Les davenport - 7 squadron raf / pow 1941

I have managed to obtain and read my grandads wartime log from being a POW from September 1941 - 45.

On his travels he was in numerous camps from Lamsdorf Sept 41 - April 41, Sagan Apr 42 - May 43, Hydekrug May 43 - August 44 , Fallingbostel August 44 - April 45.

Escaped forced march to Lubeck marched out on the 6th April 45 and escaped column with Charles Hall on the 13th April 1945 and met the allied advance on the 18th April 45 around Wendisch Evern area.

Interestingly in this book it lists many names and in some instances addresses of people who wrote in my grandads book and left messages.

I thought it would be interesting if I shared the names with you all as it contains RAF, USAF, worth a look it may bring up a relative!!

Here goes:

Grandads name: Leslie E J Davenport
Service Number: 964692
Squadron 7 Bomber Command - Short Stirlings

This is the crew he was shot down on the way back from Berlin: 8th September 1941. All were POWs. (N6046 MG-Y?) Short Stirling. All of the below names were in my grandads POW wartime log.....

Crew shot down with:

F/sgt A Yardley - Serv.No 748748 - in contact with daughter
F/O C.M Hall (Australian) 402002 - Passed away in Australia late 00's
Sgt. John.Henry Boulton 742790
Sgt John Melville Sutton 746720
Sgt Arthur Speakman 551472 - lives in Preston
Sgt Dennis Owens 528924 - in contact with son

other names mentioned (done my best to make out hand writing):

Maurice George Percy Stretton - RAF 44 Squadron - had contact with Son
Stanley Hewitt - RAF 7 Squadron
Ray Evans - RAF 104 Squadron Blenheim z7289 MQ-R pow 28/8/41
Dennis Owens - 7 Squadron grandads crew aboard N6046 MG-Y pow 8/9/41 - had contact with son
Johnny Morgan - RAF 104 Squadron w5461 pow 12/8/41
Charles Frederick Hall - RAF 207 Squadron L7380 EM-W pow 8/9/41 - about to have contact with son
Richard R Huleatt - RAF - In contact with family in Canada - 78 Squadron w7931 pow 26/3/43
John Henry Boulton - 7 Squadron grandads crew aboard N6046 MG-Y pow 8/9/41
J or P Smith - RAF
Alexander Kerr - RAF 115 Squadron R1379 10/5/41 - Possibly meeting him in london next year he lives in Australia
Dennis A Lloyd - RAF 7 Squadron - N6020 pow on 25/8/41 -in contact with Grandson
John Melville Sutton - 7 Squadron grandads crew aboard N6046 MG-Y pow 8/9/41
Dennis S Merrells - 7 Squadron N3663 MG-H pow 2/8/41
William Stanley Bellew - 7 Squadron W7430 pow 2/6/41 - In contact with a relative
David Y Teil - 7 Squadron
Richard A Copley - RAF 12 Squadron Wellington w5421 pow 6/8/41- (SPOKE WITH HIM ON THE PHONE)
H West - RAF 51 Squadron HR750 pow 27/5/43
Johnny D Morgan - RAF 104 Squadron Wellington EP-R w5461 pow 12/8/41
Thomas W Coultart - RAF 115 Squadron DS722 pow 23/8/43
Sydney Dawson - RAF
Edward Purnell - RAF
Jos Donven - Luxembourg?? I believe he was in the French Foreign Legion
Charles D/G? Paterson - RAF 57 Squadron T2970 pow 13/3/41
Anthony Palmer - RAF
Harold Bell - RAF 75 Squadron Z1168 pow 26/10/41
Harold I Bast - Piedmont Oklahoma USA 463rd Bomb Grp 772 Squadron pow 25/7/44
Virgil H Smallen - Tennessee USA 457th Bomb Grp
Floyd T Stitely - Pennsylvania USA 457th Bomb Grp 748 Squadron pow 21/7/44
Monty Todd - RAF 630 Squadron ND788 pow 24/3/44
John J Maher - RAF 431 Squadron LK963 pow 28/1/44

For more details on the names above please see this link (which is the night my grandfather got shot down with his crew but has POW names listed there) as I may have got spellings incorrect....

