James E Linehan, MIA 1942 Wellington X3757

Drove up to East Kirkby this weekend for the 57th Squadron Assoc renion weekend. there was a Big Band Concert on Saturday afternoon and the Regimental Dinner in the evening, then a Service of Remembrance on Sunday morning, a Spitfire flypast and they had the Lancaster taxing up to full take off speed. the sound of the engines was incredible! You can go on a 'taxi ride' for £50 - will be saving up for that next year as they've asked me to join the assoc .
At dinner I sat next to 2 ex crewmen, one was a rear gunner. The other was in a plane that was shot down and he told me how he escaped from the burning plane & then crossed Europe back to England.
I didn't learn anything specific about my uncle, but gained a lot of background information about what it was like to fly in Bomber Command, what navigation charts look like (good for when I'm researching at Kew).
At the dinner there were also 2 German Burgmeister (I think thats what they were) - Local Mayors in the Hamburg area who had helped another member find and recover the remains of his father's plane and crew!! Needless to say I went over the chat to them as well and let some from them.
I will be posting pics once I have resized them.
A really good weekend, except for my SatNav packing up half way there and leaving me stranded in the middle of nowhere, not knowing where I was going and totally reliant on map reading, which I'm not good at lol

 

I visited Kew archives today to find out more about Jim's ops and it seems to be quite a sad story really. He left 11 OTU at the beginning of November 1941 and joined 57 Squadron on 6/11/41. He then flew just 12 missions, being lost on the 12th, barely having got into his stride.

Here's a list of the raids of he and the other crew members went on (sometimes they seemed to to go together and went with different crews. Was this normal? If a name is mentioned, was that person likely to be sick? Or on leave?

AIR 27/537

Listing in ORB record Summary:
934056 Sgt Linehan J.E. (Capt.), 1376578 Sgt Lovejoy W.J. (2nd Pilot), N2404577 Sgt Vogan (Observer), 916232 Sgt Naylor N.J. (1st W/T), 1113440 Sgt Richards R.G. (A.G.) posted to 57 Squadron from 11 O.T.U. w.e.f. 6/11/41

15/11/41
Wellington 1C R.1707
Sgt NP Morse - Pilot
Sgt JE Linehan - 2nd Pilot
Sgt GH Vogan - Observer
Sgt NJ Naylor - 1st W/T
Sgt G Lakeman - 2nd W/T
Sgt RG Richards - A.G.
17.55/21.30
Boulogne

23/11/41
Wellington 1C T.2961
Sgt NP Morse - Pilot
Sgt Doran - 2nd Pilot - was JE Linehan sick? On leave?
Sgt GH Vogan - Observer
Sgt NJ Naylor - 1st W/T
Sgt G Lakeman - 2nd W/T
Sgt RG Richards - A.G.
17.35/20.25
Dunkirk - dock area

26/11/41
Wellington 1C R.1707
Sgt NP Morse - Pilot
Sgt JE Linehan - 2nd Pilot
Sgt GH Vogan - Observer
Sgt NJ Naylor - 1st W/T
Sgt G Lakeman - 2nd W/T
Sgt RG Richards - A.G.
17.35/23.20
Emden - where is this? what was its importance?

30/11/41
Wellington 1C X.9748
Sgt NP Morse - Pilot
Sgt JE Linehan - 2nd Pilot
Sgt GH Vogan - Observer
Sgt NJ Naylor - 1st W/T
Sgt G Lakeman - 2nd W/T
Sgt RG Richards - A.G.
16.50/21.10
Hamburg - bombs brought back, target not located

9/12/41
Listing in ORB:
P/O N.P. Morse reported to 57 Squadron of duty on appointment to commission in the Royal New Zealand Air Force w.e.f
- This is strange as he was already with the squadron and is still referred to as Sgt in some places. I presume this is when he becomes a P/O.

