James E Linehan, MIA 1942 Wellington X3757

Spoke to RAF Cranwell today and the Service Records are currently with their reprographic department. It will then come back to Cranwell & then be sent on to me. So hopefully by the end of next week I might, just might have something further to report

 

Spoke to RAF Cranwell today and the Service Records are currently with their reprographic department. It will then come back to Cranwell & then be sent on to me. So hopefully by the end of next week I might, just might have something further to report

well done Nicola, looking forward to your next update.

 

Today I finally received the Service records!! Hurrah!! Once I've had a chance to work out what all the abbreviations and writing means I'll post it. What I have worked out is that he enlisted on 8/7/40 into the Air Reserve and that his last promotion was Flight Sargeant, which means I now have to track down the family newspaper article referring to him as the youngest Pilot Officer to check for definite. If this proves positive I then have to apply to RAF/MOD Command to have his records updated and then of course the Runnymede Memorial!!

More to follow

Phoned my aunt & uncle with the news & they're both really pleased and happy and thanked me for doing this. Thanks everyone for your help!!

 

Well, here it is, finally the translation of the Service Record. I went up to RAF Hendon this morning and a very nice young man helped me work out what everything said. The comments which may seem obvious to some here, are for the benefit of family members.

Any further input would be gratefully received. I must admit I found it quite emotional towards the end of making the list.

8/7/40 - Enlistment - No 1 RC, Uxbridge
- RC = Recruit (ment) Centre
- Recruited as possible - Position:
- ACH = Air Craft Hand
- Pilot

Rank - AC2 - Air Crewman 2nd class

9/7/40 - Put onto the Reserve
- The Reservists enlisted, went back to their everyday jobs and were then held on Reserve until either a position was found or that they were needed

Form 2171, at No 4 ACSB (Air Crew Selection Board)
- Recommended for training as
a) Pilot
b) Observer

30/8/40 - Reported to 2 R (Reserve?) Wing, Torquay

13/9/40 - 3 or 5 ITW (difficult to read number) - Initial Training Wing
3 - Based at St James' Hotel, Victoria Parade, Torquay
5 - Based at Castle Chambers, Higher Union Street, Torquay

No date but after 13/9/40 - 51 Group Pool
- Moorfield House, Alma Road, Otley Road, Leeds 6

6/11(?)/40 - Position U/T Pilot - Under training as a pilot
Promotion - Rank - LAC - Leading Air Crewman

21/12/40 N0 8 SFTS (Service Flying Training School) - Part of 23 Group?
- Montrose
Planes used by this SFTS =
Training - Hart, Trainer, Tutor, Walrus, Fury, Oxford, Hind, Anson, Audax
Support - Gauntlet, Don, Gordon, Moth, Hurricane, Master
I think they also used Spitfires

21(?)/12/40 - Rank LAC (Leading Air Crewman), Character - very good, Trade - Pilot, Proficiency - under training

19/4/41 - Position - Pilot
Promotion - Sergeant
Completes Flight/Flying Training Course (23/12/40 - 19/4/41)
Score 60.5%

Pilots got 61 days leave

21/2/41 - 3 days CC (Close confinement?) - confined to barracks?

17/4/41 - Flying badge - wings or wing depending on rank

5/5/41 - 52 OTU (Operational Training Unit) - part of 81 Group - Debden
- During the war RAF Debden was one of the seven sector airfields attached to 11 (Fighter) Group at RAF Uxbridge.
- Hurricanes used to train fighter pilots
- Other planes used include 72 Hurricanes, 19 Masters, 2 Battle, 1 Tomahawk, 1 Blenheim, 1 Magister

17/5/41 (17.30) - 19/5/41 (11.00) Absence - time forfeited - without permission?