{C}http://aircrewremembered.com/yardley-alick.html{C}

In addition to this I am interested in anyone that had a family member serve in 7 Squadron ww2 1941 whether it be Aircrew, ground crew etc, would like crew photos, stirling photos and moreover POW photos that may relate to the people above or camps.

My grandfathers (Les Davenport's - Front Gunner) original crew was :

Pilot - Dennis Witt DFM DFC - (IN CONTACT WITH HIS SON)
Navigator - Keith Deyell - (IN CONTACT WITH FAMILY)
Co Pilot - Les Bolton - (PASSED AWAY FEB 2014)
Engineer - John Prentice - (SPOKE A FEW YEARS BACK LIVES IN NEW ZEALAND)
Wireless op - Arthur Burrows - KILLED ON OPS 1941WITH 7 SQUADRON
Rear gunner - John Lionel Abel Mills - KILLED ON OPS ON MANCHESTER BOMBERS

Prior to this he did Wireless training at Yatesbury in 1940, Gunnery training at Stormy Down Wales late 1940 and then on to 11 OTU at Bassingbourne early 1941, before joining 7 Squadron.

Hope this was interesting and fingers crossed I get some contact from someone.

Ian Davenport ian_davenportAThotmail.com (replace AT with @)

 

Brilliant work DP7 - I love it when extra names and details are added to otherwise unknown topics.

Having the names on this thread may (one day) draw in other family members doing historical research.

Is there anything worth scanning and adding to the thread where you can't make out abbreviations or place names etc? The resident experts on here may have answers that can fill in gaps for you.

cheers & good luck



Dave



FWIW - F/O C.M Hall (Australian) 402002 survived the war and was discharged in October 1945 - Flight Lieutenant HALL, CLIVE MAYOR RAAF

None of his files as held by the NAA have been digitised which is a pity - the casualty file referring to the loss of his aircraft and his subsequent capture might have info relevant to your GF.

 

"In addition to this I am interested in anyone that had a family member serve in 7 Squadron ww2 1941 whether it be Aircrew, ground crew etc, would like crew photos, Stirling photos and moreover POW photos that may relate to the people above or camps."



http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P09316.003

http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P09316.004

Members of a Stirling Bomber crew standing under the wing of an aircraft. Identified third from the left is 402795 Flight Lieutenant (Fl Lt) Erroll Edward Green RAAF, who was a pilot attached to No. 7 Squadron RAF. His Stirling aircraft N3754 was shot down by a German night fighter whilst on a mission to bomb Bremen on the night of 25/26 June 1942. Four of his crew were killed in the air crash. The other three crew members became prisoners of war (POWs) of the Germans. Fl Lt Green spent nearly three years as a POW, with most time spent in Stalag Luft III. He participated in preparations for escape by dispersing soil taken from the tunnel, but was moved on to another camp by the Germans before the escape took place on the night of 24/25 March 1944. Shifted from camp to camp, Fl Lt Green eventually escaped captivity with some other prisoners. After being picked up and fed by the American Army, Fl Lt Green and his fellow escapees were able to board a plane bound for Britain, arriving a few weeks before D-Day.

 

For more photos that may be of interest, I would suggest searching the AWM collection - http://www.awm.gov.au/search-awm/collections/

Simply typing in any of the camp names (Lamsdorf or Fallingbostel etc) provides umpteen photographs of life inside the camps or on the road during the forced marches in 1945

 

I will over time try to scan my grandfathers POW Wartime Log that has a lot of brilliant cartoons, paintings and poems / entries.....its a real treasure.

Next year I am looking to visit Sagan and Lamsdorf POW camps in a visit to Poland....cant wait!!

I will scan them and try to upload on here: P.S If someone could send me a message on how to upload pictures will be helpful.

Regards

Ian

 

Ian I have my father's P.O.W. "Wartime Log" and like your Grandfather's log it too has many names in it which I list below. I would be greatly interested in any details regarding the prisoners listed.

Robert Hancock, Woodhouse Farm, Leconfield, E. Yorks.

R. Utteridge, 13 Harpenden Road, W. Norwood, SE 27

Jim D. Skinner, 10 Earl Street, New Brumby, Scunthorpe.

Johnny Howes, Peacehaven, Sussex.

George W. Hand, Morcott, near Uppingham, Rutland.