11/12/41
Wellington 1C Z.8981
P/O Sgt NP Morse - Pilot
Sgt JE Linehan - 2nd Pilot
Sgt GH Vogan - Observer
Sgt NJ Naylor - 1st W/T
Sgt G Lakeman - 2nd W/T
Sgt RG Richards - A.G.
16.25/21.30
Le Havre

12/12/41
Wellington 1C Z.8981
P/O Sgt NP Morse - Pilot
Sgt JE Linehan - 2nd Pilot
Sgt GH Vogan - Observer
Sgt NJ Naylor - 1st W/T
Sgt G Lakeman - 2nd W/T
Sgt RG Richards - A.G.
15.30/21.20
Brest

15/12/41
Wellington 1C X.9748
P/O Sgt NP Morse - Pilot
Sgt JE Linehan - 2nd Pilot
Sgt GH Vogan - Observer
Sgt NJ Naylor - 1st W/T
Sgt G Lakeman - 2nd W/T
Sgt RG Richards - A.G.
14.50/21.35
Brest - 1x1000lb, 3 x 500lb - across the dry dock area

AIR 27/537
2/1/42
Wellington 1C Z.11053
P/O Sgt NP Morse - Pilot
Sgt Cruze - 2nd Pilot - was JE Linehan sick? On leave?
Sgt GH Vogan - Observer
Sgt NJ Naylor - 1st W/T
Sgt G Lakeman - 2nd W/T
Sgt RG Richards - A.G.
Brest

8/3/42
Wellington Mk 3 X.3410
P/O Sgt NP Morse - Pilot
Sgt JE Linehan - 2nd Pilot
Sgt GH Vogan - Observer
Sgt G Lakeman - 2nd W/T
Sgt RG Richards - A.G.

Sgt NJ Naylor - 1st W/T - not listed on this raid. Can a Wellington be flown with 5 crew? Was he sick? Or on leave?
00.00/05.35
Essen

9/3/42
Wellington Mk 3 X.3658
P/O Sgt NP Morse - Pilot
Sgt JE Linehan - 2nd Pilot
Sgt GH Vogan - Observer
Sgt NJ Naylor - 1st W/T
Sgt G Lakeman - 2nd W/T
Sgt RG Richards - A.G.
20.10/00.25
Essen - they saw various flares & bombs

12/3/42
Wellington Mk 3 X.3658
P/O Sgt NP Morse - Pilot
Sgt JE Linehan - 2nd Pilot
Flgt/Sgt GH Vogan - Observer
Sgt NJ Naylor - 1st W/T
Sgt G Lakeman - 2nd W/T
Sgt RG Richards - A.G.
19.25/01.25
Deutche Werke Shipyard - where is this?
1x1000lb, 5x600lb, 1x250lb - target clearly seen, bombed on good run, one fire seen in DW.

25/3/42
Wellington Mk 3 X.3584
Sgt Roper
Flgt/Sgt JE Linehan - 1st time he is listed as F/S
Sgt Palmer
Sgt Eltringham
Sgt Thorpe
Sgt Sharpe
20.05/00.05
Essen - small red flares seen, incendries bursting

26/3/42
Wellington Mk 3 X.3425
Sgt Roper
Sgt JE Linehan - not listed as Flgt/Sgt here - demoted? Clerical error?
Sgt Palmer
Sgt Eltringham
Sgt Thorpe
Sgt Sharpe
20.15/00.05
Essen - heavy pall of smoke & 4 good fires observed.

8/4/42
Wellington Mk 3 X.3757
P/O Sgt NP Morse - Pilot
Sgt JE Linehan - 2nd Pilot
Flgt/Sgt GH Vogan - Observer
Sgt NJ Naylor - 1st W/T
Sgt G Lakeman - 2nd W/T
Sgt RG Richards - A.G.
22.05 - missing
Hamburg

The listing in the ORB reads:
8/4/42 Eight aircraft operated on Hamburg. One turned back. One air craft P/O Morse & crew missing.

Also:
P/O Morse posted to No1 RAF Depot Uxbridge missing w.e.f. 9/4/42


At the dance on Saturday I met one chap who told me that when crews arrived at the air bases, they were shown into a hangar with pilots in one area, navigators in another and so on and left to sort out who flew with who by themselves. Can any one else confirm that this happened?

