23/24 Feb 1944 missing, Far East

[Matt Poole]

Greetings, all.

I am trying to resolve a loss discrepancy in the Oughton book, "The Liberator in Royal Air Force and Commonwealth Service", and to arrive at a definitive crew listing. I have come up with the names of ten missing airmen commemorated on the Singapore Memorial, some or all of whom may be from this particular crew. I wonder if anyone can more solidly tie any of them to a Liberator loss over Burma on 23/24 Feb 1944, and can link Liberator BZ951 to this date.

In BZ951's individual history on pg 136 Oughton says that it was on 1673 HCU as of 1.2.44. This makes sense to me. However, Oughton's next info is "missing on navigational exercise, 25.7.44; SOC 15.11.44." This is a problem.

I strongly suspect that the loss date is wrong and that BZ951 was really the known 1673 HCU loss of Liberator “Y” over Sinde, Burma on the night of 23/24 Feb 1944. An official 1944 report: "Review of the Night Operations of 231 Group, Strategic Air Force, Eastern Air Command (17th February - 16th March, 1944)" lists the following info:

Missing Aircraft

Date: 23/24.2
Target: Sinde
Defences: Nil
A/C: Y/1673
Av. Ht. Of Sqdn: 10,000
Cause: Air explosion seen.

The serial number of aircraft "Y" is not given. It is definitely a Liberator, as 1673 was a Lib HCU.

Contrary to this evidence, no Far East RAF losses for 23 or 24 Feb 1944 appear in the Air-Britain or Joe Baugher B-24 serial number lists. It looks probable to me that these lists are in error, and that BZ951 "Y" was lost on 23/24 Feb 1944, not "on navigational exercise 25.7.44".

Neither a loss on 23/24 Feb '44 nor a loss on 25 July '44 is mentioned in "Air War For Burma" by Shores.

I welcome any further evidence.

The 10 names I've come up with include a Canadian. Perhaps the book "They Shall Grow Not Old" will reveal the truth? I don't have this book and kindly ask for someone to peek at a copy for me.

The names:

ALLITT, Flight Lieutenant, ROBERT EDWARD, D F C, 40594. Royal Air Force. 23rd February 1944. Column 431. 

BEATEY, Warrant Officer, THOMAS ATKINSON, 1104751. Royal Air Force. 23rd February 1944. Age 28. Son of Thomas Beatey, and of Catherine Beatey, of Percy Main, Northumberland. Column 433.

BOYD, Sergeant, TREVOR BARKLEY, 1145139. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 23rd February 1944. Age 22. Son of A. Edgar and Margaret Jessie Boyd, of Greenisland, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. Column 435. 

FLETCHER, Sergeant, WILLIAM KENNETH, 1601738. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 23rd February 1944. Column 436. 

FRASER, Flight Lieutenant, FRANCIS JAMES, 66511. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 23rd February 1944. Age 25. Son of James and Janette Fraser, of Hove, Sussex. Column 431. 

HOUGHTON, Flight Lieutenant, RAYMOND DOUGLAS, 109364. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 23rd February 1944. Column 431. 

NELSON, Flight Sergeant, DAVID, 533351. Royal Air Force. 23rd February 1944. Age 26. Son of Hugh and Nancy Nelson, of Ballyhampton, Larne, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland. Column 435. 

O'DONNELL, Pilot Officer, ERNEST WILLIAM, J/86852. Royal Canadian Air Force. 23rd February 1944. Column 444. 

RICHARDSON, Flight Sergeant, HERBERT ARTHUR, 517958. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 23rd February 1944. Age 29. Son of Herbert George and Selena Richardson, of Southsea, Hampshire. Column 435. 

MERRIMAN, Flying Officer, SYDNEY, 1791. Royal Indian Air Force. 23rd February 1944. Age 21. Son of Ernest and Gladys Merriman, of Agra, India. Column 445. 

Thanks,

Matt

[SteveBrooking]

Matt

The AB book "RAF Serials BA100 to BZ999" gives the loss date for BZ951 as 25/2/44. In my experience from dealing with RAF Aircraft Movement Cards it is not uncommon for the date for a missing a/c to be recorded as the day after the actual loss. Unless a check is made with the unit ORB or some other document then the discrepancy is not apparent.

Steve

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

40159 to RAF as Liberator GR.V FL980. MIA Feb 25, 1944


Also mia in the time frame, but 59 Sqdn, Convoy patrol off Ireland ?