21/5/41 - Severely reprimanded

8 (?)/7/41 RAF Uxbridge

19/7/41 - 11 OTU (Operational Training Unit)
SHQ (Station Headquarters) Bassingbourn
- Night training for bomber crews
- 52 Wellingtons, 17 Ansons
- Support aircraft - Defiant, Lysander, Martinet, Oxford, Hurricane, Master, Beaufighter, Tutor, Tiger Moth

6/11/41 Joins 57 Squadron based at Feltwell

3/12/41 - Rank - Sergeant, Character - very good, Trade - Pilot, Proficiency - satisfactory

1/2/42 Promotion - Flight Sergeant

8/4/42 Missing

8/4/42 1RAF Depot (NE - Non effective) = RAF Administrative method of referring to a person not in their designated unit ie because he was missing, he wasn't actually in the squadron, but they still needed a place to send letters or other documents referring to him, which also explains the reference in the ORB to P/O Morse being at 1RAF Uxbridge NE

8/4/42 Presumed Dead

8/4/42 Killed in Action

9/4/42- Rank - Flight Sergeant, Character - very good, Trade - Pilot, Proficiency - satisfactory

CCL 1030 - casualty listing

Total service - 1 year, 275 days
Qualifying service - 1 year, 222 days

War gratuity - Rank Flight Sergeant 19 months

 

I couldn't believe this. I've just found this!!! Took Morse's father's details from the CWGC Casualty list and just thought I'd do a quick google search.

I've found P/O Morse's father's obituary:
http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/album.php?albumid=308&pictureid=2577

It looks like he died just 4 years after P/O Morse went missing. I've emailed the Aussie paper to see if they will run an article for me.

Watch this space

 

A chap on RAF Commands forum gave me this:

From my 'For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume One: Fates 1915-1942)' :

Wed 8/Thu 9 Apr 1942
Bomber Command

Raid on Hamburg, Germany (by 272 aircraft - 5 lost)
57 Squadron, RAF (Feltwell, Norfolk - 3 Group)
Wellington III X3757 - took off at 2205 and lost without trace, its six crew being commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Captain: NZ404397 Plt Off Noel Percy MORSE, RNZAF - Age 27. 356hrs. 17th op.
Observer: NZ404577 Flt Sgt George Hillary VOGAN, RNZAF - Age 21. 304hrs. 18th op.
The CWGC register incorrectly gives Vogan’s age as 23.

And from Vol Three (Biographies & Appendices):

MORSE, Pilot Officer Noel Percy.
NZ404397; b Brisbane, Q'land, Australia 14 Oct 14; North Sydney BHS (1st XI); to NZ 1938; radio engineer - Radio Corp of NZ, Wgtn. RNZAF Levin/GTS as Airman Pilot u/t 24 Nov 40, 3EFTS 27 Dec 40, 1FTS 8 Feb 41, Pilots Badge [wef 20.3.41] & Sgt 3 May 41, att RAF & emb for UK 26 May 41, 3PRC 3 Jul 41, 11OTU (Wellington - 1 op) 19 Jul 41, 57 Sqn (Wellington - 16 ops) 26 Sep 41, Comm 9 Dec 41, kao 8 Apr 42. Runnymede Memorial - Panel 116. Son of Percy Algernon & Beatrice Morse (née Wilson), Mosman, Sydney, NSW, Australia. [OHT1].

VOGAN, Flight Sergeant George Hillary.
NZ404577; b Duvauchelle 16 Jun 20; St Andrew's Coll, Chch (Junior Swimming Champ); farm worker - father's farm at Duvauchelle. RNZAF Levin/GTS as Air Observer u/t 24 Nov 40, emb for Canada 30 Jan 41, att RCAF 16 Feb 41, 4AOS c.19 Feb 41, 1BGS 11 May 41, Air Observers Badge & Sgt & 1ANS 23 Jun 41, 1 M Depôt 22 Jul 41, att RAF & emb for UK 9 Aug 41, 3PRC 30 Aug 41, 11OTU (Wellington) 16 Sep 41, 57 Sqn (Wellington - 18 ops) 6 Nov 41, kao 8 Apr 42. Runnymede Memorial - Panel 117. Son of William George & Martha Mary Vogan (née Hillary), Spreydon, Chch.

Its interesting to see more details about the rest of the crew.

 

Can anyone help me translate this reply I've just received from the Bundesarchive.

Thanks

Sehr geehrter Herr Caughan,

vielen Dank für Ihre freundliche Anfrage vom 7. September.

Das Bundesarchiv hat die Aufgabe, Archivgut konservatorisch zu sichern, inhaltlich zu erschließen und Benutzerinnen und Benutzern zugänglich zu machen. Die Archivarinnen und Archivare führen jedoch keine Recherchen im Archivgut durch. Die Einsichtnahme in Findmittel und Akten und deren Auswertung muss daher in der Regel durch Sie selbst oder durch einen von Ihnen beauftragten privaten Recherchedienst (s. beil. Liste) im hiesigen Benutzersaal erfolgen. Bitte haben Sie dafür Verständnis.

