751516 Albert BUCKTON - Ferry Command and the Fortress 1

**2083x** · 27th January 2021, 19:00

You're welcome, Simon. The crew assignment card that Robert has requested should clarify matters.

Darrell

**robstitt** · 27th January 2021, 20:42

Thanks, Darrell.

Looks like Buckton became surplus to requirements for a Fortress I transatlantic ferry crew but, given that he was picked up in New York, he may have participated in flying an aircraft over from the West Coast.

Darrell notes he departed Gander on May 13, May 1941 being the big month for these ferry flights with 15 of the 20 taking place.

In the meantime, he and his colleagues appear to have been assigned to a photo shoot, to be incorrectly labelled by the press as the crew that was to deliver the first Fortress I to the UK.

DHH is experiencing backups due to staff working from home so it may be a while before we learn if Buckton had an assignment card.

Robert

**wwrsimon** · 27th January 2021, 21:58

Thanks Robert.

Hopefully the assigment cards can clear things up a bit.

Regards

Simon

**robstitt** · 28th January 2021, 18:53

Liberator AM919 was on its delivery flight to the UK, as opposed to being a Return Ferry Service aircraft. So it looks like if Albert Buckton was originally pegged for a Fortress I delivery, he was reassigned.

Robert

**2083x** · 28th January 2021, 20:40

I searched through several months of the Watch Log for reference to any of the other names from the news article. I did see the name Hider on a Hudson delivery flight.

Darrell

**paulmcmillan** · 14th February 2021, 20:41

C C Taylor is LAC Charles Connelly Taylor 522197 he made a journey to US early 1941 is listed as an aircraft mechanic abs was on some arriving from Reykjavik immigration logs later in war

**paulmcmillan** · 14th February 2021, 21:03

“E L Hider” is actually

Denis Leslie Hider RAF 552077

Name: Denis L Hider
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Birth Date: abt 1921
Departure Date: 4 Jan 1941
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England
Destination Port: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Ship Name: Neriss

**robstitt** · 14th February 2021, 23:17

Thanks again, Paul.

This is one of a several threads addressing ferry crew members for the 20 Fortress Is. Since this one started, Paul and Simon have been researching confirmed and likely candidates for all the crews - Darrell has also been assisting - and I've assembled a working document.

I've now requested assistance from DHH to, hopefully, confirm the outstanding names, ranks and service numbers - they've advised that they are currently shut down due to COVID so it may be a while before I hear back. When I do, I'll update the working document and make the contents available to all.

Robert

**robstitt** · 26th February 2021, 16:47

Received the RAFFC assignment card for Sgt Albert Buckton from DHH.

He was accepted for RAFFC training on July 1, 1941, which was after all 20 B-17Cs had been delivered.

So there is no entry as a crew member for a B-17C or for Liberator AM919 on which, it is noted earlier, he flew back to the UK.

He was however part of the crew for Hudson V AM883, delivered Gander-Prestwick July 26/27, 1941, his only transatlantic ferry flight.

Robert