The Green Screen

Yes, be vewwy, vewwy afraid. I leave for a 2 week trip to England and Wales in less than two weeks. I have already rented a car, so BEWARE. Shifting gears with my left hand should not be a problem, but that driving on the "wrong" side of the road jazz should prove interesting.

This trip is not a vacation as most would define a vacation. I am going to England/Wales in November to pay my respects to 7 airmen who lost their lives in WW II. My late Mother's cousin was a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), and served in the No. 101 Squadron, Royal Air Force (RAF). His Lancaster heavy bomber (serial number ED322) crashed into the sea off of Tenby, Wales on the night of December 6-7, 1942 while attempting to return to base following a raid on Mannheim, Germany. All 7 crewmen where killed. Over the next 10 days, 4 bodies washed ashore on various beaches in South Wales. My relative was one of these airmen. The other 3 crewmembers where not recovered, and are remembered on the Runnymede Memorial in Surrey. This Memorial honours by name, over 20,000 English and Commonwealth airmen and airwomen who where lost in the skies over England and Northwest Europe, and who have no known grave. Similar Memorials exist in Ottawa, Malta, El Alamein, and Singapore honouring English and Commonwealth airmen and airwomen lost in other theaters of operation, and who also have no known grave.

The four recovered airmen consisted of 3 Canadians (Pilot, Navigator, Wireless Operator/Air Gunner), and one Englishman (Flight Engineer). The Canadians where buried in Carew Cherition, Wales, and the Englishman was buried in his home town of Bolton, Lancashire, England. The 3 airmen who were not recovered consisted of 2 Canadians (Bomb Aimer, Rear Air Gunner) and another Englishman (Mid-Upper Air Gunner). The OLDEST crewman was 26 years of age (Rear Air Gunner). The youngest crewman was the Mid-Upper Air Gunner, who was just 19. My relative (Pilot) was killed at the age of 20 years, and was a seasoned veteran of 11 bombing raids in the short time he was overseas.

My trip will start at Gatwick Airport. I have a nice bed and breakfast lined up in Horley, which is just a couple of miles from Gatwick. I will spend 2 nights there, and I intend to take the train into London to see the Imperial War Museum on my second day in England. The next day I get into my rental car to terrorize the local populace as I drive to Brookwood Cemetery to take some photos of another RCAF grave. The grave is of a co-worker's relative who was also killed in WW II. The pictures will be a surprise for the family. I then carry on to Stonehenge, and then drive to Maidenhead to stay at the home of the brother of the Mid-Upper Air Gunner for 3 nights. We will attend the Remembrance Day ceremony at Runnymede on November 8, where I will place a wreath.

The next morning I drive west to Wales, where I will stay for 3 nights at the home of a man who has helped immensely with the compilation of information for the book I am writing. We will then tour South Wales with a focus on the 3 graves in Carew Cheriton. I will also shake the hand of the man who has tended the 15 war graves at Carew Cheriton for YEARS. He does this only because it is the right thing to do. Men like this are not very common these days unfortunately.

I then drive north to Bolton, Lancashire to pay my respects at the grave of the Flight Engineer, and carry on to Yorkshire, where I will spend the night in a cool farmhouse/bed and breakfast near the former base that the Lancaster took off from (RAF Holme On Spalding Moor). This is one of my longest days on the road.

The next morning I will tour what is left of RAF Holme (some buildings left but runways long gone), and then drive slightly north to check out the Yorkshire Air Museum. I then head south for a quick stop at RAF Elsham Wolds (the base of a former crewmember), and RAF Ludford Magna (the base the No. 101 Squadron RAF moved to shortly after the crash of Lancaster ED322). The Squadron's Roll Of Honour is housed in the Church in Ludford. I then carry on to Stevenage (north of London) to spend 2 nights with the brother of the Flight Engineer. Harry is a great guy, and has a few stories of his own. He also served in the RAF (Gunner in a B-25 Mitchell) and survived being shot down in the English Channel by a Focke Wulf 190, and a ditching off of Douglas, The Isle of Man. Harry is now 87 years young. This is also a long day on the road.

I then drive to RAF Hendon in NW London. My late Uncle served in the RCAF, and was stationed there during the war. There is a great museum there now. After that stop, I continue back to the bed and breakfast in Horley where I started. The next day I take the train back into London to see whatever else I can squeeze in. The next day I return to Calgary.

