100 Squadron - WW2 Lancs

[Blues&twos]

Hi, whilst I have been frequenting PPRuNe for years, I haven't posted in this bit before.

I'm trying to find out a bit of operational history for Lancaster ND785, which exploded in mid air, having taken off from Grimsby on (I think) 21 April 1944, tasked against Col9gne, Germany.
My great-uncle Sgt C.C.Davies was one of the crew and was killed.

Any information or suggestions about the best places to look would be gratefully received!

[caped crusader]

I believe he is buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. Check the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for more details.

You might like to contact the 100 Squadron association website 100squadronassociation.org.uk

You could also try the National Archives for the 100 Squadron F540 for that date. I believe there is free online access to such records whilst the Archives are closed to visitors.

To find out his service record you could apply to the RAF. Details of how to do this can be found at https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records

Hope this helps

CC

[Blues&twos]

caped crusader - thanks very much for your quick response! You are right, he is buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery. My nan and my aunt used to visit the grave every few years.
I managed to get the infornation I posted above from an aviation enthusiast back in 1999, when we got our first PC...
i'll definitely have a look.at the resources you have suggested, my aunt has been asking if there was more information about her dad.

Thanks again, much appreciated!

[Downwind.Maddl-Land]

Hi, whilst I have been frequenting PPRuNe for years, I haven't posted in this bit before.

I'm trying to find out a bit of operational history for Lancaster ND785, which exploded in mid air, having taken off from Grimsby on (I think) 21 April 1944, tasked against Col9gne, Germany.
My great-uncle Sgt C.C.Davies was one of the crew and was killed.

Any information or suggestions about the best places to look would be gratefully received!
Go to the International Bomber Command Centre's website, navigate to the Total Losses Database page and enter your great uncle's name and as much detail as is known will appear. Any problems PM me and I'll try to assist.

[Blues&twos]

That's great Downwind, thanks!

I'll see if I can find anything when I get home, brilliant!

[Downwind.Maddl-Land]

Let me know how you get on either on here or via PM.

[Blues&twos]

Hi again. I have found the information I was after. Thanks, Downwind. I will now be able to apply to the RAF for his service record, thanks to caped crusader's link.

You've both been really helpful. The PPRuNe community never seem to fail!

It's a pity the information was much more difficult to find back when my nan was still alive.

I will.pass on the links and information to Charlie's daughter (my aunt) :ok:

[Downwind.Maddl-Land]

Check your PMs.

[MAINJAFAD]

Hi, whilst I have been frequenting PPRuNe for years, I haven't posted in this bit before.

I'm trying to find out a bit of operational history for Lancaster ND785, which exploded in mid air, having taken off from Grimsby on (I think) 21 April 1944, tasked against Col9gne, Germany.
My great-uncle Sgt C.C.Davies was one of the crew and was killed.

Any information or suggestions about the best places to look would be gratefully received!

The Squadron operational records for WWII are in digital format and thanks to the lockdown closure of the National Archives can be downloaded for free if you have an account set up with them. https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

100 Squadron's records that contain the information for April 1944 are held in file AIR 27/797 which are broken down into 24 documents. The odd numbered ones will cover what operations were done and who was posted in and out of the unit, while the even numbered ones will cover which aircraft and their crews did which sorties and included take off time, landing time (if returned) and general other information about each sortie. 1943 is covered in AIR 27/796

[megan]

B & T, Lancaster losses book I have merely says ND785 100Sq lost 21/22 Apr 44 Cologne marshalling yards

Squadron was based at Waltham at the time, moving to Elsham Wolds 1 Apr 45, then Scampton 15 Dec 45. Squadron code letters "HW", "JA", "FZ". Squadron code for ND785 was "HW-A", others that carried the same code were ED555 lost Leipzig 21-10-43, ED688 lost Hamburg 3-8-43, ED732 hit JA922 on take off Wickenby, ED821 lost Essen 28-5-43, EE139 to 550 Sq named Phantom of the Ruhr struck off charge 12-1-46 121+operations 850+ hours, JB602 struck off charge damaged 15-1-44, ND398 lost Schweinfurt 25-2-44, ND485 no history logged, ND593 crashed in North Sea (Schweinfurt) 25-2-44, ND681 lost Stuttgart 16-3-44.

First operation minelaying 4/5 Mar 43
Raids 267
Minelaying 13
Sorties 3,984
Losses 92
Lost in accidents 21

Contact with the webmaster of this link may elucidate info you seek, his email larry617 "at" lancaster-archive.com (please replace "at" with @ symbol)

Lancaster-Archive (http://www.lancaster-archive.com/index-no%20fund%20rasier.htm)

[Geriaviator]

Sgt Davies's headstone is one of the many thousands pictured on the War Graves Memorial Project website at https://www.twgpp.org/photograph/view/3451026

[Blues&twos]

Hi all, thanks to you all for your responses!
The information you've helped me uncover has been brilliant - much more than I thought I'd find, fascinating to me, but most importantly Charlie's daughter (my aunt) is thrilled to know more about her dad. She was only about 2 years old when he was killed.

I'll carry on through all the links to see what else there is!

​​

[Downwind.Maddl-Land]

B&Ts - check your PMs again.

[Blues&twos]

Downwind, have replied!

[Bob Craine]

My Uncle Sgt Edgar Usher was the navigator in Lancaster ND785
I have sent you a PM Blues&Twos as I don't have a picture of him and would love to find a picture of the crew if any of the other crew members relatives might have one
They were hit by 5 Schwere 88mm Flak battery over Julich at 02.10 hours
I have visited the grave at Rheinberg cemetery where he lies next to most of his crew
The cemetery was immaculate and a real credit to whoever maintains it
I also visited the site of the former RAF Waltham and the 100 Sqdn museum close to the site
My mother destroyed all the pictures of Edgar in her grief so we dont even know what he looked like. She gave me his Christian name as my middle name so although I never knew him and he died ten years before I was born I feel a strong connection to him.

[megan]

Bob, you need to have had ten posts before the site emailing function becomes available to you. If you post your email address here Blues&twos would be able to contact you.

[Bob Craine]

Email address is [email protected]