P/O J.W. White England

[RickW]

Hello
I can hopefully find some help here regarding a couple of personal items which came into a little charity bookshop I run.
Primarily a copy of the Worlds Warships book (1941) which has the name of the owner written inside as being P/O J.W. White 1943 RAFVR. Inside the photos and descriptions of the ships they have written notes in pencil regarding identifying features of the ships. The closest I can find on the net for a J.W. White has the number of43833, which seems one number too short. Can anyone help me to positively identify this mystery man and help me find any service records, combat reports etc?
There was another book with it on aircraft recognition, again with handwritten notes in the same handwriting and a photo of a plane which I can't identify from the serial number. The aircraft has a large black 35 beneath the cockpit and further along the fuselage the number 2749
Any help gratefully received!
Thank you.

[vrajm]

Hi,

John William White

http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/WhiteJW.htm

Regards

Mojmir

[RickW]

Hi,

John William White

http://www.bbm.org.uk/airmen/WhiteJW.htm

Regards

Mojmir

Thanks very much, I was on the right track with what I have found out so far, but I was going down a different path mid war. I just would like to identify the aircraft now, what looks like it maybe a version of a Harvard with those serial numbers.

[RickW]

Thanks very much, I was on the right track with what I have found out so far, but I was going down a different path mid war. I just would like to identify the aircraft now, what looks like it maybe a version of a Harvard with those serial numbers.

I think I have answered my own question. It is a Harvard, serial 35 2749, some of which were attached to 3 Squadron as trainers in the late 1930's. So it is possibly the pilot in the picture.

[David Duxbury]

I am afraid that there must have been quite a few commissioned gents in the RAFVR by the name of J W White. Nothing I have read on this thread convinces me that the one put forward is definitely the same J W White who wrote the annotations in those two books. He MIGHT be the same man, but absolutely nothing definitive about this identification. I am also rather taken aback by the claimed identification of the (Harvard?) in your photograph, shown as 35 2749, is definitely NOT a full RAF serial number, as it has no letter prefix which is required by all aircraft of that vintage (pre-war that is). As a start, could an image of that photograph be arranged somehow - at least that identification could then be sorted out. Could not the numbers "1943" as written in the first book simply be the year? Sorry to be somewhat negative, but this identification could be harder to carry through than might be expected.
David D

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

The Harvard mentioned earlier is probably a RCAF Harvard II, serial 2749 "35", possibly of 32 EFTS. http://rwrwalker.ca/RCAF_2700_2749_detailed.html Conforms to many of the known examples;large black number/roundel/serial. eg,

https://www.aviationmegastore.com/t6...nfo&art=152260

Col

[vrajm]

Hi,

„the name of the owner written inside as being P/O J.W. White 1943 RAFVR.“ - but John William White (43833) was F/L in 1943.

1175439 John William WHITE (142138), P/O from 26th Jan. 1943 fits better.

Publication Date 30 April 1943

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-not...es&text=142138

F/O 26th July 1943

Publication Date 24 August 1943

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/...upplement/3827

… commended:— FOR VALUABLE SERVICE IN THE AIR.

Publication Date 31 December 1943

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/.../supplement/47

…commended for valuable service in the air

Publication Date 29 August 1944

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/...upplement/4076

F/L 26th Jan. 1945

Publication Date 13 February 1945

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/...supplement/927



Regards

Mojmir