I am really looking forward to placing Canadian and English flags on the graves/Memorials to the lost crew. As mentioned, this is not a vacation in the true sense. It is a journey of reverence and respect, something sorely lacking in today's world.

Semper Fi



AK

Admirable journey! Keep safe and looking forward to your report upon your return. Sounds like mission of honor and exploration.

Good on you. I've paid my respects at the cemeteries in Arnhem and at Vimy.

Howie, I think you are a terrific man. Safe journey, God Speed and God Bless.

Saby

Good on you, Howie. Anyone who lives in Calgary has a big heart.

My English grandfather fought in Vimy Ridge and survived, he was in the Royal Airforce as well. My dad (Canadian) was in the RCAF, based out of Trenton, but he has medical problems and could not go overseas, he was stationed in frigid Alaska.

My son's father is a Welshman from Merthyr Tydfil, so it's in the blood.

Safe journey. It is a wonderful trip you are taking.

Thanks for the kind words everyone. Here is a bit more info for those that are interested. The pilot earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) on the raid previous to the fatal flight. On the night of December 2-3, 1942, the No. 101 Squadron RAF attacked Frankfurt, Germany. The number of Allied aircraft totaled 112 on this raid, with the No. 101 Squadron contributing 5 Lancaster bombers to the effort. The No. 101 Squadron's five aircraft returned to base, but 1 Lancaster, 1 Sterling and 1 Wellington bomber from other Squadrons were lost.

On the run in to the target, my relative's Lancaster was hit by flak. As a result, the rear air gunner was wounded, the starboard inner engine was knocked out, the centre fuel tank was rendered U/S, and the bomb release mechanism was damaged. The "Skipper" continued on to the target, but had to return to base without dropping the bomb load, and made the FIRST landing of a fully "bombed up" Lancaster in history. Remember that Lancasters where a relatively new aircraft in 1942. The bomb load consisted of 3 X 1000 pound high explosive bombs, and 990 X 4 pound incendiaries. The landing was at a "blacked out" wartime airdrome at night, with 200-300 yard visibilty. Not bad for a 20 year old farm boy from Alberta I would say.

The pilot was awarded the DFC for this feat. His Mother accepted his DFC at a ceremony in Ottawa in 1944 almost 2 years after his death. The pilot was Pilot Officer Howard Dabbs DFC RCAF. The following photo is of Howard as a 19 year old Sergeant. His DFC citation as printed in the London Gazette, follows his picture.



Pilot Officer Howard Earl Dabbs (Can./J.15608),
Royal Canadian Air Force, No. 101 Squadron.
(since missing)
One night in December, 1942, this officer was
pilot of an aircraft detailed to attack Frankfurt.
When nearing the target area, his aircraft, whilst
held in a cone of searchlights was hit by anti-
aircraft fire and one of its engines was put out of
action. Despite this, Pilot Officer Dabbs flew on
to his target but, as the bomb release mechanism
was unserviceable, he was unable to drop his
bombs. Displaying skilful airmanship he flew his
aircraft back to this country without the assistance
of wireless aids. With a full bomb load he made
a masterly landing in poor visibility. This officer's
skill and determination in the face of adverse
circumstances set an example worthy of the
highest praise. He has flown on several sorties
with distinction.

PS - A brief mention of RAF rank insignia is perhaps warranted here. Note that my relative was a Pilot Officer. This does NOT necessarily mean that he was a pilot, although he was in this case. Pilot Officer is/was a rank designation in the RAF, RCAF etc.. It was not only possible for an Air Gunner, for example, to be a Pilot Officer, it was rather common. It was also entirely possible for the pilot of the aircraft to be the lowest ranked member of the crew, although the pilot was the "Captain" when the ship was airborne, and his word was law regardless of rank. In my relative's case, he was the highest ranking member, but it easily could have been someone else.

Here is a short comparison of RAF/RCAF officer ranks in WW II compared with ranks from the USA, as we may be more familiar with these from watching TV etc..

