Fred Moran Lancaster Navigator

Thank you Scott. Everyone on this Site have been great. So supportive

 

Aha - I've got the October 1943 Form 541 for 36 Sqdn (it's here on TNA), and it shows Fred Moran taking part in two operations as a member of the Swain crew. Given that he and (I'm presuming) the rest of this crew joined 36 Sqdn at the end of September that year, these were probably their first operations with them. The squadron was flying Wellington Mk XIII and XIV aircraft out of North Africa in an anti-submarine role; both Fred's ops that month were convoy protection in torpedo-carrying MK XIII aircraft.

The Swain crew were:
W/O Swain
F/Sgt Clarke
F/O Smith
Sgt Mitchell
F/Sgt Moran
F/O Wright

Cheers, Pat

 

Pat I cannot believe I am reading this. Such detailed information about the life of my uncle so long ago. He never spoke much of his time in the airforce only saying a few times about the crash landings. I wonder if there is any information about them? I think one of the crashes, he said, was in Egypt.

 

No 36 Squadron was one of the squadrons that were destroyed and disbanded as a result of the Japanese invasion of Malaya but managed to survive by withdrawing to bases in Java until it was overwhelmed in March 1942.From 1930 it had been based at the well known permanent Seletar base on Singapore island where it remained until the Japanese invasion. Its remaining aircraft were two Vildebeest 111 which while attempting to withdraw from Tasikmalja,Java to Ceylon had to ditch,completing a complete write off of the squadron's aircraft.The Albacore was also on the squadron's strength between December 1941 and February 1942 and must have been lost during the Japanese invasion.

No. 36 Squadron (RAF) during the Second World War

[The Squadron was of Great War vintage being formed at Cramlington on 1 February 1916 as a Home Defence squadron covering Durham and Northumberland.The squadron was disbanded in June 1919 as the RAF rundown from the end of the Great War continued.]

It reformed on 22 October 1942 at Tanjore, (some distance south of Madras) on the Indian east coast to counter an anticipated Japanese invasion.The squadron had to wait until December for its first Wellngton type,the Mark 1C,followed by the Wellngton Mark V111 added to the squadron strength.The squadron was to be equipped with 6 types of Wellington,throughout its overseas service and on return to the UK.

8 April 1943 relocated to Dhubalia (immediately north of Calcutta)

24 June 1943 to Blida (Algiers area) with detachments to Bone (east of Algiers), Montecorvino (immediate south of Salerno),La Senia (immediate area of Oran),Gibraltar, Tafaraoui (immediate area of Oran), Grottaglie (western tip of Gulf of Taranto),Bo Rizzo (extreme west point of Siclty),Ghisonaccia.(eastern side of Corsica)

30 April 1944 to Reghaia (immediate east of Algiers) with detachments to La Senia,Grootaglie,Bone and Alghero (north west tip of Sardinia).

26 September 1944 to Chivenor,North Devon where it continued with anti submarine duties from here until the last 2 months of the war when the squadron operated out of Benbecula in the Western Hebrides,

W/O Fred Moran's service record indicates that he received training on ASV radar...a valuable tool in the detection of enemy submarines.He would as a WOP Air (2),W/O be also the ASV operator in addition to the duties of the aircraft Wireless Operator.

 

Thank you

 

In 1975 a Mrs Wilhelms in Queensland asked for details on some RAAF personnel who served with her father, who was shortly going to visit Australia from Canada - I can't see any reference to who her father was, but I suppose he could have been one of the other crewmen listed below by Pat.

She asked for the address details on Fred Moran, Flight Lieutenant Henry Reginald Swain 401546 & Warrant Officer John Frederick Victorsen 407629

Checking their records at the NAA shows that the personnel file for Swain has been digitised and that there is an undigitised casualty (accident) file - SWAIN, Henry Reginald - (Sergeant) 401546; File type - Casualty; Aircraft - Wellington MK VE120; Place - between Tangore and Dhubalia, India; Date - 29 March 1943

This was shortly after Fred Moran joined the SQN in India so he could have also been on board. Normally a casualty report was raised by the RAAF for every Australian injured in an incident - so either Fred wasn't on board or he was but did not suffer any ill-effects so therefore no file was raised. Checking Swain's personnel file there is no copy of any crash paperwork (sometimes there is).

Conversely, the NAA holds the undigitised personnel file for Victorsen and a casualty (accident) file that has been digitised - VICTORSEN John Frederick - (Sergeant) 407629; File type - Casualty; Aircraft - Wellington M803(?); Place - Bengal; Date - 27 November 1943 (No mention of Fred Moran in the crew list for that incident)

I don't have any Unit History (ORB / Form 541 paperwork) for 36SQN RAF - lucky that Pat did. It is possible to download them from the website for TNA but I think it costs around 3.50 quid per report - and there are normally two reports for every month, it adds up pretty quickly.

Chances are that Fred was involved in a forced / heavy landing or two - as stated earlier, unless someone is injured enough to require hospitalisation then it is possible that a casualty file wasn't raised by the RAAF - the 36SQN ORBs are the only place to check and from there it is a cost matter to look at the reports for nearly 2 years




October 1943 Form 541 for 36 SQN shows Fred Moran taking part in two operations as a member of the Swain crew.

The Swain crew were:
W/O Swain / F/Sgt Clarke / F/O Smith / Sgt Mitchell / F/Sgt Moran / F/O Wright

 

Thank you for this very detailed information. I do remember Fred saying he was in hospital in the UK and met a nurse he was very fond of so it sounds as if he must have been injured at some stage. I always remember him wearing a black patch over one eye and he could not drive at night.