Also, is a 2nd Pilot a navigator or is that an observer? And what does 1st & 2nd W/t mean and what does w.e.f mean?

Another query too. Family history says that he was the youngest Pilot Officer and somewhere in the family I think there is a newspaper article about this. However I could find no listing for him as an officer in the Air Force lists, or any temporary officer ranking in the ORBs. Any suggestions?

Thanks

Also he was listed as (Capt.) when he arrived at 57. What does this mean?

 

I was told by another person at the Dinner (A rear gunner who had gone through the system) that the recruitment path for aspiring Pilots and crew went like this:

Apply for Pilot position
Pass - train and become Pilot
Fail - train to become a navigator

Train for navigator
Pass - crew as a navigator
Fail - train as Rearr Gunner

That way they didn't lose any recruits.

 

Pics from the event can be seen here:

RAF East Kirkby 57 Squadron Reunion - a set on Flickr

 

Yes, crews were formed up almost in that fashion - a bit like kids picking their street football teams! It's a good way for people to break the ice, some would know friends or meet guys from the same town, same likes or dislikes. There would then be a period of swaps while people sorted out others with similar interests etc... but like the aircraft, there would be changes in crew due to leave, training courses and sickness etc

Same with the aircraft, you only got "your" aircraft in due time and seniority, but even then battle damage and servicing would mean that sometimes you'd take a different aircraft.

Deutsche Werke was in Kiel, at that stage of the war, fairly easy to find near the coast and a major manufacturer of U boats, so a prime target.

similarly so was Emden on the Ems river mouth. Again, easier to find on the coast than a target way inland.

W/T Wireless Telegraphy, radio operator, usually able to act as an air gunner. Wellingtons had a single machine gun each side of the fuselage, so over the target or under attack, the guns would be manned. I'm sure they could manage with a crew of 5, just best with 6 as another pair of eyes etc always useful.

w.e.f. With Effect From such and such a date....

The 2nd pilot was a fully trained pilot, replaced later in the war by the flight engineer as assumed to be less costly to lose only one pilot per aircraft (!). it could be a less experienced pilot just drafted in to gain experience before having a crew of his own.

The pilot of the aircraft would be referred to as its captain, irrespective of his actual rank (or that of any other higher ranking crew member).

Trust that helps a bit

 

Not that it helps you Nicola but I've been to Feltwell Church and there is a CWGC in the churchyard. If anyone is in the area, worth a visit.

 

The trade ' Observer' came about during WW1, in fact in September 1915, when the Observer sat in the back seat of an aircraft, they felt deprived with the introduction of a badge for pilots only. This filtered back to the Army Council and Army Order 327 announced a badge for qualified officers. This changed to Navigator in 1942 with AMO 1019, although some of the old school prefered to carry on wearing the 'O' Brevet of the Observer.

 

A bit of an open ended question really and it probably doesn't have a specific answer, but if a crew got lost over a city on a mission, how far away from that city are they likely to have roamed and what direction? Also if a crew were bombing Hamburg, what route would they be likely to fly in and out on? Trying to work out likely crash sites and going round and round looking for a needle in a haystack without even knowing what a needle looks like.
On a slightly different topic, short of doing a Google search for every airfield in the Hamburg area one by one, does anyone know where I might find a listing of current airfields in that area?

 

Sorry to post so many questions but something else occurred to me. I know that after the war searches were made for lost planes. Is there any record of where they searched and how they searched? If I know that I might be able to search in places where they didn't search.

 

Having spoken to one of the most senior cousins in the family I've now learned that Jim was originally a Spitfire Pilot and was at Bassingbourne at some point. I presume this was a Spitfire base?
However he crashed 2 Spitfires and was considered a bit of a liability and transfered to Bomber command .
So how do I find out about his spitfire career and training? I take it that would be Fighter Command? Do this also suppose that he might have taken part in the Battle of Britain?
She will also be talking to her mother about Jim as she went round with his friends in group and will have lots of memories. I will post any further info and photos soon.

 

Until you get his Service Records it's hard for anyone to really help you.

