Pilot Officer D A Stuart, RAF

[Wee Gerry]

I am trying to trace a D A Stuart who was a Pilot Officer with the RAF and flew as Second Pilot on a Sunderland Flying Boat to Rebat in North Africa in May/ June 1940 with Lord Gort VC and Mr Duff Cooper, Minister of Information, in a bid to encourage French officials that France should fight on against the German invasion. The first pilot was Squadron Leader Julius Allen Cohen who was awarded a DFC for his exploits on this trip. Sqd. Ldr. Cohen later changed his name by deed poll to Richard Kingsland and was subsequently Knighted.

It seems Sqd. Ldr. Cohen was one of a number of Australian pilots who were in the UK to take delivery of some Sunderland Flying Boats on behalf of the Australian Government when the War broke out. The Australian Government agreed to the Sunderlands being put at the disposal of HM Government and they operated as 10 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force.

The tale of the Rebat trip is covered in David Master's "So Few" and he describes Stuart as a member of the RAF. Who was he? Did he survive the War?

[Errol Martyn]

No D A Stuart to be found on the CWGC register nor in the RAF AFLs for Jun 39 or Oct 40.

Possibly a Stewart rather than Stuart? In which case he could well be:

41220 David Albert Stewart, Plt Off 25 Jul 39
The Oct 46 AFL records him as 'released'

10 Sqn history - 'Maritime is Number Ten - The Sunderland Era', by Flt Lt K C Baff, RAAF records the flight you mention and mentions of D A Stewart (of the RAF) there and elsewhere in the book. The only anomaly is that the author refers to him as 'Derek' (there is also a Derek Butcher in the book, so perhaps the author confused the first name).


Errol

[Ken MacLean]

Just looking at the 10 Sqn ORB at NA Australia. His name is spelled STEWART in all cases. First mention of him that I found is the Rabat trip 25-27 June 1940. There is an entry in the narrative section for that month that he had been attached to 10 Sqn effective 20 June 1940.

The last op I found him on was 5 December 1940.

[sunderlandnut]

John Herington’s ‘Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943’ p.24 has an account of the Rabat incident and a footnote:
Sqn Ldr D A Stewart, 41220 RAF. 228 Sqn RAF, 10 Sqn, 210, 59 and 203 Sqns RAF. Regular air force offr; of Weybridge, Surrey, Eng; b. Hull, Yorks, Eng. 28 Apr 1915.

[Wee Gerry]

Guys,

Many thanks! You never cease to amaze me! I'd checked CWGC and knew he wasn't listed; tried the London Gazettes and Flight Archives on line, ambled through some Australian Websites, all without success. Discovered the existence of 'Maritime is Number 10' - but couldn't track down a copy. Hours spent on the web - but I suspected if I posted it on the Forum I'd probably get the answer!

I have to admit when I posted the question last night and spotted 'Sunderlandnut', I wondered if I'd hear from him! Thanks again.

Wee Gerry

[sunderlandnut]

Thanks for the compliment. Incidentally, there are seven references to Stewart in ‘Maritime is Number Ten’ all but one giving the full name as Derek Stewart so I would guess that Derek is his correct Christian name. Page 41 mentions Derek Stewart and Derek Butcher both on the same page.

[Errol Martyn]

[QUOTE=sunderlandnut;8619]Thanks for the compliment. Incidentally, there are seven references to Stewart in ‘Maritime is Number Ten’ all but one giving the full name as Derek Stewart so I would guess that Derek is his correct Christian name. Page 41 mentions Derek Stewart and Derek Butcher both on the same page.[/QUOTE]

Or possibly Baff has simply repeated an error throughout? Both the AFL and the LG have David, no correction to Derek appearing in any later issue of the LG.

Errol

[sunderlandnut]

yes, that could easily be so. Agreed.

Richard