Flt sgt Ron Fountain RAF 464 mosquito sqd
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Flt sgt Ron Fountain RAF 464 mosquito sqd
Hi everyone.I am researching the wartime records of my mums brother,flt sgt Ron Fountain of RAF 464 mosquito sqd.Sadly at the age of twenty one he was shot down and killed in action returning from a night intruder operation in west germany on november 18th 1944,my mother informs me that he had only been on opps for about six months.My question is regarding his campaign medals.Unfortunatley during my grandmothers house move the medals were misplaced,but some have since been found,i actually have three in my posession they are as follows....the 1939-45 star,the france and germany star,the war medal.My family believe's there were only the three?can anybody help or suggest what other medals he may have been entitled to?
Thanks very much
Gareth
Thanks very much
Gareth
Don't have any info on campaign medals, but a starter for ten:-
History: The Squadron was officially formed at RAF Feltwell on 1 September 1942 in the United Kingdom, under the Empire Air Training Scheme. No. 464 Squadron was initially equipped with Lockheed Ventura light bombers and participated in its first operation (Operation Oyster - the attack on the Philips radio valve factory at Eindhoven, Holland) on 6 December. The Squadron conducted raids over France during 1943 and was reequipped with the more suited de Havilland Mosquito aircraft in July.
In early 1944 No. 464 Squadron concentrated on attacking V-1 flying bomb launch sites and gained a reputation for highly accurate bombing. This reputation lead it to be selected for Operation Jericho. In this mission, aircraft from the Squadron formed part of the force which breached the walls of a Gestapo prison at Amiens, France on February 18, 1944 allowing members of the French Resistance to escape.
From June 1944 the Squadron attacked transport and communications targets to support the Allied invasion of Europe. The Squadron also participated in a number of precision attacks on Gestapo targets in occupied Europe. Most notable were the precision low-level attacks on the Aarhus University complex in Aarhus, Denmark (31 October 1944), Operation Carthage - the attack on the Shellhaus in Copenhagen, Denmark (21 March 1945) and on the Gestapo Headquarters in Odense, Denmark (17 April 1945).
Name: FOUNTAIN, RONALD FREDERICK
Initials: R F
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Flight Sergeant (Nav./W.Op.)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 464 (R.A.A.F.) Sqdn
Date of Death: 18/11/1944
Service No: 1600411
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 4. D. 2.
Cemetery: ARNHEM OOSTERBEEK WAR CEMETERY
Name: BEER, JACK ALFRED
Initials: J A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Warrant Officer (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 464 (R.A.A.F.) Sqdn
Age: 22
Date of Death: 18/11/1944
Service No: 1239605
Additional information: Son of Alfred George and Violet Annie Constance Beer, of Northampton.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 18. C. 7.
Cemetery: ARNHEM OOSTERBEEK WAR CEMETERY
Surprisingly, the Germans were fairly scrupulous in usually "uniting" crew in adjacent graves, but this doesn't seem to have occurred here.
The cemetery is obviously heavily visited and no doubt photos of the headstones will no doubt appear - I'll see what I might find. It may be that these graves have been "adopted" by local schoolchildren. The paras certainly are, and I'm sure none are excluded. It may be worth looking for links with Arnhem units to see if there is a link to local historians who might have greater info, and perhaps be able to confirm whether they have been adopted. You could then let them know that their charges are still remembered, even if not possible to visit. After Market Garden, virtually the entire town was forcibly evacuated and the townsfolk suffered even worse than the civilian Dutch population because of their support.
Insert Line Edit 2: Ugchelen - Herdenking Geallieerde Oorlogsslachtoffers / Commemoration of the Allied Victims of WW II halfway down - 18 november 1944 Mosquito 464 sq shot down by Anti Aircraft Guns over Apeldoorn. W/O Beer pilot, F/Sgt Fountain navigator, both RAF.
I hope this gives others some helpful clues to find out more for you.
I salute their sacrifice.
