Can any 101 Sqn folks help out?

[NutLoose]

To make this old ex Lanc chaps day.

I'm trying to help a 101 squadron veteran (http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?138131-I-m-trying-to-help-a-101-squadron-veteran)

I'm trying to help a 101 squadron veteran
I am writing to ask for help in fulfilling the wish of a war hero from RAF 101 Lancaster squadron .
Recently I watched the 80th anniversary flight of the Spitfire from Southampton airport .
Living local to the Solent it seemed a great opportunity to try my new zoom lens out .
After taking a few photos and feeling happy for seeing the iconic aircraft manoeuvring up and down Southampton water I thought I'd head home and look at the pictures .
I was just about to turn and leave when I heard an elderly gent that I didn't realise was standing next to me make comment " what are you going to do with that ? , Shoot the bloody thing down ? " referring to the 300 mm lens attached to my camera . It brought a smile to my face to look down and see this elderly gent standing next to me with a smile on his face , I replied " no I'm only taking a few pictures "
He looked at me and said " you should be taking pictures of Lancasters son , that's what I flew in during the war " , I was not sure what to make of him at first as he didn't quite look old enough to have done such a thing " really " I replied , " tell me more " , with this he continued to tell me about his time as a radio operator with 101 squadron , he looked at me and said " you don't believe me do you ? , come with me to my car " , I was surprised to see that he had driven himself to the marina that I was viewing the spitfire from . He opened the drivers door and took out a passport with photographs inside of his time in the war . He then told me things about his time with the squadron and the missions that they flew .
" it's not that I don't believe you sir " , I said " I'm actually quite taken aback to be listening to your story "
He continued to tell me how in previous years he had attended the 101 squadron reunions , but last year his wife of 68 years had passed away and he feels it's now too far for him to drive alone , he continued to describe the reunions and how in the 1980's he had been at a reunion in Ludford Magna , where he saw a picture on the wall of 101 squadron , just the crew members , as he remembers approximately 70-80 airmen gathered from the wing towards the rear of the aircraft, with the code letters SR on the side of the aircraft , he recognised himself in the picture , and he recalled the picture being taken in the years 1945-1946 .
The following year the picture was missing from the reunion , and from that day he has wondered where the picture had gone , it was the only picture that he can recall of seeing with just the aircrew in the picture .
Well after describing this to me he looked at me and said , " I'm not up to all this internet stuff , could you possibly do something for me ? , it would absolutely make my day if I could see this picture , or a copy of it again " .
After meeting this man and listening to a short description of his RAF career , and seeing how humble he is about being a war hero that lost many friends , and hearing him say that he thought he was about to lose his own life on more than one occasion , how could I not offer to help find his picture ? , he gave me his details and looked at me and said " it would mean the world to me if you could just look for me , and now son you are holding me up with my morning walk , and I cannot stand around talking to you all day " this was said with the same wit that he had shown during our chat , and off he went smiling at me as he walked away .
I stood for a while smiling and thinking " did this just happen ? " . It's not every day a war hero approaches you and catches your attention the way he did , and leaves you thinking how special these men are and were .
If you know of anywhere that I could search for this picture , or any websites that I could look , I would be very grateful ,
Regards , Brian

Thank you everyone for your help .
The gentleman's name is Samual Charles Humphry ,
He remembers his Skipper was called Jimmy Hill , and his rear gunner was called Taff Jeffries ,
The wing commander at the time was called Gunnery White .
Thank you ,
Brian

[Danny42C]

Nutloose,

Tell Brian:

Never was on 101 myself, but was with them at Binbrook around Christmas '49 (Wg. Cdr. Hamish Mahaddie commanding) a real gent, if ever there was ! They had Lincolns.

And my Auxiliary CO at Thornaby '51-'54 (Wg. Cdr. David Brown DSO [you don't see many AGs with that] was at Ludford Magna towards the end of the war). Might have been on 101 - he would probably have been a Sqn.Ldr. , the Gunnery Leader then.
...Well after describing this to me he looked at me and said , " I'm not up to all this internet stuff...
Neither was I. So get hold of the old fella and give him a good talking-to. Round up his clan; they can club together, buy him a simple laptop for last Christmas and show him how to use it. Tell him to get stuck-in, if I can do it, anyone can (and any ten year old does). The water's fine ! Show him a bit of our Thread as bait - that's how they caught me !

Then he can join PPRuNe, and be welcome in this our virtual crewroom, where he will be among friends.

Good luck with your search, Danny.

[BossEyed]

What a fine story. I really hope the gentleman finds his picture.

I wonder if it might be this one (not quite as described by Brian), which is on the 101 Squadron Association website (http://www.101squadronassociation.org.uk/photographs.html)?

http://www.101squadronassociation.org.uk/images/gallery/gallery8-big.jpg

The website only has this small image, but I suspect it is likely that the Association has a higher resolution copy, if not the physical original.

[elyvator]

Nutloose - the website you've linked to gives a name & googling yields this:

BBC - WW2 People's War - Sam's War part three by Jane Foster (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/09/a6791709.shtml)

Joining the RAF
I joined the Air Training Core in 1942, 424 Squadron. I was a volunteer reserve and I wanted to fly with the RAF. I wrote a letter to the RAF and asked if I could join. I was then sent a letter in 1943 in which I was invited to go to Oxford to see if I would qualify to join. There was a health check, and a maths and English test which I passed, but I was told that I would not be able to become a pilot because I was too short. I passed all the selection exams and was asked what else I would like to do and as I had trained in Morse code in the Air Training Core I said I would like to be a wireless operator. I did qualify to join as a wireless operator and air gunner. Because of my age, 17 and a quarter, I could not join for three months, at which time I went to Air Crew Reception Centre in Saint Johns’ Wood, London in July 1943. The food was great and so were the mates. We were given jabs and we were kitted out with uniforms. Our days consisted of square bashing. Then we went to initial training wing in Bridlington where we did more square bashing. Our squad would over take all the other squads, quick marching to be the first to get to the cook house. Whilst I was there I was also trained to use a 303 Browning machine gun. The training consisted of aiming from a low flying plane and aiming at a Trow.
I then went to Madley to train as a wireless operator at number 4 Radio School. We went to school from 8.00am to 6.00pm 6 days a week. The Nissan hut that we lived in was in an orchard and you walked a mile up the road to the eating quarters and then a mile in the opposite direction to the school. We did some administration but most of the day was spent in Harwell Boxes, where we learnt the Morse code, wearing ear phones all, and learning about radio theory. The transmitter was called 1154 and the receiver was called the 1155. We did this for three months.
My first air trip was in an Anson Plane, five got in with an instructor, who gave each of us a turn to use the equipment. I used the equipment first, but by the time the third, fourth and fifth chaps turn came, they were all too sick to complete the test. I did this three times and then I qualified and went on to Proctors. This is a single-engined air craft and there would be just me and the pilot. I did this for 8 months and I then took a Morse code and radio theory test which I passed and I was made a sergeant. Shortly after this, a list was made up of twenty RAF chaps from Madley who were going to be sent to India. I volunteered to go to India in place of another person, who had a family at home but in the end the list was shortened to eighteen and as I was the twentieth on the list, I didn’t go.
I was then sent to an Advanced Flying Unit at Staverton, where we flew in Wellingtons. This lasted for another 2 months. I then went onto Heavy Con Unit where I went on to Lancasters. I then went to 85 Operator Training Unit and took the trade test which I passed with 95% and I was promoted to Flight Sergeant. I was then sent to 101 Squadron, Bomber Command at Ludford Magna.

[Bryzzy]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/83/a6791583.shtml