Two 218 Sqn Pilots, March 1942

[ianh]

Dear all (Possibly one for Steve Smith here? Hi Steve!)

Could anyone please help me with the first name initials of two 218 Sqn pilots on the Lubeck Raid of 28/3/1942?:

- F/L Livingston and F/S Tompkins

Many thanks in anticipation.

Ian

[Steve Smith]

Dear all (Possibly one for Steve Smith here? Hi Steve!)

Could anyone please help me with the first name initials of two 218 Sqn pilots on the Lubeck Raid of 28/3/1942?:

- F/L Livingston and F/S Tompkins

Many thanks in anticipation.

Ian

Ian,

Away from home and files at the moment, from memory and notes on Ipad , Bernard Tompkins 1169879 and William Montgomery 66541,best check !!

Regards

Steve

[ianh]

OK, thanks Steve.

If I may, I'll await your confirmation when you have full access to your records?

Cheers

Ian

[Dick]

Hi Ian
Following from Steve,I put the service Nos into the revamped CWGC site and came up with a William Montgomery Livingstone, F/Lt., with Date of Death 26/06/42 and burial in Harlingen General Cemetery.Nothing came up for Tompkins and Chorley doesn't seem to have a commensurate 218 loss for 26/6/42 or the Lubeck raid. Not conclusive, and clearly a later incident as Chorley has his unit as 1651 CU in the Roll of Honour in Vol 9,but it may help
Further Edit: Chorley has his loss in Vol 8 as shot down by a night fighter in a 1651 CU Stirling I,W7442 on an op to Bremen. The rear gunner was ex 7 Sqn and had a DFM which might suggest an instructor crew, or at least partially so.
Regards
Dick

[Steve Smith]

Hi Ian,

Can confirm Bernard Tompkins 1169879, just checked a few AM Form 1180's he is the man your after. Re; Livingston I have a question mark against him being ; William Montgomery Livingston 66541. Hopefully one of the forum members can help us both out here!!

Regards

Steve

[ianh]

OK thanks for that Steve. I knew you'd likely come up trumps.

And thanks too, Dick. If you don't mind I'll keep a bit of a query on him being "W M Livingstone". (The ORB does say Livingston but, as we all know, ORB's can often mis-spell things so that's not conclusive either way). Bit tricky keeping tabs on him if he'd moved on from 218 in the intervening period. Yes, Chorley's HCU's volume (P.25) does list F/L W M Livingston's loss (note spelling there) on an op to Bremen, but it doesn't mention any former link to 218 Sqn.

Neither of these guys was lost on the Lubeck raid, so Chorley won't directly help there.

Anyway, I appreciate your efforts and assistance, and maybe someone else will have that final missing jigsaw piece. Someone on here often does, which is why it's such a great site.

Cheers

Ian

[Dick]

Hi Ian
Steve has raised enough doubt to put Livingston(e) on hold.You might find something in the literature about the 1000 Bomber raids as Bremen was the 3rd of them(Oxford Companion to the Second World War) and the time between Lubeck and Livingston's loss would fit a move from a Stirling Sqn to a Stirling CU by a "resting" pilot who was called upon again for an op to help raise the numbers for a special task. These are tenuous openings but something may be there
Regards
Dick

[Steve Smith]

Ian / Dick

Found my notes re; Livingston.

The 218 Squadron ORB records Livingston without the e throughout the period this pilot is recorded within the ORB. I cross checked the No.3 Group Ops Book (Air 25) against recorded operations flown, the No.3 Group documents records Livingstone ( with e ) every operation.

The 3 Group Documents records F/Lt Livingstone operating immediately after 218's Livingston disappears. The same document records F/Lt Livingstone lost while attacking Bremen 25/06/42. My copy of the 1651 CU is out on loan so cannot check.

My notes however do suggest that W.M Livingston is the 218 Squadron pilot.

I think !!!

Regards

[ianh]

Hi Steve

Many thanks for that further investigation. I think I'll settle with that. If one day I find it's wrong I can always correct it - won't be the end of the world. But for the time being it sounds like a reasonable analysis.

Cheers

Ian