Ian Brown
Senior Member

Hello Eric and Ian,

I am the nephew of Flt/Sgt T.R.M. Cattle (Toronto Canada). I have been chasing my Uncle's service history, and potential whereabouts of where the plane may have crashed. I have managed to order my Uncle's service records with the RCAF, but there was no more information that I could gather out of those records.

However via the internet, I have managed to piece together the following information
On the night of June 8/9 1942 4 Halifax were shot down 1-near the Hook of Holland, 1-4km NE of Brussels, 1-2km S Zaltbommel, and 1 unknown.

Reference - http://aces.safarikovi.org/victories/doc/victories-germany-ww2-claims-halifax.pdf

I am wondering if you would have any additional information or suggestions of where I could continue my research.
I have the picture mentioned in the attached thread, Eric, if you are still looking please send me a note. I would love to connect with another member of the flight crew's family.

Regards,

Robert Cattle

Ian Brown;Rich Allenby
Hello Ian and Rich,

I have just found this old post [below] in the RAF Commands archive from 2004 - it popped up in a search for "halifax W1111". F/Sgt Eric L Jackman was my mother's brother and would have been my uncle. Can you point me to the "Chad" who posted this notice? You both responded to his question in 2004 and I wonder if you have a way of backtracking to identify "Chad". I have tried to find "Spurgeon" and "Chad" in the new RAF Commands site but no luck. I would be very interested in taking a look at the photos he mentions as in all my mothers things there are only two photos of her brother (I remember there used to be more when I was a kid but these seem to have been lost over the years).

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this and any help you can provide.

Eric Allen

[Spurgeon (0 posts)
24-Apr-04, 04:27 AM (GMT)
"Sqdn 405 Halifax Photo I found..can someone provide more info?"
Doing some research on my Grandfather (PERCY ROBERT (BOB) SPURGEON from the 405 and 148) and today I discovered a picture he had in his records. It shows a bomber crew, with individual photos and is described as follows:

"CREW OF HALIFAX BOMBER RCAF SQUADRON 405 POSTED MISSING ON NIGHT OPERATIONS OVER ESSEN GERMANY NIGHT OF JUNE 8-9 1942"

Names of the crew mentioned as follows:


Flt/Sgt Will Plant (Toronto Canada)
Flt/Sgt Eric Jackman (Bristol England)
Flt/Sgt T.R.M. Cattle (Toronto Canada)
Flt/Sgt Joseph Fleming (Bristol England)
Flt/Sgt G.R. Montgomery (Chapleu Ontario, Canada)
Flt/Sgt Reginald Holland (Bournmouth England)
P/O D Gordon Morris (St Johns Newfoundland)


Anyone have any information on this???

Chad.]

Hi Ian,
How did the studies go, are they complete yet. I have just got back from the Singapore trip and while there we went to Pompong Island. We got there just before 11.00hrs on Sat 14th exactly 67 years after my father was killed there. Very emotional, but we have laid his spirit to rest now and it was great to swim in the same area as he died.

I was down at St Cyrus before we went out and was speaking to Mary Singleton about the CHL there but she only knows what you told her about it. I remember my cousin's wife being her nanny many years ago in the late 50's. I would be grateful if you could update me about RAF St Cyrus some time at your convenience.
Cheers,
Stan Pyke