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Those known to have served at RAF Waltham 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.
- The Wartime Memories Project has been running for 25 years. If you would like to support us, a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting and admin or this site will vanish from the web.
- 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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- The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web.
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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 Waltham? There are:53 items tagged RAF Waltham 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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F/Lt.. Anthony Graham Sadler 100 Squadron   Tony was shot down on July 13th 1943 at about 0700 hrs over Brest. He was piloting a Lancaster Bomber EE 183 HW-P that had returned from a bombing raid on the Turin railyard, they were based at RAF Waltham (Grimsby)
His crew members were ;
- A G Sadler 148132
- J Egleston 1487782
- M J Maloney 1031746
- W E Broxup 657446
- R A A Howe 657446
- R R W Parker 158598
- A Burton Aust 413527
EE 183 came down below 1000 ft to get a visual as their instruments were damaged by an electrical storm earlier, they were supposed to land in Cornwall, refuel and retun to Waltham, unfortunately Cornwall turned out to be France! Not just any bit of France, but Brest one of the most heavily fortified harbours in Europe.
Machine gun fire opened up on them from a fighter, then all hell broke loose, ack ack, heavy machine guns, the works, now coming from the ground, 2 engines caught fire and the plane was well alight. Tony ordered the crew to bale out, unfortunately the rear gunner was trapped in his turret and badly wounded. Tony changed the order and started looking for somewhere to land. Bob Parker the upper gunner spotted an airfield a short distance away, this turned out to be Guipavas. Guipavas in 1943 was occupied by a German fighter squadron, and this was the airfield Tony landed on. Hydraulic fluid was now all over the cockpit windscreen making visibility very poor. Bob gave Tony instructions from his position to aid the landing. They were still been fired on, and a third engine caught fire, as was most of the aircraft. Bob said bullets were flying past him missing him by inches. Bob was very lucky and was the only person not wounded, even the mascot got its nose shot off! The plane landed but with no hydraulics. Tony swerved the plane round causing the undercarriage to collapse, but stopping the Lanc. before it hit a hanger. The Lanc burnt out on the airfield, totally destroyed. All the crew got out, wounded, apart from Bob, but safe. They were all made POWs, Tony was taken to hospital in Paris for a month, recovering from a wound in his leg. He then went to Barth Stalag Luft 1, from 23/8/43 to 1/11/43, he was then moved to Stalag Luft 5 in Hyderkrug from 4/11/43 to 10/4/44. Then on 13/4/43 he was transfered to Sargan (Zagan) Staluft luft 3, Tony stayed here until the Great March as the Russians approached Sargan, and was moved out 28/1/45. Tony finally ended up at Tarmsted and was liberated on 7/4/45 and retuned to UK. It would appear that none of the crew ever met up again, all were interned in different camps,and all went their own ways after the war.
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F/Lt. Anthony Graham Sadler 100 Sqd My father Anthony Sadler piloted EE183, a Lancaster Bomber, out of RAF Waltham/Grimsby on July 12 1943. They were shot down after returning from a bombing raid on the Turin railyards.
Dad crash landed EE183 on a German airfield near Brest. The crew all survived but all were wounded. Dad first was taken to a Luftwaffe hospital in Paris, 14/7/1943 to 18/8 /1943. After a month he was sent to:
Stalag Luft 1 Barth 23/8/1943 to 1/11/1943 then
Stalag Luft 6 Hyderkrug 4/11/1943 to 10/4/1944 then
Stalag Luft 3 Sargan 13/4/1944 to 28/1/1945 then after the Long March
Stalag Luft 3 Tarmstedt 3/2/1945 to 7/4/1945
Shortly after this he returned to the UK.
I have no information on anyone who knew Tony in Stalag Luft 3 or on the Long March. Any information gratefully received.
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Philip Smith 100 Squadron My granddad, Philip Smith, was a wireless operator during WW2. He was based at Waltham and was part of the 100 Squadron. This is all I know but if anyone has any information at all then I would be more than grateful if you could get in touch. I'm looking for photos and information, I'm hoping to surprise my Nan for her birthday some bits and bobs about Granddad.
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F/O James Thomas Oloughlin James Oloughlin was my uncle and was a navigator on Lancasters based in Waltham. He was seconded to the RAF from the RCAF... "grogs the shot" was a favourite expression.
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