Flight Sgt RMA Levis died 11 Jan 42, 210 Sqn RAF

[airborne_artist]

GWGC record (http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2716762)

Can anyone shed more light? His wartime sweetheart's son is seeking more info. He was buried 2.5 miles from his parent's village in S Wales. 210 Sqn was based at Oban at the time.

[XH175]

11/01/42
210 Sqn
Catalina I
AH547
DA-H

P/O E G Baker (+)
Sgt G A Elder
F/Sgt Morgan (Inj)
F/Sgt R M A Levis (inj)
Sgt R M MacKenzie (+)
Sgt G H Newton (+)
Sgt Gray
Sgt W D Clayton
Sgt R W Dickson

Op: Convoy Escort, RAF Oban, Time up 06:35 hrs

Crashed on take-off between Oban and Lismore for a mission to convoy SC62 and sank within an hour. F/Sgt Levis was rescued but died of his injuries and rests in Penyrheol Cemetery, Caerphilly, Glamorganshire, while the others are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

From the draft RAF Coastal Command Losses Vol 2

Regards
Ross

[airborne_artist]

Thank you very much. This puts the very slight possibility of a blue on blue to rest.

Wing Commander Peter Cundy - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1496086/Wing-Commander-Peter-Cundy.html)

"On January 11 1942 he was on patrol in the Bay of Biscay [in a Liberator of 120 Sqn] when he saw a twin-engine seaplane. He manoeuvred his heavy aircraft so that his gunners could bring effective fire to bear; the enemy escaped into cloud with one of its engines on fire.

Shortly after this engagement U-373 was sighted refuelling alongside a large tanker. Cundy immediately attacked both craft with depth charges and cannon fire. The submarine dived, leaving a large patch of oil on the surface; Cundy then attacked the tanker with cannon fire. A second enemy seaplane arrived on the scene, and the Liberator's gunners opened fire, driving it away with smoke pouring from it. After this eventful patrol, Cundy was awarded an immediate DFC. "

[airborne_artist]

Here is the original thread on a VW forum (http://www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread.php?t=709461&page=5) that I also follow, which led me to ask above.

Not only are the families now in contact, but Flight Sergeant Levis's name will now be added to his village war memorial.

The power of the web.

[ZFT]

Here is the original thread on a VW forum (http://www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread.php?t=709461&page=5) that I also follow, which led me to ask above.

Not only are the families now in contact, but Flight Sergeant Levis's name will now be added to his village war memorial.

The power of the web.

How heartwarming. Bring back a little faith in human nature.

[airborne_artist]

A Pprune success story of the first order - without the valuable input of XH175 there might not have been this happy and well-deserved ending.

______


So the story has now reached its conclusion and a certain amount of closure to the life and times of Flt Sgt Ron Levis, with the inclusion of his name on the Singhenydd War Memorial has at last happened.
It is still a mystery why his name was originally left off, however the theory from his living family is that his father was so destroyed by the death of his youngest child, that he did not want to see his sons name on the memorial, as he walked past it every day.
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The Abber Valley Heritage trust organised a full monty ceremony for Ron complete with the help of Caerphilly council. An RAF section and a wing commander, also a brigadier from the Army was also present. About a hundred people where also behind where we sat.

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There was also a full male voice choir singing the Bread heaven song
and the airmens hymn, that made you hair stand on end, sounded amazing.
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His story was read out in its entirety mentioning his relationship with my mother and also the vzi forum where they found a lot of valuable information that had not been discovered before it was investigated.
ITV Wales where also there filming the event and this should be aired very soon, so i will try and put that edition on here when i get it.


Once again thank you to everyone who has participated in this amazing post. When i opened the post back in 2012 i had absolutely no idea of what it would turn into. I would also like to thank the Levis family who gave me such a warm welcome into a part of their family history, that neither of us where aware of.

[olympus]

It's a shame the memorial doesn't show the more usual abbreviations for the various services/units - R Air Force, S L Infantry (Somerset Light Infantry?), R Army O C, R Army S C don't really lend the memorial the dignity it deserves.