If he was training, it is unlikely he would have been let loose on a Spitfire until he was judged competent enough. That training was usually done away from front line areas obviously, usually Canada or the US.

It is therefore highly unlikely that he would have been on front line strength during the Battle of Britain as it seems he was doing more damage to the RAF than the Luftwaffe.

Once you give us information from his Service records, we can help you further.

 

I checked the BOB Role of Honour and he wasn't on that, which clears up one point.

I also spoke to RAF Cranwell today and I hope to get his service records soon.

 

Have just posted the application to my remaining uncle for him to sign. Once I get that back I can send to Cranwell and things will move forward. Hurrah!!

 

Exciting!!!! I've just received these files from Gudrun Kudick who deals with an archive in the Rotenberg/Bremervorde area. If people know where some of the places are near to could they let me know.

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/album.php?albumid=286

Here's the text from the body of the email:
in the archive of the district Rotenburg (Wümme) in Bremervörde there is a diary of air-rad protection for the region of the town Bremervörde.
(Signature: Stadt BRV Nr. 5619)


The runners of the air-rad-protection writes on the 8th April 1942:

21.57h unknown air traffic around Helgoland
22.05h air threat
22.12h air threat past
22.40h an incursion by enemies aircrafts north of the island Borkum
22.50h air threat 20
22.53h air threat 10
22.55h air-rad warning
22.56h several incursions north of the island Norderney, 30 km northwest of Borkum
23:09h the tip of the incursion near the island Pellworm, north of Helgoland, 15 km north of Cuxhaven, of Norderney and the island Juist
23:32h the tip of the incursion near Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal [today: Nord-Ostsee-Kanal], near Helgoland and in the river estuaries of Weser
and Elbe. 3 new incursion with the tip of Borkum and 40 km north of Terschelling course east
23:45h air raid in Bremervörde
00:14h an incursion in the region of Wilhelmshaven, Cuxhaven and Wesermünde
00:15h district adminstrator [Landrat] reports: Minstedt-Sandbostel [villages belonging to Bremervörde] unnumerable fire-bombs, nobody was injured in the bomb attacks, 6-7 barn and houses burnt. Report to Wesermünde and Hamburg.
00:24h the first return flights from Hamburg reach Bremervörde also incursions in the region Wesermünde-Cuxhaven
01:10h current return flights from Hamburg
01:49h current return flights from Hamburg
02:15h Bremervörde all clear
02:30h all clear
02:37h air threat past

Töpperwien doesn`t his patrol.

Signed by Knipping

 

Nicola I received the mail from the town archivist, but there alas was no info that would help at all. I will try the contact numbers he has provided this weekend. I was on leave in the UK, but now that I am back I might be able to help a bit more. Danny

 

Thanks Danny that's great. I'm still waiting for the service records so I'm in a bit of a limbo. I thought I'd got lucky with the info above, but I think I'm going to have to broaden the search to take in the area south and south east of Hamburg, close to the river. Does your archivist cover that area?

 

No, not realy, he is only responsible for his town/community. Danny

 

Nic attached a high quality part of Panel 75 Runnymede

 

Thanks CL1.

Well I'm proud to announce that I am now a member of 57th Squadron Association!! I got the letter yesterday, all very smart with a Bomber Command insignia at the top.

Apparently 57(R) Squadron has reformed at RAF Wyton in Oxfordshire and we (the Royal we lol) will be joining them on 11th November.

What does the R mean? Does it stand for reformed?

 

The Membership Secretary of 57th Squadron has passed all the details to the original people in Germany that I met at the Assoc dinner in July. They were instrumental in finding another member's father's plane. Apparently one them has details of another crash, about which he knows very little. I don't want to get my hopes up too soon, but it does sound promising .

I also spoke to RAF Cranwell this morning and they will be requesting the service records this week, sending them to be copied next week and I should have them in about 3 weeks. Hurrah!!

I also spoke to a lady called Deborah Morgan at the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre at Imjin Barracks at Innsworth and she will be registering myself and my cousins as next of kin so that if/when the plane is found, the family will be notified!!

Slowly slowly catchee monkey as they say