Alex

[Matt Poole]

Thanks, gents.

It's good to know that the month has been corrected to Feb in AB's book. Steve, thanks also for your explanation of how the date often is off by a day.

I have just received P/O O'Donnell's entry from the book "They Shall Grow Not Old", and it solves most of the mystery, together with Steve's updated AB date:

O'DONNELL, ERNEST WILLIAM P/O (AG) J86852//R62897. From Bathurst, New Brunswick. Killed In Action Feb.23/44 age 22. #1673 Heavy Conversion Unit. Liberator aircraft # BZ951 failed to return from bombing operations over Sinde, Burma. Nine of the crew, not Canadians, missing believed killed. Pilot Officer Air Gunner O'Donnell has no known grave, his name is inscribed on the Singapore War Memorial, Malaya.

I don't quite know if all crewmen were missing from BZ951...seems so (O'Donnell and his nine non-Canadian crewmates) but the wording is misleading. Sinde is just 12 or so miles WSW of Mandalay, so any survivors would have been transported eventually to Rangoon Jail. I have very thorough info on air force POWs there, and I can't link any of them to this loss. My guess: all of BZ951's crew died.

Alex, FL980's loss date is indeed very close to BZ951's...a few time zones away...the cold Atlantic versus the tropics. Same sad ending, though.

If anyone can verify any of O'Donnell's crewmates, I'd be most grateful.

Cheers,

Matt

[SteveBrooking]

Matt

I have checked the first two Allitt and Beatey and they both come up on the CWGC search and both are shown as commemorated on the Singapore Memorial. So it would seem that BZ951 is still unfound in the jungle or that it went into the sea?

Steve

[Matt Poole]

Steve,

Over land, unless the aircraft came down in the wide Irrawaddy River. Sinde is a small town close to the Irrawaddy. If you search on "Sinde, Burma" in Google maps, you will be directed there. The region is characterized by rice cultivation, not jungle.

The book "Missing, Believed Killed" by Stuart Hadaway explains some of the difficulties in casualty recovery work in Burma after the war. An air explosion is a particularly challenging problem to investigate, anywhere. Given more resources, no doubt the remains of some of the crew could have been recovered, as they were probably buried by local people.

The names I came up with are just possibilities for crew. Other than O'Donnell I have no proof yet of a connection to BZ951.

Thanks,

Matt

[SteveBrooking]

Well Allitt and Beatey both come up with a date of death of 23/2/44 on CWGC. You do not say whether you have checked your provisional crew list against CWGC?

Best of luck with your search

Steve

[Matt Poole]

Steve,

Sorry...I appreciate your thoughts on these casualties. In my initial posting I forgot to mention how I came up with names. I figured that casualties from BZ951 would have ended up in either Rangoon War Cem or Taukkyan War Cem in Burma, if their remains were recovered. Otherwise they would have been honored as missing aircrew on the Singapore Memorial.

Several years ago I obtained bound copies of the two cemetery registers from CWGC, and I intended to study them for evidence of any RAF airmen killed in late February 1944 who might be linked to the loss of BZ951. This search of the hardcopy, I thought, would have been easier than searching display page by display page on the Debt of Honour Register.

I started out, instead, by concentrating on the Singapore Memorial, assuming that the crewmen were never recovered...but there are over 24,000 missing! More easily searched than the Debt of Honour Register is same CWGC info on the website http://www.roll-of-honour.org.uk/Cemeteries/ . Starting with AA of the Singapore Memorial, and searching on "February 1944" only, I quickly (and most fortunately) found that F/Lt Allitt was missing on 23 Feb 1944. No unit given.

I stopped there, did a google search on his name, and found Casualty Communique No. 385, printed in Flight magazine on 18 May 1944. I searched on the names of the missing from the various air forces and, cross-referencing each with CWGC data, I arrived at the list of possibilities which I gave in my first posting. (Two or three of the Communique names, though, were not found in the CWGC database. They either survived, or there is a spelling discrepancy, and one or more might still be a potential victim aboard BZ951.) Then, to my delight, I learned that the entry for the Canadian, O'Donnell, in "They Shall Grow Not Old" connects him to BZ951 of 1673 HCU and the loss on 23 Feb 1944. So that solved my main inquiry.

