Help needed looking for a picture

[donthaveone]

A friend of mine is looking for a picture of an uncle she has never seen so I am hoping someone out there might have a picture with him in it.
His name was F/Sgt Jack Watts, Service No: 1440822 and he was the navigator/bomb aimer on a Wellington X, LN857 (QT-C) of 142 Squadron based in Regine, Italy. The Captain was F/Sgt Marsh and they were shot down on 10.08.44.
We have obtained his service record and found were the crew were buried.
Before joining 142 Squadron on 09.11.43, he was:
ITW Bulawayo: 17.01.42
6(O) AFU: 08.06.43
311 FTU:09.10.43
21 OTU: 09.10.43

Any help would really be appreciated.

[Pontius Navigator]

There may be an official photo in RAF Records. Not sure where to start but the. AHB at Northolt might help.

[rugmuncher]

found this:

09/10.08.1944 No. 142 Squadron Wellington X LN857 QT-C Fl/Sgt. Marsh (http://aircrewremembered.com/marsh-reginald.html)

[teeteringhead]

PPRuNe at its best - and in 19 minutes elapsed!

Wow!

[Wensleydale]

Go to the 142 Sqn Facebook page - these sites usually come up with the goods. https://www.facebook.com/142-Squadron-797804643583150/

[Wander00]

TTH - I am with you there - absolutely amazing!

[SilsoeSid]

Sorry, can't directly link pics as IWM pics are licensed;

ROYAL AIR FORCE RHODESIAN AIR TRAINING GROUP SOUTHERN RHODESIA 1941-1945 (CRH 102) (http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205207849)

RAF cadets arriving at the Initial Training Wing, Bulawayo, have their names checked and are detailed to their billets by the Station Warrant Officer..

ROYAL AIR FORCE RHODESIAN AIR TRAINING GROUP SOUTHERN RHODESIA 1941-1945 (CRH 103) (http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205207850)

Newly-arrived RAF cadets get to know each other in a billet at the Initial Training Wing, Bulawayo.

ROYAL AIR FORCE RHODESIAN AIR TRAINING GROUP SOUTHERN RHODESIA 1941-1945 (CRH 108) (http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205207851)

Student navigators learn how to plot a course at the Initial Training Wing, Bulawayo.


Some more pics of life at ITW Bulawayo '41/'42 can be seen here;
https://www.flickr.com/photos/54996985@N00/sets/72157622043593788

A little later;
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ianmeredith/albums/72157616686929739

Mijn oude spulletjes..... (http://mijnoudespulletjes.nl/navbook.html)

http://mijnoudespulletjes.nl/images/navigation1.jpg

http://rhodesianheritage.********.co.uk/2012_08_01_archive.html
http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z273/orafs/Rhodesian%20Heritage/Fledgling%20Magazine/Cover.jpg

[SilsoeSid]

142 Squadron Wellington losses (http://www.aviationarchaeology.org.uk/marg/142sqn_losses.htm)

09-10/08/1944
The squadron attacked the Romana Americana oil refinery in Ploesti, Romania and lost 3 aircraft.

Wellington X LN972 -W Failed to return from Ploesti. The Wellington was shot down by a night fighter in a frontal attack at 00-28 hours near Lom on the Danube. Lt E Cathrine SAAF, F/Sgt W McDonald (2nd pilot), Lt L Stone SAAF, Sgt J Graham, F/Sgt J Taylor, Sgt R McKay all managed to bale out and were taken POW. There is an account of the incident in Macdonald 'Through Darkness to Light'. Their captivity was brief and the squadron heard that they were back in Allied hands on 18 September.

Wellington X serial u/k (probably either LN857 or LP540, both listed as failed to return from Ploesti while flying with 142 Squadron on this night). The crew was F/Sgt R Marsh RCAF, Sgt W Chambers, F/Sgt J Watts, Sgt F Bullard and Sgt M Watts. The Wellington crashed and exploded at Orac near Snagov, 25km north of Bucharest and there were no survivors. According to Macdonald 'Through Darkness to Light', all were buried at Tâncăbești but they are now buried in Bucharest War Cemetery. The squadron Operations Record Book lists this aircraft as MF631 -C, which is incorrect (see below).

Wellington X LP189 (possibly -H) Failed to return from Ploesti. It crashed in northern Bulgaria and the crew are buried in Sofia War Cemetery: F/Sgt C G Hill RAAF, F/Sgt P Shepherd, F/Sgt R Thurlow RAAF, F/Sgt W Grisedale and Sgt G Pond. This may have been the aircraft that Lt Cathrine saw blow up, almost over the Danube. The aircraft is listed as LP548 -H in the squadron Operations Record Book, but this aircraft seems to have survived the war and F/Sgt Thurlow's personnel file states that the Wellington was LP189.

[Pontius Navigator]

For background look here
https://www.flickr.com/photos/54996985@N00/3824233342/in/photostream/

[SilsoeSid]

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=J3V-AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA182&lpg=PA182&dq=142+Squadron+based+in+Regine,+Italy.&source=bl&ots=akUEwHwySh&sig=x4b72GUBkoNJdGt4mcUSp9TZCWs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjQsK-hzcXKAhWJuRQKHVhFCE4Q6AEIRTAG#v=onepage&q=142%20Squadron%20based%20in%20Regine%2C%20Italy.&f=false

http://d39ttiideeq0ys.cloudfront.net/assets/images/book/large/9781/8441/9781844156559.jpg

[SilsoeSid]

http://natureonline.com/37/wellington-and-b17-crews.jpg

"RAF Wellington Mk. X aircrew wish an American B-17 crew good luck as they set out to raid a Balkan target from their shared airfield on the Foggia plain."
http://natureonline.com/37/9-wimpys.html

[SilsoeSid]

'Uncle Jack' mentioned on pages 4 & 5;

WorldWar2.ro Forum -> RAF/Commonwealth operations over Romania (http://www.worldwar2.ro/forum/index.php?showtopic=1883&st=0)

[donthaveone]

Many thanks to all for your help. I will try to find out if any of the faces match up.