D.N. Lee, Brentford Middelsex.

Laurie W. Collins, "Sackville House." 4 Littlefields Land, Grimsby, Lincs.

G.F. Ruddock, 16 Alforton Ave., West Green, London. N15.

William A. Roe, 45 Mansfield rd. Guilford, Surry.

Gordan Jack, 14 Eridgeway, Foresttown, Johannesburg S.A.

G.R. Simich, West Coast Rd. Oratia. Auckland. N.Z. Died 27th August 1948, age 32, when his Mosquito crashed at Himatangi Beach New Zealand.

Roger G. Simmons, 57 Manor Way, Woodmansterne, Surrey. (Part of “Dean and Dawson” the forgery department of Stalag Luft III that made the documents for the “Wooden Horse” escapees.)

Donald Prentice, 124 Caledon St. Uiterhage, Cape Province. S.A.

W. James Hunter, 123 Winifred Rd. Coulson, Surrey.

Louis B. Gunter, Binsley Rd. Coventry.

E.H.L. Shore, 31 The Parade, Barry, Glamorgan. (Leader of “Dean and Dawson” the forgery department of Stalag Luft III that made the documents for the “Wooden Horse” escapees.)


Alex McCullock, 63 Twyford Ave. Fosters Green, London.

Lockyer, Chorley, Lancs.

D. Meyrick, 38 Coronation Rd. Gilfach Goch, Glamorgan.

Benson, "OK" Goondriwindi, Queensland.

J.N. Denton, 4 The Terrace, Chyandous, Penzance, Cornwall.

Chas Allen (Tim) 70 Warren road, Washwood Heath, Birmingham.

J. Seedhouse, c/o Morton, Skillington, nr. Grantham.

R.J. Jackson, 20 Maytree Crescent, Warford, Herts.

Frank S. Read, 45 Mansfield Rd. Guilford, Surrey.

George F. Calvert, 11 Mallett Crescent, Bolton.

F.L. Ringham, 123 Borden Rd. Tunbridge, Kent.
.
Les Calvert.

W. Petch 23 Hamilton Rd. Scunthorpe.

Bob Beeston.

G.R.D.B. Hobsbawn, Santiago, Chile.

Ronald Walker, 106 Sunderland Ave. Tickhill, Doncaster.

J.E. Nelson, 15 Parkfield Rd. Bolton. (One of the crew members when my father was shot down.)

J. Beesley, 176 Woodland Ave. Handsworth, Birmingham. (One of the crew members when my father was shot down)

C. Hanrahan, 5 Norbreck Close, Cinder Hill, Notts.

L. Sadezky, Aldenham, Elstree, Herts.

L. Littlewood, 43 Rothschild St., West Norwood, London. SE 27

J. Allen Charlton, Dick Road, Kilmarnock.

R. Coulbeck, 97 Reavensdale St. Scunthorpe.

P. Gurnell, Sturton, Brigg.

J. Kenny, 27 Featherstall Rd.Oldham.

McDonald, 24 Brookland Drive, London, NW.11

P. Hyden

 

Richard R Huleatt - ? Footprints in the Sands of Time:-
Stalag 357. PoW No: 1018. Name: Huleatt R R H. RAF No: 1059832. Service: RAF. Sgt, 78 Sqdn, Halifax W7931, 28/03/43 Duisburg
Stanley Hewitt - RAF: RAF Commands PoW Lists:-
Stalag 357. PoW No: 162. Name: Hewitt S W B. Service no: 1168511. Service: RAF
I'm sure there's lots more about the rest in his logbook!...

 

Cheers Kev,

My grandfather mentioned a Stanley Hewitt they were friends but since my grandad's passing I am unable to find any info of his location / family relations.

Can you assist?

Ian

 

Hi Les please find attaches photographs from the local press during WW2 of Ronald Walker. Regards Jim Mitchell

 

All,

I have updated the POW list with Squadron details on Airman that appear in my grandfathers POW Wartime log book.

Regards

Ian

 

Jim Mitchell my father was a P.O.W. with Ronald Walker. I have sent you a PM in the hope that you can provide me with a photograph of Ronald Walker. I am endeavouring to get a photograph of all 50 prisoners listed in my father's P.O.W. "Wartime Log" (which can be seen here http://wallyswar.wordpress.com/pow-log/) So far I have photographs of 15 of the 50.