But I still don't know for certain how many of the men on my list were O'Donnell's crewmates. Some may have died in non-related flying with other units, etc, and I may have missed a name or two. Or Casualty Communique No. 385 may not have held the names of all the BZ951 crew.

I am still curious about the crew from the HCU...for most, a first and last op. Certainly I can get the definitive crew listing from O'Donnell's personnel file via the Canadian archives, if need be, but my main inquiry was in connecting BZ951 with the known loss of aircraft "Y" of 1673 HCU over Sinde, Burma on 23/24 Feb 1944.

Again, thanks for your help and your good wishes.

Cheers,

Matt

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello All,

Could someone with access to GRO RAF War Deaths, complete the following listing?

ALLITT, Robert E. F/Lt. 40594 - 1673 HCU
BEATEY, Thomas A. W/O 1104751 - 1673 HCU
BOYD, Trevor B. Sgt. 1145139 - 1673 HCU
FLETCHER, William K. 1601738 - ?
FRASER, Francis J. 66511 - ?
HOUGHTON, Raymond D. 109364 - ?
NELSON, David 533351 - 1673 HCU
RICHARDSON, Herbert A. 517958 - ?

I have only transcribed 'A', and part of 'B'.

Col.

[dennis_burke]

ALLITT, Robert E. F/Lt. 40594 - 1673 HCU
BEATEY, Thomas A. W/O 1104751 - 1673 HCU
BOYD, Trevor B. Sgt. 1145139 - 1673 HCU
FLETCHER, William K. 1601738 - 1573 HCU <--- as printed, but clearly a typo on the register
FRASER, Francis J. 66511 - 1673 HCU
HOUGHTON, Raymond D. 109364 - 1673 HCU
NELSON, David 533351 - 1673 HCU
RICHARDSON, Herbert A. 517958 - 1673 HCU
I knew there was a reason I stayed up!

What format are you transcribing it? Excel, Word, notepad?

[COL BRUGGY]

Dennis,

Thanks for padding out that list. I'm sure it will be a great help to Matt.

Format? I am physically transcribing the data from a set of ten microfiche. Much the same method they used to build the pyramids!

Now, where is my quill?

Thanks Mate,

Col.

[Matt Poole]

Hi, Col and Dennis.

Nice work! These men, plus O'Donnell (RCAF) and Merriman (RIAF) match up to my guess as to the ten-man crew of BZ951.

Happy holidays,

Matt

[Elaine Blackburn Watson]

In case you are interested, there is a plaque in honour of the same F/O Sydney Merriman in St Peter's Church graveyard, Agra showing that he died in action on 23rd August 1944.

regards
Elaine Blackburn Watson



Hi, Col and Dennis.

Nice work! These men, plus O'Donnell (RCAF) and Merriman (RIAF) match up to my guess as to the ten-man crew of BZ951.

Happy holidays,

Matt

[Oldduffer]

I've only just picked up on this Thread.

Whilst I've nothing to contribute to the specific questions, can I record that a book I have found exceptionally useful is called: BURMA LIBERATORS by John R W Gwynne-Timothy. It was published in 1991 and is a two volume set, of which Volume 2 has potted squadron histories, details of many crews participating and, within the text, many casualty listings. Vol 2 is of the greater interest to me. The set ISBN is: 1895578000 and Vol 2 alone is 1895578027

I have not checked the famous South American river for continued availability

Colin Cummings

[Matt Poole]

I'm glad you revived this thread, Colin. Since my last posting I have learned more details to share.

The out of print BURMA LIBERATORS books are a valuable source, more so Vol. 2, although there are some baffling flaws and omissions that should have been explained (i.e., missing segment of a squadron's ORB). The books are hard to find, though.

Back to BZ951...

The following summary is based upon the 1673 Heavy Conversion Unit’s Operations Record Book; information provided to the next-of-kin of one of the casualties by the Air Historical Branch; previous postings in this message thread, and my analysis of wartime maps, a bomb damage assessment report, and Google Earth imagery.

B-24 Mark III Liberator BZ951 “Y”, operating with No 1673 Heavy Conversion Unit, RAF, took off at 1750 on 23 February 1944 to join two other Liberators of 1673 HCU on an operation to bomb Sinde Dumps, Burma. Sinde was situated on the west bank of the Irrawaddy River about three miles south of the larger town of Prome, which was on the east bank.