Zur überlieferung der ehemaligen Luftwaffe ist zu sagen, dass nur unbedeutende Aktensplitter einzelner Dienststellen, Verbände und Einheiten erhalten sind; die Masse des seinerzeit entstandenen Schriftgutes wurde bedauerlicherweise vernichtet. Aus diesem Grunde lassen sich Sachverhalte häufig nicht mehr aus unseren Quellen klären.

Zur Auswertung bieten sich, sofern der Abschuss durch ein deutsches Geschwader erfolgte, in erster Linie folgende Bestände an:

- RL 8 (Führungsstäbe der Fliegertruppe, Online-Findbuch),
- RL 10 (Führungsstäbe und Einheiten der fliegenden Verbände),
- RL 7 (Luftflotten) und
- RL 19 (Luftgaukommando X)

Erfolgte der Abschuss durch eine Flak-Einheit,kämen folgende Bestände in Betracht:

- RL 12 (Einheiten der Flakartillerie)
- RL 11 (Führungsstäbe der Flakartillerie, Online Findbuch)

Über diese Bestände können Sie sich auf der Internetseite des Bundesarchivs (Bundesarchiv - Das Bundesarchiv) informieren und in etwa die Erfolgsaussichten für hiesige Nachforschungen einschätzen. Geben Sie bei der ARGUS-Suche die Bestandssignatur ein und grenzen die Suche aus "Signatur" ein, um zur Online-Bestandsbeschreibung bzw. Online-Findbuch zu gelangen.
Sollten Sie einen Besuch unseres Hauses beabsichtigen, bitte ich den Termin ca. drei Wochen vorher mit unserem Benutzerdienst (benutzersaal.freiburg@bundesarchiv.de) abzustimmen.

Ich hoffe, Ihnen mit dieser Auskunft weitergeholfen zu haben.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Im Auftrag

Elfriede Frischmuth


These details were also attached in a word doc:

Recherchedienste in der Abteilung Militärarchiv


Benjamin Haas M.A. (Karlstr. 15, 79104 Freiburg, Tel. 0761 / 7662269, E-Mail: HYPERLINK mailto:haasbenjamin@web.de haasbenjamin@web.de, Homepage: HYPERLINK "http://archivrecherchehaas.neuerplan.org" Recherchedienst Haas)

Andreas Kunau (Bleibacherstr. 6, 79261 Gutach i.Br., Tel.: 0163/3909077, Fax: 07685/909077, E-Mail: HYPERLINK mailto:andreas.kunau@web.de andreas.kunau@web.de)

Archivrecherchen von Livonius (Malteserordensstraße 1, 79111 Freiburg, Tel.: 0761/4538166, Fax:0761/43135, E-Mail: U-v-L@gmx.de)

Sebastian Remus (Postfach 1244, 79249 Merzhausen, Tel.: 0761 / 40 23 15, E-Mail: HYPERLINK "mailto:remusresearch@aol.com" remusresearch@aol.com)

Dr. Peter Steinkamp (Hildastr. 33, 79102 Freiburg, Tel./FAX: 0761 / 47 68 70 4, Mobil: 0172 / 84 58 90 3, E-Mail: HYPERLINK "mailto:SteinkampP@aol.com" SteinkampP@aol.com)

Axel Wittenberg M.A. (Heinrich – Heine - Str.3, 79117 Freiburg, Tel.:0761/640319
E-Mail: a.wit@t-online.de)

 

Dear Caughan,

Thanks for your kind inquiry of 7 September. The Federal Archives is responsible to secure archival conservators to develop content, and users and make available to patrons. The Archivists lead but no search through the archives. The inspection of records and finding aids and their evaluation must, therefore, usually by yourself or by an official of your private investigation service (suppl see list) made in the local reading room. We ask for your understanding, to the tradition of the former air force. Is to say that only minor acts of individual fragments departments, organizations and units are given the mass of written material created at the time was unfortunately destroyed. For this reason, situations can often not clear from our sources to. In order to evaluate the offer, provided by a German squadron shooting took place primarily on the following stocks:

