     
  16. whitfield

    whitfield New Member

    Hello Fred was my grandfather. Can I help?
     
  17. Suhail Shaikh

    Suhail Shaikh New Member

    Hello, I am looking for a family member of the late Fred Whitfield, in order to make a special request.
    I am an artist, very passionate about WW2 aviation and have been working on a life-size Lancaster cockpit installation in cardboard.
    Onto this will be pasted memorabilia of Bomber Command crew, transforming the installation into an Album of Experiences, in memory of the more than 55000 of Bomber Command, all volunteers who did not make it home.
    I have been doing a lot of research on the Lancaster as a machine, it's role and missions and individual stories. As part of that I have a precious copy of Fred Whitfields 'We Sat Alone' diary and it has been a significant inspiration in this project.
    I have already collected some flight logs, certificates, letters, photos of other crew members from their families who would like this project to see the light of day and I would like to ask permission to use some extracts from Fred Whitfields book, if I may, and paste copies of them on the Lancaster.
    I will be showing this work at the Atkinson Museum, Southport, this november 25th till Feb 25th, next year. I am attaching some images of the work done so far to give you all a feel of the scale of this project.
    Thank you!
    01fuselage 1LT.jpg 02fuselage frontLT.jpg 06fuselage inner viewLT.jpg 09nav and pilotLT.jpg 14bombardier gunner viewLT.jpg 18crew1LT.jpg
     
    Waddell likes this.

Share This Page