Pilot Officer - Second Lieutenant
Flying Officer - Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant - Captain
Squadron Leader - Major
Wing Commander - Lieutenant Colonel
Group Captain - Colonel
Air Commodore - Brigadier General
Air Vice-Marshall - Major General
Air Marshall - Lieutenant General
Air Chief Marshall - General
Marshall of the Air Force - General of the Army

(Oct 23, 2009 02:15 PM)gray Wrote: [ -> ]Good on you. I've paid my respects at the cemeteries in Arnhem and at Vimy.

I salute you Sir. Well done.

Howie. Have a safe trip. I hope you are NOT the one doing all that driving. Those people over there drive like mad-men.

Even crossing the street takes getting used to.

Wow. This post was on page 9. I guess there is life on this forum after all.

I am now back from 2 weeks in England and Wales. I did not kill anyone with my driving, nor did I hear so much as a horn blow at me. That is surprising considering that the English drive at 1,000 miles per hour with their car 2 inches behind the one in front. Driving in London is an absolute freak show by the way. Without my GPS unit (sat nav as they call it there), it would have been impossible to find my way anywhere. It was a lifesaver. The road layouts follow no identifiable convention, are extremely narrow, and extremely CONGESTED. Do not drive in London if you can help it. Trust me.

It is now about 9:00PM Calgary time, but I am still running on England time, so that makes it 4:00 AM for me and long past time for bed. I will post some pics in the next few days for you to peruse.

Ta Ta

Howie, glad you are back. I happen to love London, but they are all nuts with the driving. It seems all roads in Europe are like that; narrow and congested.

At least in other countries, they don't drive on the left.

We had a poster here many years ago, Calvin. He lives in London. When on vacation, I went to visit him. Holy crappers.....he had a red sports car. He fit all five of us in there. When he went to turn the corner, I could have sworn we were on our sides!

I miss Calvin.

Howie my salute goes out to you for a commendable journey. Toast them with a pint or two just as they would have done for their comrades at arms.

Glad you're back safe Howie. I went to University in Scotland and it was the "roundabouts" that I found "fun". Round'n'round till you figure out where you're going. LOL!!!!

As promised, here are some photos from my recent trip to England and Wales for Remembrance Day 2009. All told I took 2304 photos and here is a small sample of some of them. I hope you enjoy them.

At Gatwick airport waiting for my ride to my room at Castle Lodge in Horley, Surrey, England. Castle Lodge is a guest house (9 rooms for rent), and Horley is a town beside Gatwick airport. My room was a 5 minute drive from Gatwick.


Castle Lodge in Horley. The rooms were clean and quiet, and the owners very friendly.


Ye Olde Six Bells pub in Horley. It is over 700 years old, and I ate there several times. They gave GIGANTIC portions of fish for the fish and chips meal, the largest that I have ever been served. The huge order of fish and chips with a pint of Guinness cost 10.70 pounds (about $19.00 CAN) including 17% VAT tax. Not cheap, but nothing was in the UK. Considering the humungous portion size, it was fair.


The next day was my first full day in England, so I took the train into London to explore. Here are pics of Victoria Station and Westminster Cathedral in London.

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Westminster Abbey in London with a pic of Prince Andrew. His Father, the Duke of Endinburgh, was there also.



Imperial War Museum in London.


Downtown London.


Picadilly Circus

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Buckingham Palace


The next day I drove to Brookwood Military Cemetery. A relative of a co-worker is buried there, so I stopped in to take some photos for the family. There are over 2000 Canadians buried in Brookwood. It was once the largest cemetery in the world, and the civilian section is still in use.



I then carried on to Brooklands Museum. Brooklands was a famous race track in the early 1900’s. It is now an aircraft and automobile museum. Here is a Concorde on display.

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Wellington medium bomber. The Wellington was a much loved by her crews. 11,464 “Wimpys” were produced, and it was not retired from service until 1953. On December 31, 1940 this exact aircraft ditched in Loch Ness. All the crew survived except for the rear gunner. He was killed when his parachute failed to open. The aircraft was located by a submersible vehicle in 1976 and raised in 1985.

My relative flew 11 combat missions in a Wellington before his Squadron was re-equipped with the then new Lancaster heavy bomber. He was killed on his 4th Lancaster raid.