Edit to add: The official Report of them being missing seems to have been unusually late, in Flight March 45 see: sgt | fit | fit sgt | 1945 | 0620 | Flight Archive
History: The Squadron was officially formed at RAF Feltwell on 1 September 1942 in the United Kingdom, under the Empire Air Training Scheme. No. 464 Squadron was initially equipped with Lockheed Ventura light bombers and participated in its first operation (Operation Oyster - the attack on the Philips radio valve factory at Eindhoven, Holland) on 6 December. The Squadron conducted raids over France during 1943 and was reequipped with the more suited de Havilland Mosquito aircraft in July.
In early 1944 No. 464 Squadron concentrated on attacking V-1 flying bomb launch sites and gained a reputation for highly accurate bombing. This reputation lead it to be selected for Operation Jericho. In this mission, aircraft from the Squadron formed part of the force which breached the walls of a Gestapo prison at Amiens, France on February 18, 1944 allowing members of the French Resistance to escape.
From June 1944 the Squadron attacked transport and communications targets to support the Allied invasion of Europe. The Squadron also participated in a number of precision attacks on Gestapo targets in occupied Europe. Most notable were the precision low-level attacks on the Aarhus University complex in Aarhus, Denmark (31 October 1944), Operation Carthage - the attack on the Shellhaus in Copenhagen, Denmark (21 March 1945) and on the Gestapo Headquarters in Odense, Denmark (17 April 1945).
Name: FOUNTAIN, RONALD FREDERICK
Initials: R F
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Flight Sergeant (Nav./W.Op.)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 464 (R.A.A.F.) Sqdn
Date of Death: 18/11/1944
Service No: 1600411
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 4. D. 2.
Cemetery: ARNHEM OOSTERBEEK WAR CEMETERY
Name: BEER, JACK ALFRED
Initials: J A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Warrant Officer (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 464 (R.A.A.F.) Sqdn
Age: 22
Date of Death: 18/11/1944
Service No: 1239605
Additional information: Son of Alfred George and Violet Annie Constance Beer, of Northampton.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 18. C. 7.
Cemetery: ARNHEM OOSTERBEEK WAR CEMETERY
Surprisingly, the Germans were fairly scrupulous in usually "uniting" crew in adjacent graves, but this doesn't seem to have occurred here.
The cemetery is obviously heavily visited and no doubt photos of the headstones will no doubt appear - I'll see what I might find. It may be that these graves have been "adopted" by local schoolchildren. The paras certainly are, and I'm sure none are excluded. It may be worth looking for links with Arnhem units to see if there is a link to local historians who might have greater info, and perhaps be able to confirm whether they have been adopted. You could then let them know that their charges are still remembered, even if not possible to visit. After Market Garden, virtually the entire town was forcibly evacuated and the townsfolk suffered even worse than the civilian Dutch population because of their support.
Insert Line Edit 2: Ugchelen - Herdenking Geallieerde Oorlogsslachtoffers / Commemoration of the Allied Victims of WW II halfway down - 18 november 1944 Mosquito 464 sq shot down by Anti Aircraft Guns over Apeldoorn. W/O Beer pilot, F/Sgt Fountain navigator, both RAF.
I hope this gives others some helpful clues to find out more for you.
I salute their sacrifice.
Edit to add: The official Report of them being missing seems to have been unusually late, in Flight March 45 see: sgt | fit | fit sgt | 1945 | 0620 | Flight Archive
Last edited by Icare9; 5th Apr 2010 at 14:12.
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You might also want to post your query on the Forum of The Mosquito Page (The de Havilland Mosquito Page) which is the best source of information I know on Mosquitos and Mosquito operations - the amount of information available from members is stunning. You have to register on The Mosquito Page to be able to post on the Forum but if you don't want to do that, PM me and I'll place the query for you.
Regards,
DS
Regards,
DS
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The 3 medals that you say you have sounds about right
1939 - 45 Star
France and Germany Star 1944 - 45
1939 - 45 War Medal
The other medals that it might be thought that he was eligible for were :
1939 - 45 Defence Medal
(my bold as to why he wouldn't have been eligible)
Aircrew Europe Star
Criteria taken from the MOD
1939 - 45 Star
Criteria
The 1939–45 Star was awarded for any period of operational service overseas between 3 Sep 1939 and 8 May 1945 (2 Sep 1945 in the Far East).