BZ951 failed to return to base (Salbani, West Bengal, India). The entire 10-man crew were reported missing. They were listed in this order in the Operations Record Book, Form 541 DETAIL OF WORK CARRIED OUT, Appendix “C”, 1673 Heavy Conversion Unit:

40594 F/Lt ALLITT, Robert Edward DFC - PILOT
109364 F/Lt HOUGHTON, Raymond Douglas – PILOT (PASSENGER)
1601738 Sgt FLETCHER, William Kenneth – FLIGHT ENGINEER
66511 F/Lt FRASER, Francis James – NAVIGATOR/BOMB AIMER
1145139 Sgt BOYD, Trevor Barkley – WOP/AIR GUNNER
1104751 W/O BEATEY, Thomas Atkinson – AIR GUNNER
517958 F/Sgt RICHARDSON, Herbert Arthur – AIR GUNNER
CAN J.86852 P/O O’DONNELL, Ernest William – AIR GUNNER
IND 1791 F/O MERRIMAN, Sydney – NAVIGATOR/BOMB AIMER
533351 F/Sgt NELSON, David - FLIGHT ENGINEER

The aircraft had released its bombs on the target, but it “did not identify by W/T” (per the ORB) and was not seen again. (By this, perhaps it was meant that no wireless message of any kind -- including a distress signal -- was received at any time after bombs were released.)

An extensive but unsuccessful search was made covering what was thought to be likely areas in the Bay of Bengal in which the aircraft might have forced landed.

In June 1946 No 5 Searcher Team, RAF Missing Research & Enquiry Service, found the wreckage at 18° 44' 40" N.Lat, 95° 12' E. Long on a small island in the Irrawaddy River. The nearby village of Kyun-U, also on this island, is situated 2.5 miles due south of Sinde, the bombing objective on 23 February 1944.

The local headman (presumably from Kyun-U) stated that the aircraft had bombed the Prome area (actually Sinde, but this is a reasonable geographic error) and was seen to approach the island on fire before crashing into trees at approximately 8.30 pm on 23 February 1944. He led the searcher team to the site and they identified the wreckage (what little there was) as a Liberator by its distinctive undercarriage. The headman said that three of the engines had been removed by the Japanese after the crash. Based on the geographic location and date, it was simple to link this to Liberator BZ951.

The searcher team found four separate graves: one at the crash site containing five burnt bodies, and three others containing one body each about half a mile west of the crash site. Two crewmen were unaccounted for. The searcher team removed none of the bodies at that time.

On 23 December 1946 No 42 War Graves Registration Unit visited the site with the headman to recover the BZ951 crew remains. The five bodies in the grave at the wreck site could not be relocated. From one of the other three graves a single body was recovered and eventually reburied – as an unknown airman – in Rangoon Military Cemetery (since renamed Rangoon War Cemetery) in Grave 8, Plot 3, Row G. The other two individual graves had been washed away by monsoon rains/flooding.

So only one unnamed crewman lies buried in Rangoon War Cemetery today – identified as “AN AIRMAN OF THE 1939-1945 WAR, KNOWN UNTO GOD”.

A sad case -- graves found, but all except one casualty's remains were lost.

Cheers,

Matt

[flexiday101]

William Kenneth Fletcher is mentioned as being "Missing" in the November 1944 Parish Magazine of St Michael, Horton, Berkshire
Flexiday101


Thanks, gents.

It's good to know that the month has been corrected to Feb in AB's book. Steve, thanks also for your explanation of how the date often is off by a day.

I have just received P/O O'Donnell's entry from the book "They Shall Grow Not Old", and it solves most of the mystery, together with Steve's updated AB date:

O'DONNELL, ERNEST WILLIAM P/O (AG) J86852//R62897. From Bathurst, New Brunswick. Killed In Action Feb.23/44 age 22. #1673 Heavy Conversion Unit. Liberator aircraft # BZ951 failed to return from bombing operations over Sinde, Burma. Nine of the crew, not Canadians, missing believed killed. Pilot Officer Air Gunner O'Donnell has no known grave, his name is inscribed on the Singapore War Memorial, Malaya.

I don't quite know if all crewmen were missing from BZ951...seems so (O'Donnell and his nine non-Canadian crewmates) but the wording is misleading. Sinde is just 12 or so miles WSW of Mandalay, so any survivors would have been transported eventually to Rangoon Jail. I have very thorough info on air force POWs there, and I can't link any of them to this loss. My guess: all of BZ951's crew died.