- RL 8 (Staffs of the Air Force, the online finding aid)
- RL 10 (command staffs and units of the flying units)
- RL 7 (air forces), and - RL 19 (Luftgaukommando X)

Where the shooting by an anti-aircraft unit would, following stocks into account:
- RL 12 (units of the anti-aircraft artillery)
- RL 11 (Staffs of the anti-aircraft artillery, online finding aid)

on these stocks, you can register on the website of the Federal Archives of success for (local investigations to assess Bundesarchiv - Federal Archives) and informed, and about the . Give the ARGUS Search the inventory signature and limits on the search of "signature" to-stock identity and online finding aid to go to online. If you visit our house plan one, I ask the date about three weeks before with our Service Users (benutzersaal.freiburg @ bundesarchiv.de) to vote. I hope this helpful to have information with you.

Yours sincerely, On behalf Elfriede Frischmuth

Although I'm of German origin, I just used an online translater, due to time right now. When I have the time this evening, I read it again in German and compare it to the translation.

Daan

 

Thanks for that Daan. It makes more sense now. It seem (correct me if I'm wrong) that you have to employ a researcher to do searches for you.

 

I think so indeed, there's a quote in the text that says that they do not have that much filew left, because it was destroyed or something. Like I said, when I have the time this evening, I'll go through the German text again, online translations are not the best in my opinion.

 

Hi Nicola.

What an interesting thread!

Because of the mention of the Australian connection, I searched for Noel Morse on the National Archives of Australia site and found the following:

Title MORSE Noel Percy - (Pilot Officer); Service Number - 404397; File type - Casualty - Repatriation; Aircraft - Wellington X3757; Place - United Kingdom; Date - 8 April 1942
Contents date range 1929 - 1960
Accumulation start date 10 Apr 1942
Series number A705
Control symbol 163/45/149
Item barcode 1055264
Location Canberra

Title MORSE Noel Percy - (Pilot Officer); Service Number - 404397; File type - Casualty - Repatriation; Aircraft - Wellington DV658; Place - Moreton-In-Marsh, United Kingdom; Date - 2 June 1942
Contents date range 1929 - 1960
Accumulation start date 11 Jun 1942
Series number A705
Control symbol 163/45/167
Item barcode 1055266
Location Canberra

Unfortunately neither of these documents, which I assume are correspondence associated with casualties, are available online yet.

It's strange they've associated him with the second document, as that crash post-dates his death. A clerical error perhaps. Googling for the aircraft tends to confirm the mistake.

From Military crashes in the south west Midlands - 1942:
02/06/1942 Wellington DV658 of 1446 Flight crashed on overshoot at Moreton-in-Marsh. P/O K Moore RAAF and Sgt A B Dean RAAF were unhurt. P/O Moore went on to fly with 460 Squadron and was killed on 05/04/1943, when Lancaster W4310 was shot down.

Not directly related but this man's recollections include flying Wellingtons from Moreton-in-Marsh during WW2:
TJ

"Because a considerable number of U.S. trained pilots had difficulty flying in total darkness we spent a couple of weeks at 1521 B.A.T. (Blind Approach Training) Flight on Link Trainers, and having finished our multi-engine training we went our separate ways. I was posted to 21 O.T.U. (Operational Training Unit) in Moreton-in-Marsh to fly Wellingtons I was in a relationship at that time and when I informed my significant other that I was going to fly Wellingtons. She immediately expressed her concern because of what she had heard about their maintenance problems. As it happens, the second or third day after my arrival all aircrew had to attend the funeral services of a crew that had died a few days before. It was not an auspicious beginning for me." Seems to have been circa Aug 1942.

Oh, by the way, mention of "place" in that first NAA document listing above as "United Kingdom" got me thinking whether perhaps it was saying the casualty was thought to be there, or that the plane was based there (the latter more likely, I suppose).

Good luck with the quest.

Martin

 

Thanks for that Daan. It makes more sense now. It seem (correct me if I'm wrong) that you have to employ a researcher to do searches for you.

The Bundesarchiv has the obligation to save records and make them available for researchers or people with interest. But the employees do not do searches for people who ask, that's up to the researchers themselves or by a private research-service that they want to use (see the attachment).