The valiant steed I used on my journey. It was a Nissan Micra, and it ran just fine. It was a standard transmission car just as the VAST majority of vehicles are in the UK. Fuel in the UK averaged about 1.12 pounds per litre (about $2.00 CAN per litre).


I then continued on to Stonehenge just to say I was there. Note the traffic even though I am out in the country at least 1 hour west of London.

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I then drove to Maidenhead, a city of 60,000 about 25 miles west of London. I stayed the next 3 nights at the home of Ted C. who is the brother of the Mid-Upper Air Gunner. Sergeant Warren was not recovered, and is remembered on the Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede, Surrey, England. Over 20,000 airmen and airwomen are named on the stone panels of the Memorial. These airmen and airwomen were lost in the skies over England and Northwest Europe and who have no known grave. This picture was taken on Saturday, November 7. In the UK, Remembrance Day is celebrated on the Sunday preceding November 11. In 2009, that meant that the service would be celebrated on November 8. I visited the Memorial on November 7 as well to take pictures without the people that would interfere with picture taking there the next day.


The Service on November 8. It was cloudy and cool that day.

The wreath that I laid at Runnymede complete with the Maple Leaf and Union Jack.


The view from the Air Forces Memorial looking toward London. The sharp eyed will notice Heathrow airport, as well as the curving arch of Wembley Stadium (and London) in the distance. The river Thames is also visible.


A view of the cloisters at Runnymede. The names of the missing are inscribed on the stone panels lining the passageways.

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After my visit in Maidenhead I took the M4 west to Wales. Here I am driving over the Severn Bridge going from England into Wales.


I stayed the next 3 nights at the home of Steve J. Steve has helped immensely with the book I am writing. Here we are at Worm’s Head looking out over Carmarthen Bay, South Wales. The Lancaster crashed across the bay from this spot.


The beach at Amroth, Wales. This beach is close to Tenby and is the beach that my relative’s body washed ashore on December 9, 1942. I brought home a couple of rocks off of this beach.


Tenby harbour. The Flight Engineer and the Navigator were pulled from the sea near the old Victoria pier in Tenby. The location would have been near the sloped lifeboat ramp in the picture.


Tenby’s new kick do lifeboat.

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Lydstep beach. The Wireless Operator/Air Gunner washed up on this beach 10 days after the crash.


St. Margaret’s Island with Caldy Island behind. The Lancaster crashed at the foot of the cliffs on St. Margaret’s Island.


The 15 war graves in the churchyard at Carew Cherition, South Wales.


The 11th century St. Mary’s Church in Carew Cherition. All of the war dead buried at Carew Cherition had their funeral services conducted in the church. The military party would then march to the nearby churchyard to bury the deceased with full military honours.

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The grave of my relative, the pilot of the Lancaster, Pilot Officer Howard Dabbs DFC RCAF. The Canadian flags on the graves were brought overseas by yours truly.


The grave of Flight Sergeant Robert Smith RCAF, the Navigator on the Lancaster.


The grave of Flight Sergeant Robert Middleton RCAF, the Wireless Operator / Air Gunner on the Lancaster.


The man who opened up his home to me in Wales. Steve is an accomplished SCUBA diver and his hobby is locating crashed aircraft, and sunken ships. He has binders full of aircraft wrecks that he has located. He then proceeds to contact the families involved, not an easy task as I know. He has created and dedicated several memorials to lost airmen, and has been able to arrange visits of the relatives of the fallen. He is quite a guy. You won’t find a man of his calibre very often. Here he is showing a 30mm cannon he recovered from a crashed jet fighter. He had to pay 100 pounds to get it deactivated. The sharp eyed will notice a more corroded 30 mm cannon in the background.

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I then left Wales heading north to the cemetery in Bolton, Lancashire, England. The Flight Engineer on the Lancaster was an Englishman, and was buried in his hometown of Bolton. This was a long day on the road. After locating the grave (entering Bolton during freakish rush hour traffic I might add), I then carried on to East Yorkshire for the night. Bolton is very close to the large metropolitan center of Manchester. The population there almost exceeds my home province of Alberta. The traffic was a nightmare.


I spent the night at a bed and breakfast called Rudstone Walk. It was a nice place, although I did not have much time to appreciate it. I arrived during the evening, and left early the next morning for another long day on the road. Here is the view from my supper table. I had steak with the fixins’, and red wine, along with a pint of bitter.


