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Those known to have served at RAF Spilsby during the Second World War 1939-1945. The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
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Add a Name to this List
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The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
Announcements
- 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time.
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- 19th Nov 2024 - Please note we currently have a huge backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than
264989 your information is still in the queue, please do not resubmit, we are working through them as quickly as possible.
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Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our
Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. |
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Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home. If you have any unwanted
photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them.
The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted.
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Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a
Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.
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Want to know more about RAF Spilsby? There are:39 items tagged RAF Spilsby available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Sgt. John Coults rear gunner 44 Sqd. My Dad,John Coults who passed away in 2006, was in 44 Rhodesia Squadron. He flew in R for Robert PB417 and completed 32 Operations. The first two were pamphlet drops in France, the other 30 were combat missions between 19/07/44 and 6/11/44. Dad then transfered to Liberators based in India.
The crew were:
- Flt Lt Merrik Heath (Rhodesian), PILOT - tragically killed in a civilian Lancastrian during the Berlin Airlift (22/11/1948) at Chute, near Andover.
- P.O John La Forrest (Australian) BOMB AIMER
- Sgt A Smith (Irish - Northern Ireland) FLIGHT ENGINEER
- Sgt Bill Bennett (Scottish), NAVIGATOR
- Sgt Ron Parkinson (English), WIRELESS OPERATOR
- Sgt Paddy Pyper (Irish, Northen Ireland) MID UPPER GUNNER
- Sgt John Coutts (Scottish), REAR GUNNER
They were based at RAF Spilsby from 5-10-44 to 6-11-44 (at least).
Dad is back row, 2nd from the left
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Flt Lt Merrik Heath pilot 44 Sqd. Flt Lt Merrik Heath was the pilot of R for Robert PB417 flying with 44 Rhodesia Squadron based at RAF Splisby. He was tragically killed in a civilian Lancastrian during the Berlin Airlift (22/11/1948) at Chute, near Andover.
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P/O John la Forrest bomb aimer 44 Sqd. P.O John La Forrest, an Australian, a bomb aimer in the Merrick Heath's crew flying R for Robert PB417 with 44 Rhodesia Squadron based at RAF Splisby.
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Sgt A. Smith flight eng. 44 Sqd. Sgt A Smith was the Flight Engineer with Merrick Heath's crew, flying R for Robert PB417 with 44 Rhodesia Squadron based at RAF Splisby.
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Sgt William Bennett navigator 44 Sqd. Sgt Bill Bennett was the navigator with Merrick Heath's crew, flying R for Robert PB417 with 44 Rhodesia Squadron based at RAF Splisby.
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Sgt Ron Parkinson w/op 44 Sqd. Sgt Ron Parkinson was the Wireless Operator with Merrick Heath's crew, flying R for Robert PB417 with 44 Rhodesia Squadron based at RAF Splisby.
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Sgt Paddy Pyper mid upper gunner 44 Sqd. Sgt Paddy Pyper was the Mid Upper Gunner with Merrick Heath's crew, flying R for Robert PB417 with 44 Rhodesia Squadron based at RAF Splisby.
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F/Sgt J. H. Crammond 44 Sqd. My late father was Flt.Sgt. J H Crammond. His RAF log book started on 21.4.44 and he served at Spilsby, Winthorpe.
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F/O. Thomas Watson Craig 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron I recently came into the possession of the Flying Log Books, medals, wings and other memorabilia of my late Uncle Thomas Watson Craig who was a Lancaster pilot with No. 44 Squadron based at RAF Spilsby from November 1944 through June 1945.
His first operational flight was on the 2nd of November 1944 for Operation Dusseldorf as 2nd Pilot then two days later on 4th of November he flew as pilot in command of his own Lancaster in operation Dortmund-Ems Canal. He completed his 30th and final mission on 25th of April 1945 for Operation Berchtesgaden. With the end of hostilities, he transferred to Transport Command and flew Yorks in the Middle East and as a Flt/Lt was appointed a route check pilot for 51 Squadron, No. 47 Group.
He retired from the RAF in 1966 with the rank of Squadron Leader and resided with his wife in the town of Knaresborough, Yorkshire. I believe he was a Post Master at a post office there.
A curiosity is that his initial Log Book is labelled Royal Canadian Air Force although all his initial flying training was done at No. 28 EFTS Wolverhampton. He did some time at Moncton, New Brunswick prior to going to Texas for training on the AT6A Texan. His second log book with Air Transport Command is an RAF one.
Unfortunately, in the information passed along to me, there was no mention of his crew’s names but his aircraft numbers were shown in his log with the most frequent being a tail number 625H in which he flew 18 sorties.
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Robert Leo "Bob" Werner RAF Spilsby
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F/O. John MacPherson 207 Squadron (d.10th Oct 1944) Flying Officer (Navigator) John MacPherson was the Son of Alexander and Martha Macpherson of Edinburgh, husband of Edith Howarth Macpherson, of Edinburgh. He is buried in the Norre Lyngvig Churchyard in Denmark.
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Sgt. Dennis Cahill 44 Squadron (d.4th Oct 1944) Sergeant (Air Gunner) Dennis Cahill was the son of Thomas and Mildred Powel Cahill, of Scawthorpe, Yorkshire.
He was 23 when he died and is buried in the Strandby (Aars) Churchyard in Denmark.
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F/O. Ivor Mitchell 207 Squadron (d.29th Jan 1944) Ivor Mitchell was my husband's father. He was navigator on Lancaster LM366 flying out of Spilsby, Lincolnshire, which was shot down during a raid on Berlin. One crew member survived but the others were all lost and are buried in the Commonwealth War Cemetery, Heerstrasse, Berlin.
One of the crew, Ivor Chalmers, was an Australian from Queensland.
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