"The Saint" - a famous bomber?
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Surrey UK
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"The Saint" a famous bomber?
I am trying to find any information at all regarding a famous British bomber in the Second World War that carried the motif of "The Saint" - a little white stick-man figure with a halo.
Just to make it difficult, I don't know what the bomber was - possibly a Wellington or a Lancaster?
If anyone can point me in the right direction it would help me enormously. Thanks!
Just to make it difficult, I don't know what the bomber was - possibly a Wellington or a Lancaster?
If anyone can point me in the right direction it would help me enormously. Thanks!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Surrey UK
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"The Saint" - a famous bomber?
I am trying to find any information at all regarding a famous British bomber in the Second World War that carried the motif of "The Saint" - a little white stick-man figure with a halo.
Just to make it difficult, I don't know what the bomber was - possibly a Wellington or a Lancaster?
If anyone can point me in the right direction it would help me enormously. Thanks!
Just to make it difficult, I don't know what the bomber was - possibly a Wellington or a Lancaster?
If anyone can point me in the right direction it would help me enormously. Thanks!
It was a Wellington - of that I'm certain.
I can't quite remember where I saw the pic of it; however, I have a reference to it being X9873, Code KO-P (115 Sqn) based at Marham in 1941.
I can't quite remember where I saw the pic of it; however, I have a reference to it being X9873, Code KO-P (115 Sqn) based at Marham in 1941.
Last edited by Archimedes; 1st Dec 2004 at 21:58.
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Blairgowrie,Scotland
Age: 75
Posts: 692
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I did some as well!
16 Sqn was not a bomber Sqn during the war. They flew Lysanders,then Mustangs,then Spitfires.
Therefore it was probably a specific nose art on a particular bomber.
16 Sqn was not a bomber Sqn during the war. They flew Lysanders,then Mustangs,then Spitfires.
Therefore it was probably a specific nose art on a particular bomber.
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: I don't know...
Age: 59
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
According to the book Claims to fame:the lancaster by Norman Franks.
The Saint was a mk III Lancaster DV245 with 101 Squadron at Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire.The aircraft failed to return on 23 march 1945 on it's 122nd mission. Shot down by a Me262. There is a small picture in the book of the saint insignia riding a bomb like a cowboy.
The Saint was a mk III Lancaster DV245 with 101 Squadron at Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire.The aircraft failed to return on 23 march 1945 on it's 122nd mission. Shot down by a Me262. There is a small picture in the book of the saint insignia riding a bomb like a cowboy.
Moderator
Join Date: Jul 1997
Location: Europe
Posts: 3,228
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wellington Ic, KO-P, X9875 of 115 Squadron made an emergency landing on the Dutch island Schiermonnikoog on October 31,1941.
With acknowledgement to the Luftwaffe Expert Board
With acknowledgement to the Luftwaffe Expert Board
16 Squadron, currently flying Jaguars I believe. The name "Saints" came from St.Omer in France where they were stationed in 1915.
http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcoltishall/16squadron.html
Probably unrelated to any WW2 aircraft - 16 were flying PR Spits during much of that conflict.
The saint stick figure owes it's origin to a series of 1930s novels by Leslie Charteris, whose character - something of a precursor of James Bond - was named Simon Templar, but more commonly as "The Saint". That stick figure was supposedly his calling card.
G
http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcoltishall/16squadron.html
Probably unrelated to any WW2 aircraft - 16 were flying PR Spits during much of that conflict.
The saint stick figure owes it's origin to a series of 1930s novels by Leslie Charteris, whose character - something of a precursor of James Bond - was named Simon Templar, but more commonly as "The Saint". That stick figure was supposedly his calling card.
G
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Surrey UK
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
OK thanks very much everyone, I've got some more information for the curious:
I asked because my brother recently went to his wife's grandfather's funeral. We were amazed to discover the following information from his old comrades who attended en masse:
Unknown to the family, Eric "Stanley" Baldwin had been an RAF flight engineer who became a pilot and flew Wellingtons, Lancasters and Mosquitos during the war.
Where many of the crews would pack their parachutes as essential equipment, Stanley would only pack his toolbox. During a raid on Benghazi, Stanley's aircraft suffered damage and was forced to land in the desert. This usually resulted in a hazardous trek and sometimes death for crews unfortunate to suffer this fate. Stanley managed to patch the aircraft up using his engineering knowledge, and had the rest of the crew prepare a take-off strip in the desert by moving all the rocks etc and managed to get the bomber airborne again and nurse it back to base.
Stanley apparently flew his Wellington or Lancaster and kept the Saint motif throughout his war service. After the war he became a test pilot for Handley Page / Vickers and test flew various types including the Victor bomber and the Viscount turboprop.
The bizarre thing about this is that none of the family even knew about his colourful past as a pilot; we knew vaguely that he had served in the war but as he never really talked about it, no-one knew what he had done until his funeral and the eulogies of his old squadron mates, surviving crew members and those who knew him at Vickers.
Now, these could just be old war stories; I've tried Googling his name and various other keywords, but this has not unearthed much information. Your input is most appreciated - I am still trying to find out more information about this fascinating history.
I asked because my brother recently went to his wife's grandfather's funeral. We were amazed to discover the following information from his old comrades who attended en masse:
Unknown to the family, Eric "Stanley" Baldwin had been an RAF flight engineer who became a pilot and flew Wellingtons, Lancasters and Mosquitos during the war.
Where many of the crews would pack their parachutes as essential equipment, Stanley would only pack his toolbox. During a raid on Benghazi, Stanley's aircraft suffered damage and was forced to land in the desert. This usually resulted in a hazardous trek and sometimes death for crews unfortunate to suffer this fate. Stanley managed to patch the aircraft up using his engineering knowledge, and had the rest of the crew prepare a take-off strip in the desert by moving all the rocks etc and managed to get the bomber airborne again and nurse it back to base.
Stanley apparently flew his Wellington or Lancaster and kept the Saint motif throughout his war service. After the war he became a test pilot for Handley Page / Vickers and test flew various types including the Victor bomber and the Viscount turboprop.
The bizarre thing about this is that none of the family even knew about his colourful past as a pilot; we knew vaguely that he had served in the war but as he never really talked about it, no-one knew what he had done until his funeral and the eulogies of his old squadron mates, surviving crew members and those who knew him at Vickers.
Now, these could just be old war stories; I've tried Googling his name and various other keywords, but this has not unearthed much information. Your input is most appreciated - I am still trying to find out more information about this fascinating history.
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Blairgowrie,Scotland
Age: 75
Posts: 692
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Would have thought the place to start would be his old Sqn mates. They would know everthing. You didn't take any contact details? Much easier than this method!
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: I don't know...
Age: 59
Posts: 56
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I just checked the book Claims to fame:the Lancaster again. The book lists the thirty four Lancaster that flew 100 missions or more, all the targets, and all their crews.
Eric Stanley Baldwin did not fly on DV254. So his aircraft probably was the Wellington.
Eric Stanley Baldwin did not fly on DV254. So his aircraft probably was the Wellington.
YG,
An Eric Baldwin, flying Wellingtons in the ME (starting as 2nd pilot) and then Mossies over Europe won the DFC (1944) and the DFM (1941). Since he won his DFC while flying Mossies with 139 Sqn, could they be one and the same, I wonder?
An Eric Baldwin, flying Wellingtons in the ME (starting as 2nd pilot) and then Mossies over Europe won the DFC (1944) and the DFM (1941). Since he won his DFC while flying Mossies with 139 Sqn, could they be one and the same, I wonder?