- RAF Wratting Common during the Second World War -
Airfields Index
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RAF Wratting Common
21st August 1943 Airbase renamed
22 September 1943 Crash landing
13th October 1943 Relocated
1st November 1944 New Squadron's first op
13th November 1944 Bomber Squadron Move
23rd November 1944 Lancaster lost in unexplained fire
12th December 1944 Four Lancasters lost
31st December 1944 Gunner bales out
13th January 1945 Bomber crew survive
18-27th January 1945 Bad Weather
22nd February 1945 Gunner killed
8th March 1945 Air crew murdered
14th March 1945 Gunner killed
29th April 1945 Operation Manna
9-23rd May 1945 Repatriation of PoWs
25th May 1945 Sight-seeing flightsIf you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
Those known to have served at
RAF Wratting Common
during the Second World War 1939-1945.
- Dunn Stan William Radcliff. WO.
- Weaver Victor Alfred. Flt.Sgt. (d.24th Aug 1943)
- Whitcombe DFC.. Sydney.
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, please Add a Name to this List
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Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted. World War 1 One ww1 wwII second 1939 1945 battalion
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Want to know more about RAF Wratting Common?
There are:15 items tagged RAF Wratting Common 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.
Sydney Whitcombe DFC. 195 Squadron
My father Sydney Whitcombe did not talk much about his experiences of his service in the RAF. He was a navigator for the 195 Squadron and received the DFC for his bravery.Interestingly enough he was at first a conscientious objector when war broke out, later joining the RAF having spent most of the initial years dragging bodies from bombed buildings in London. I have a photograph of him and some of his crew with their names but would love to find out more about anyone connected to the 195 squadron and any other photographs.
The names of the crew members were: Frank Wilcock (wireless operator) Len Parsons (bomber) ‘Paddy’ (air gunner) Stan Renaut (air gunner)
Sally Childs
WO. Stan William Radcliff Dunn 90 Sqdn.
On 4th July 1944 my father Stan Dunn joined Heavy Conversion Unit at Wratting Common, Cambridgeshire, `B` Flight, flying its Stirling aircraft as rear gunner. His pilot was F.S. Boothman. They then moved on to Lancaster Finishing School on 8th August. After a short stay they then went back to HCU Wratting Common on 5th September with a different Pilot, F.O. Orr, finishing on the 12th. He then returned to Lancaster Finishing School and completed training.He joined 90 Squadron `A` Flight at Tuddenham on 10th October 1944. He flew 36 missions in the mid upper turret, including Dresden on 13th and 14th February 1945, on which he spent his 21st birthday over the target. His last operation was on the 28th February 1945. He left the Air Force in 1947 after serving in Air Movements flying in York 3.
Paul John Dunn
Flt.Sgt. Victor Alfred Weaver 90 Squadron (d.24th Aug 1943)
My mother Enid Fogg's first husband was Victor Weaver from Wolverhampton (known as Vic) and he was a Flight Sergeant in 90 Squadron at Wratting Common which had been adopted in lieu of West Wickham in August 1943.Vic and his crew died in a Stirling on a return trip from a bombing raid on the city of Germany on the night of 23rd/24th of 1943. The plane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in the Ijsselmeer, some 15km East of Marken. Four crew members are named on the panels at Runnymede Memorial, one of whom is Victor Alfred Weaver and two lie at Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery, while Sgt A.E.Lloyd rests in Vollenhove (Stad - Vollenhove) General Cemetery.
The crew members were
- F/S K W Longmore RAAF
- Sgt R L Jones
- Sgt C J Purcell
- Sgt L M Stormer RCAF
- F/S V A Weaver
- Sgt A E Lloyd
- Sgt G C Jeffreys
Vic left his childhood sweetheart and five month old baby son called Brian. My mother married my father after the war, who had been a Japanese prisoner of war for four years in Stanley Camp Kowloon. As a child I remember vividly visiting Runnymede Memorial with my parents and being too young to understand why my mother was so upset there. She had obviously found Vic's name on a panel. Despite re marrying, my mother told me a year before her death in 2005 that she had always had a place in her heart for Vic and was proud that he had taken part in fighting for Britain and her son's freedom from Nazi tyranny. On the 11th of November 2018, we will remember them.
Margaret Horrox
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