This is what I know about Ronald Walker who made an entry on page 81 of the log. Walker, Ronald 106 Sunderland Ave. Tickhill, Doncaster. F/O 51 Squadron Halifax HR750 shot down 27/28 May 1943 on raid to Essen, all crew survived to become POW’s.

 

Hi David

Could this be the man

UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945 about R Walker
Name: R Walker
Rank: Flying Officer
Army Number: 52179
Regiment: Royal Air Force : Officers & Other Ranks
POW Number: 275
Camp Type: Stalag Luft 6
Camp Number: L6
Camp Location: Heydekrug, Lithuania
Section: Royal Air Force : Officers & Other Ranks

TD

 

Yes TD I believe that is the man.

 

Hello Davenport7,

Dick Huleatt was my stepfather. I wrote the following obit based on his documents (No longer in my possession) and what he had recounted on several occasions. He regularly attended the RAF POW reunions in Canada. A surviving Stalag Luft III internee questioned how he could have been interned with officers. I have no answer to that question. Do you or any of the other readers of this thread have any idea how this question can be resolved? Does your Grandad's diary match Dick to any specific camp?
Regards,
Jacques





Huleatt, Richard Ridley (Dick) RAF F/Sgt. POW and Escapee. Peacefully in his 86th year at the Kingston General Hospital on June 30th, 2008. Born, Liverpool, England on July 28th, 1922. Following his August 31st, 1940 voluntary enlistment in the RAF, Dick led the life of the young invincible completing 56 missions as the rear gunner in Boston and Halifax bombers. Luck ran out on March 26th, 1943 over Duisburg, Germany when the left wing of his aircraft was destroyed by enemy flak. Dick parachuted from the burning aircraft at 17,000 feet, an adventure which qualified him to wear the caterpillar lapel pin with red ruby eyes, signalling his having hit the silk from an aircraft in flames. Dick spent the next 25 months as a POW in three different camps, most notably in Stalag Luft III where he worked on the tunnels featured in the movie “The Great Escape“. Dick's POW diary and letters featured many references to POW produced dramas and comedies evidencing his lifelong love of the limelight. Dick subsequently escaped alone on April 5th, 1945 from his last camp, Luft 357 and, following a series of sometimes harrowing incidents, he made it back through to the Allied lines ten days later and then home to England. Dick immigrated to Canada with his first family in 1956. ...

 

Jacques,

I have been in touch with the other side of the family the Huleatts and they found an entry in Richards POW wartime log by Les Davenport. It was a comically written account of the 'count' of prisoners in hyderkrug POW camp.

So this would explain that Huleatt after he was shot down went to all the same camps as Les right up until he escaped.

I have a photo taken in August 1945 of a group of airman on 'rehabilitation' holiday to Scarborough and Les and Richard are both in it.

They would have known each other as Richard in turn drew a cartoon in my grandfathers POW wartime log and put his address in the back.

Unfortunately my grandfather past away in 1988 and I never got to speak much about who he kept in contact with after the war. He did however want to forget and move on like many did after the war.

I am glad you contacted me, do you have any pictures of Richard in his RAF days or POW days or later in life?

message or private message me or my hotmail email is above in the first post.

Regards

Ian

 

Jacques,

6th photo down on this link is the picture in question, Richard Huleatt is standing with a drink in his hand!!!

http://aircrewremembered.com/davenport-les.html

Its nice to communicate with you, I know my grandfather and Huleatt must have known each other well.

Ian Davenport

 

Interesting reading Ian. Hopefully more contacts will emerge in time.

Thanks for keeping us up to date.

Good luck with your trip.

Cheers

Geoff

 

All,

Just bringing this to the front page as people may see some POW names they might recognise.

Regards

Ian Davenport

 

Ian,

2nd row, 3rd from right. Class photograph, No. 29 Course, No. 11 OTU, Bassingbourn, March 1941

Dave

 

Hello there Dave,

I have seen this picture of my Grandfather before on the net somewhere but would love a copy! Can this be obtained, how did you come about this picture? Yes quite young there Les was.

I look forward to your response.

Regards

Ian Davenport