The criteria are 180 days’ service between these dates, although some special criteria apply when, at certain specified times, just 1 days’ service is required.
Naval personnel qualify after 180 days afloat in areas of operations as laid out in the regulations between certain specified dates.
RAF air crew will qualify with 60 days service in an operational unit including at least one operational sortie.
Air crew of fighter aircraft engaged in the Battle of Britain between 10 July and 31 October 1940 were awarded the Clasp 'Battle of Britain' to be worn on the ribbon of the 1939-45 Star.
The 1939–45 Star was awarded for any period of operational service overseas between 3 Sep 1939 and 8 May 1945 (2 Sep 1945 in the Far East).
The criteria are 180 days’ service between these dates, although some special criteria apply when, at certain specified times, just 1 days’ service is required.
Naval personnel qualify after 180 days afloat in areas of operations as laid out in the regulations between certain specified dates.
RAF air crew will qualify with 60 days service in an operational unit including at least one operational sortie.
Air crew of fighter aircraft engaged in the Battle of Britain between 10 July and 31 October 1940 were awarded the Clasp 'Battle of Britain' to be worn on the ribbon of the 1939-45 Star.
Criteria
Star awarded for 1 or more days’ service in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands or Germany between the above dates.
Naval personnel will qualify for service afloat in the North Sea and English Channel within certain specified boundaries.
RAF air crew, who have not already qualified by service on land, will qualify with one operational sortie over the appropriate land or sea area.
Star awarded for 1 or more days’ service in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands or Germany between the above dates.
Naval personnel will qualify for service afloat in the North Sea and English Channel within certain specified boundaries.
RAF air crew, who have not already qualified by service on land, will qualify with one operational sortie over the appropriate land or sea area.
Criteria
The War Medal was awarded to all fulltime personnel of the armed forces wherever they were serving, provided they had served for at least 28 days between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945.
The War Medal was awarded to all fulltime personnel of the armed forces wherever they were serving, provided they had served for at least 28 days between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945.
1939 - 45 Defence Medal
Criteria
The Defence Medal was awarded for non-operational service. This type of service in the UK included those service personnel working in headquarters, on training bases and airfields and members of the Home Guard. Home Guard service counts between the dates of 14 May 1940 and 31 December 1944. The Defence Medal was also awarded for non-operational service overseas, for example in India or South Africa.
The Defence Medal was awarded for non-operational service. This type of service in the UK included those service personnel working in headquarters, on training bases and airfields and members of the Home Guard. Home Guard service counts between the dates of 14 May 1940 and 31 December 1944. The Defence Medal was also awarded for non-operational service overseas, for example in India or South Africa.
Aircrew Europe Star
Criteria
The Air Crew Europe Star was earned almost exclusively by RAF personnel.
Can only be awarded after the 1939-45 Star has been qualified for.
Aircrew Europe Star awarded for 60 additional days' service in an RAF Unit engaged in operational flying over Europe from bases in the UK with at least one operational sortie.
After 5 Jun 44, operational flying over Europe qualified aircrew for the France and Germany Star.
The Air Crew Europe Star was earned almost exclusively by RAF personnel.
Can only be awarded after the 1939-45 Star has been qualified for.
Aircrew Europe Star awarded for 60 additional days' service in an RAF Unit engaged in operational flying over Europe from bases in the UK with at least one operational sortie.
After 5 Jun 44, operational flying over Europe qualified aircrew for the France and Germany Star.
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Fl/Sgt Fountain
Hi Gareth,
I am doing research on fallen airmen of WWII that lie buried near my hometown in the Netherlands.
One of them is Fl/Sgt Fountain.
Maybe I can help.
I am doing research on fallen airmen of WWII that lie buried near my hometown in the Netherlands.
One of them is Fl/Sgt Fountain.
Maybe I can help.
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Would the Defence Medal be awarded to personnel under training in the UK, in non-operational roles? Or would that be deemed ‘unproductive service’?