Further they have just regular information, but no written accounts or material, 'cause it was destroyed. Depending on the person who did the shooting, you can try to search their records yourself or by the persons named in the attachment. If shot by FLAK-personnel search RL11 or RL12, if shot by other Luftwaffe-units try RL8, RL 7 or RL 10. You can register on the Bundes-archives-site and use the ARGUS-search for indication of succes in your search about these records.

That's more or less what they say.

 

Nicola it seems that your uncle's aircraft may not have fallen victim to a nightfighter. ( Not discounting possible crashing due to damage received from either fighter or flak prior to reaching the coast).
Do you have an approximate time for their crash ?

The final raid report for the operation might prove useful , it may give some data and a general overview of the raid as seen by the RAF.
When I see mention of Vlieland I wonder did they same unit get you uncle as got mine ?

 

James the only time I can work to is that they took off at 22.05. Not really knowing how fast Wellingtons flew I would suggest that perhaps they took about 2-3 hours to get to the Wilhelmshaven area (can anyone offer a more precise time, given that the raid had about 200 planes in it, how long would they have taken to make up the bomber stream and make it across the North Sea). I have no idea if they crashed on the way in or after the raid. I've got a feeling they might have had to glide a bit but thats just supposition really.

 

Nicola, I found I was a ble to get info from these files.
North Sea Coastguard log from the Bundesarchiv - they may give some hints on anything which was observed along the coast.
(Bundesarchiv - Militarchiv). - ML/1309/83077.

Final raid Report for the raid your uncle flew on . National Archives AIR24/259 , this is as far as I know ( and my knowledge is very limited of NA records) the approximate location of what you may be looking for.
AIR14/3106 may provide the operational order for the raid - it may give some background info on the instructions issued at Group and Squadron level.

The Final raid Report you will find very useful , likewise if you can get the Squadron record for the raid it will record route , times from the other crews it will provide you with a time table if you like for the progress to and from the target what they saw and experienced.

I included some examples from these in this thread which has many parallels with your own aims/ objectives and research. The examples of the data mentioned there , will give you an insight into what is potentially out there.

If you can , ask the Air Historical Branch to send you what they can on the aircraft and the raid the aircraft record card from the RAF Museum might tell a little about the age and service record of his Wellington, again it may only be "background" but it gives a feel for what the aircraft itself.

 

James thanks very much for that. Looks like I need to pay another visit to the NA . I spoke to the Air Historical Branch yesterday and have sent them an email with all the details, so hopefully I will hear something from them soon.

 

Also, thinking about it, if you look at previous posts in this thread, at the Air raid details I got from Bremen you can see that they start sighting aircraft at just after midnight and you can plot where the planes spread out to, so I think a minimum of midnight for when they arrived near Wilhelmshaven, even if its not his specific plane.

 

Will do Nicola, in some ways it is like construction a jigsaw without the "lid of the box" - it is all in there somewhere just a case of knowing where to look and placing order on things.

 

Title MORSE Noel Percy - (Pilot Officer); Service Number - 404397; File type - Casualty - Repatriation; Aircraft - Wellington X3757; Place - United Kingdom; Date - 8 April 1942
Contents date range 1929 - 1960
Accumulation start date 10 Apr 1942
Series number A705
Control symbol 163/45/149
Item barcode 1055264
Location Canberra


Nicola.

This item has now been digitised. Unfortunately it only really contains details about informing Morse's next of kin. Sadly he had a fiancee back in New Zealand (Dunedin):
http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=1055264

regards,

Martin

 

Thanks very much Martin. Its very interesting, but sad to see the chain of communication between the Air depts and the family. I noticed that his father PA Morse asked for all correspondance to be forward to the Sun newspaper in Sydney, rather than their home address. Was this a normal occurance or was Mr Morse trying to save his family heartache? Also I noticed that one of the items says that nothing was heard of them after 10pm. Given that they took off at 22.05 does this mean that they had no contact with any other planes in the bomber stream? Surely they would have had some conversations, about whether they were in the flight position etc. Perhaps it suggests that they disappeared inbound to Germany, rather than outbound after the raid. Or, were all planes on complete radio silence, even in British airspace?
Now the moral comment. I'm tracing the other families. I wonder if I should try and trace his fiancee as well, given that there is an address in the files? Any thoughts?