Alex, FL980's loss date is indeed very close to BZ951's...a few time zones away...the cold Atlantic versus the tropics. Same sad ending, though.

If anyone can verify any of O'Donnell's crewmates, I'd be most grateful.

Cheers,

Matt

[Matt Poole]

Hi, Flexiday101,

Over two months after your posting, I just discovered it. Many thanks for this tidbit.

Cheers,

Matt

[Oliver Schofield]

Hi Matt,

I just want to say a massive thank you for all this information about BZ951. My wife's great uncle was F/Lt Robert Allitt DFC and bar. We knew he was lost somewhere in the Far East after having fought in the Battle of Britain but none of us knew any of the circumstances. My wife and I visited Kranji Memorial in January 2001. I know that all of the information will be of great interest to my wife and indeed her brother as it is to my young children.

Again, many thanks.

Oliver


I'm glad you revived this thread, Colin. Since my last posting I have learned more details to share.

The out of print BURMA LIBERATORS books are a valuable source, more so Vol. 2, although there are some baffling flaws and omissions that should have been explained (i.e., missing segment of a squadron's ORB). The books are hard to find, though.

Back to BZ951...

The following summary is based upon the 1673 Heavy Conversion Unit’s Operations Record Book; information provided to the next-of-kin of one of the casualties by the Air Historical Branch; previous postings in this message thread, and my analysis of wartime maps, a bomb damage assessment report, and Google Earth imagery.

B-24 Mark III Liberator BZ951 “Y”, operating with No 1673 Heavy Conversion Unit, RAF, took off at 1750 on 23 February 1944 to join two other Liberators of 1673 HCU on an operation to bomb Sinde Dumps, Burma. Sinde was situated on the west bank of the Irrawaddy River about three miles south of the larger town of Prome, which was on the east bank.

BZ951 failed to return to base (Salbani, West Bengal, India). The entire 10-man crew were reported missing. They were listed in this order in the Operations Record Book, Form 541 DETAIL OF WORK CARRIED OUT, Appendix “C”, 1673 Heavy Conversion Unit:

40594 F/Lt ALLITT, Robert Edward DFC - PILOT
109364 F/Lt HOUGHTON, Raymond Douglas – PILOT (PASSENGER)
1601738 Sgt FLETCHER, William Kenneth – FLIGHT ENGINEER
66511 F/Lt FRASER, Francis James – NAVIGATOR/BOMB AIMER
1145139 Sgt BOYD, Trevor Barkley – WOP/AIR GUNNER
1104751 W/O BEATEY, Thomas Atkinson – AIR GUNNER
517958 F/Sgt RICHARDSON, Herbert Arthur – AIR GUNNER
CAN J.86852 P/O O’DONNELL, Ernest William – AIR GUNNER
IND 1791 F/O MERRIMAN, Sydney – NAVIGATOR/BOMB AIMER
533351 F/Sgt NELSON, David - FLIGHT ENGINEER

The aircraft had released its bombs on the target, but it “did not identify by W/T” (per the ORB) and was not seen again. (By this, perhaps it was meant that no wireless message of any kind -- including a distress signal -- was received at any time after bombs were released.)

An extensive but unsuccessful search was made covering what was thought to be likely areas in the Bay of Bengal in which the aircraft might have forced landed.

In June 1946 No 5 Searcher Team, RAF Missing Research & Enquiry Service, found the wreckage at 18° 44' 40" N.Lat, 95° 12' E. Long on a small island in the Irrawaddy River. The nearby village of Kyun-U, also on this island, is situated 2.5 miles due south of Sinde, the bombing objective on 23 February 1944.

The local headman (presumably from Kyun-U) stated that the aircraft had bombed the Prome area (actually Sinde, but this is a reasonable geographic error) and was seen to approach the island on fire before crashing into trees at approximately 8.30 pm on 23 February 1944. He led the searcher team to the site and they identified the wreckage (what little there was) as a Liberator by its distinctive undercarriage. The headman said that three of the engines had been removed by the Japanese after the crash. Based on the geographic location and date, it was simple to link this to Liberator BZ951.

The searcher team found four separate graves: one at the crash site containing five burnt bodies, and three others containing one body each about half a mile west of the crash site. Two crewmen were unaccounted for. The searcher team removed none of the bodies at that time.

