P/O T Gallagher, 626 squadron, RAF 1944

[Andy Marden]

John,
Thanks, that's some really interesting work you've done. Some minor comments on LL772_Ops.pdf:

30/31 Mar 44: typo? - code shown as UM-E2
15/16 Jun 44: the aircraft is shown as being on two missions at the same time, as SR-E and SR-R. Presumably SR-E was another aircraft?

Andy

[John phillips101]

Hi Andy,
Thank you, but credit for that doc goes to Larry at Lancaster-archive.com, who is investigating LL772 as a recognised Ton Up lanc.
I'm very much a beginner at this, and Squadron ORBs contain quite a number of typos, as you will be aware.
If you get the chance, have a read of the Marjorie and Ray pdf on my Google Drive, there are a few other mysteries in there as well.
EG Mission No22 (DV245) which is a recognised Ton Up Lanc, so I can't understand how Howie (Dad's Pilot) could say he was flying it on 31/3, when it crashed on 23/3?
It must've been famous on the base so I'm a bit confused about it really.
thanks again John Phillips

[Andy Marden]

John,
Quite a lot of aircrew just recorded the code letter of the aircraft they were flying. The same happened with ORB compilers.
It is quite common to see aircraft listed that are known to have been lost earlier, and this seems to be the case with DV245/SR-S.
As you say it was lost on 23 March 1945. This is confirmed by the aircraft's Form 78, which you can read online at:
http://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.co...ile/index.html
(just scroll through). It shows the aircraft as Missing 23.3.45, and it is then SOC on 5.4.45
However, you have also noticed that it continues to appear in the ORB (and it seems, crew logs) after this date, the last entry showing DV245 being 10/11.4.45
On the 14/15.4.45, SR-S starts being shown as NX572. Now if you look for the card for this aircraft, it is sadly missing from:
http://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.co...ile/index.html
However, looking at the adjacent aircraft, it is clear that NX572 would have been delivered around the middle of March 1945.
I therefore suspect that it became SR-S, replacing the lost DV245, probably as early as 25.3.45 when it is first recorded incorrectly as DV245.
Whoever compiled the documentation continued to use the old "tie-up" for code S until the middle of April - it is very common to see this error.
Andy

[John phillips101]

Thanks Andy,
Yep, that would explain things, planes changing names certainly confuses things..
LL772 was CF-F2 at 626, then became SR-R at 101....
It would be nice to get it recognised as a Ton Up, so i'm following that up
If I get a result from Larry Wright, I'll try contacing Norman Franks ('Ton-Up Lancs')
BTW There's a new Film out called Lancaster by David Fairhead, gets good crits, so will find out where you can see it.
ta John Phillips

[alieneyes]

EG Mission No22 (DV245) which is a recognised Ton Up Lanc, so I can't understand how Howie (Dad's Pilot) could say he was flying it on 31/3, when it crashed on 23/3?

Hi John,

Could I ask from what source you derived that P/O Henn said he flew an aircraft eight days after it had crashed? He would have had nothing to do with the ORB as his Flight Commander had to first sign off on his logbook. I noted that March 1945's pages weren't even signed off by the OC No.101 Squadron, W/C Ian Gundry-White.

Have a look at DV302 (SR-H) on 7/8 January 1945 when P/O Kurtzer and crew took her to Munich for her 100th trip. Now look at the crew underneath Kurtzer's. A truly head shaking moment.

I have the service file of Howie Henn. Postwar he re-enlisted in the RCAF before switching gears in 1954 and joining the RCN as a pilot. When he left the navy he ended up flying government officials all over the place. He passed in May 1997.

Regards,

Dave

[John phillips101]

Hi John,

Could I ask from what source you derived that P/O Henn said he flew an aircraft eight days after it had crashed? He would have had nothing to do with the ORB as his Flight Commander had to first sign off on his logbook. I noted that March 1945's pages weren't even signed off by the OC No.101 Squadron, W/C Ian Gundry-White.

Have a look at DV302 (SR-H) on 7/8 January 1945 when P/O Kurtzer and crew took her to Munich for her 100th trip. Now look at the crew underneath Kurtzer's. A truly head shaking moment.

I have the service file of Howie Henn. Postwar he re-enlisted in the RCAF before switching gears in 1954 and joining the RCN as a pilot. When he left the navy he ended up flying government officials all over the place. He passed in May 1997.

Regards,

Dave

Hi Dave,
The information comes from Howie himself, he typed out a list of all the missions he did with my dad (Ray Phillips: Navigator 101 sqdrn), plus a full list of all missions for LL772.
I presume he got the info either from his log book, or squadron records, which I know are not to be trusted.
His info does seem to link up with the Opps info from Larry Wright and my dad's log book.
I would love to know more about Howie, I've included a picture of him and his family on my Google drive (see link)
https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...4x?usp=sharing
He came to visit us at least once, & i have a picture of Ray and him going for a flight in a Cessna (my dad learned to fly after retiring), which I must dig out and scan...
I know Howie went on to fly Peirre Trudeau around when he was Prime Minister of Canada
I didn't realise how many of dad's crew were Canadians until I got the list from Larry
I would love to find any desendants of my dad's crew, including howie's, but it's not easy, as they all survivied (apart from Rhudi Marr)
See my Google drive 'Ray and Marjorie' PDF for the full story
Is the Kurtzer story from the Ton Up Book, sorry, I'm being a bit thick, what's the head shaking moment...can't spot it!
Can't understand the 'Ghost Flight' on DV245, might be a recording error, but you'd've though Howie would've realised as 245 must've been a celebrity on the base along with 302
Also LL772 doesn't get much of a mention elsewhere, which i can't understand either...
Cheers
John Phillips

[alieneyes]

Hi John,

I'll put some things together for you over the next couple of days. I have your email address from the Google Drive link.

It probably won't surprise you to learn that Lancaster LL755 (SR-U), lost on Bremen 23 March 1945, is shown in the Operations Record Book as flying to Hamburg and back on 31 March 1945. Another eight day miracle.

Photo of Kurtzer and crew, minus Special Duties Operator F/Sgt Jean Fochs, on pg 51 of Ton-Up Lancs. I'll send you the ORB page in question.

Regards,

Dave

[ian94avenge]

Hello John,
A belated thanks for your reply gratefully received.
This most useful in my Lanc LL772 history project.
Regards,
Ian

[ian94avenge]

Hello Mark,
Thanks for the correction.

Gallagher did 4 ops with 156 sqdn, so he and his crew did 30 ops in their tour. Gallagher himself did 31 ops as he started with a second dicky trip.
Ian

[John phillips101]

Pleasure Ian, glad it's useful... not sure how you post this but here goe JP