On 23 December 1946 No 42 War Graves Registration Unit visited the site with the headman to recover the BZ951 crew remains. The five bodies in the grave at the wreck site could not be relocated. From one of the other three graves a single body was recovered and eventually reburied – as an unknown airman – in Rangoon Military Cemetery (since renamed Rangoon War Cemetery) in Grave 8, Plot 3, Row G. The other two individual graves had been washed away by monsoon rains/flooding.

So only one unnamed crewman lies buried in Rangoon War Cemetery today – identified as “AN AIRMAN OF THE 1939-1945 WAR, KNOWN UNTO GOD”.

A sad case -- graves found, but all except one casualty's remains were lost.

Cheers,

Matt

[Matt Poole]

Hi, Oliver,

Glad the Internet has enlightened you.

I've sent you an e-mail. I have some corroborating goodies to pass along.

Cheers,

Matt

[flexiday101]

William Kenneth Fletcher was mentioned in our Parish Magazine of November 1944 was being "Missing". Carolyn Wheeler, Churchwarden, St Michael's, Horton, Berkshire.

[Matt Poole]

Hi, Carolyn. Each and every one of these seemingly obscure names has a link to present day family, or village, or church, etc. Glad you remembered William Kenneth Fletcher, even with just that sad word, "Missing". Thanks for posting this, and best wishes.

[dennis_burke]

Matt,
do you have any details from O'DONNELL, Pilot Officer, ERNEST WILLIAM, J/86852 service file, it'll be on ancestry.com tho i think you were getting them separately scanned due to missing bits?

[Matt Poole]

Hi, Dennis,

I goofed up...I thought I'd posted a reply last night, but it wasn't there on Thursday morning. Oh well, I'm sure it was my error.

Thanks for your reminder of O'Donnell's RCAF service file offerings via ancestry.com. I'd moved on to other topics and had forgotten to download these, so I've now accomplished this.

I don't know any more about O'Donnell and don't have a photo of him; I've been told that typically any photo(s) of the person would have been chosen for scanning, so it is a safe bet that O'Donnell's file does not include an image of him.

I don't plan on ordering a scan of the entire O'Donnell service file, although there will likely be a gem or two among the many documents which were not scanned and put onto ancestry.com. One day, maybe...

About 56 individual scans are found in the online O'Donnell file, but his full file held by Library and Archives Canada could well be 200 pages thick. What has been chosen for scanning is great for genealogists and historians, but some very worthy documents, no doubt, were passed over. I'm grateful for what I can see, and I know where to go to find more. I wish the UK government would follow suit!

For others who may be unfamiliar, the selected subsets of RCAF service records of those who had perished in WWII, held by Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa, were scanned and put onto ancestry.com. Maybe one has to join ancestry to access them. The url which works for me, allowing me to access the RCAF service records of a deceased individual is:

https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/canwwiikia/

I'm not sure if one has to join (even a temporary free 14-day trial subscription) to be able to view any of these files.

I just checked out the Canadian Virtual War Memorial to see if anyone had submitted photos/documents relating to O'Donnell, as they have, sometimes, for other casualties. The site:

https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/1815734?Ernest%20William%20O%27Donnell

There are photos of the Bomber Command Memorial Wall at Nanton, Alberta, Canada, and O'Donnell's name on this wall. Despite the "Bomber Command" name of this wall, his personnel records indicate that he did not fly with Bomber Command (and he died over Burma).

This bias towards Bomber Command, unfortunately, is not uncommon...one example of why men who were sent out to the Far East called themselves "The Forgotten Air Force". In fact, that's the name of a book by Air Commodore Henry Probert.

One of the three photos on O'Donnell's CVWM page is of wording honoring those Canadians who died in the RCAF during the war and who are commemorated by name on the wall. The wording starts out with: "Three thousand miles across a hunted ocean they came, wearing on the shoulder of their tunics the treasured name, 'Canada', telling the world their origin."

O'Donnell's base in India was a little more than "three thousand miles" across the Atlantic Ocean from Canada.

Naturally, it is great that he is honored, though it would be nice if a few more people realized that RAF Bomber Command was not the only participant in the air war.

Again, Dennis, many thanks for reviving my interest in Ernest O'Donnell. I wish I had more details and photos to share with you.

Cheers,

Matt