Rudstone Walk early the next morning before I left.


I stayed at Rudstone Walk because it was only a few miles form RAF Holme Upon Spalding Moor. RAF Holme was the home base of the No. 101 Squadron Royal Air Force and Lancaster ED322. Here is the Memorial at what remains of the base. It is now an industrial park. I placed the Canadian flag there.

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I then drove north for 20 miles or so to visit the Yorkshire Air Museum. Here is a pic of a Hurricane just inside the gates.


A Spitfire.


I then drove south across the Humber bridge through Lincolnshire to RAF Ludford Magna. Ludford was the home base of the No. 101 RAF Squadron for most of the war. Unfortunately Lancaster ED322 crashed a few months before the Squadron’s move, so the crew of ED322 never knew RAF Ludford Magna. They are honoured of course, on the Squadron’s Roll Of Honour housed in the Church in Ludford.


The Church in Ludford, England.


I then drove further south to the city of Stevenage. This city is about 35 miles north of London, and the brother of the Flight Engineer lives there. I visited him at his home. Harry lives on this street.

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I took Harry out for a day trip to the Imperial War Museum Duxford east of Stevenage. We did not get to see everything as Harry is now 87 years old, and the weather was HORRIBLE that day. It was the strongest winds that I have felt in my life. Later we learned the England suffered much damage during the storm, and several tornados touched down. We saw most of the displays but not all. This is a pic of a Shackleton anti-submarine aircraft. I love the front end view of the aircraft. Nothing makes a smile like two 20mm cannons. 



A Lancaster heavy bomber.


Another view of the Lancaster clearly showing the Mid-Upper Gunner's position.


British Vulcan nuclear bomber.

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B-25 Mitchell


Here is a pic of Harry standing by an Avro Anson. Not only did Harry survive being shot down in a B-25 Mitchell bomber, but he also survived ditching an Anson off of Douglas, The Isle of Man. He is a member of the “Goldfish Club” twice over.


After visiting Harry I then drove south to RAF Hendon in NW London. My late Uncle was stationed there during the war. It is now the home of the RAF Museum and boasts FREE admission. Here is a pic of a Hurricane and a Spitfire in the parking lot.


Nothing to see here. Move along please.

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Driving through NW London from RAF Hendon to my guest house back at Horley. The traffic sucked large.


Back at Castle Lodge in Horley with my rental car resting comfortably. I put over 1000 miles on the Nissan and she ran great.


The train station at London’s Tower Bridge Station. The train to London took about 40 minutes one way to downtown London, and cost 10.70 pounds return. Cheap IMO. Never drive in London if you can help it. It truly sucks.


London’s Tower Bridge Station.


The cruiser HMS Belfast moored in the River Thames with the Tower Bridge in the background. I did not have time to tour the ship however.

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The Tower Bridge.


Listening to the Yeoman Warder tour guide in the Tower.


The Tower Green which was the site of several high profile executions including Anne Boleyn and 17 year old Lady Jane Grey.


The glass Memorial marks the location of the beheadings.


The Chapel where Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey are buried (along with MANY more).

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The London Eye.


Big Ben.


Some of the Remembrance crosses left on the grass at Westminster Abbey.


Buckingham Palace again.


Wellington Arch.

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The present day site of the Tyburn Triple Tree. For those that don’t know, Tyburn was the location for executions by hanging for several hundred years. The Triple Tree had a maximum capacity of 24 victims at one time, with 8 being suspended from each of the three beams. The site is now located on a concrete traffic island just north of Hyde Park.



Hyde Park in downtown London. This is a very large park near Buckingham Palace. I can only imagine the value of the land today.


The Royal Albert Hall just south of Hyde Park.


Harrod’s department store.

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Inside London’s Victoria Station.


The next day was my return to Calgary. The owner of Castle Lodge dropped me off at Gatwick airport in plenty of time to catch my flight. Security was similar to Calgary. Here we are waiting at the gate in Gatwick for the flight back to Calgary.


The Air Transat Airbus A330-200 series aircraft we used for both legs of my journey. The direct flight form Calgary to London Gatwick took a little over 8 hours. The return flight was about 9.5 hours. The return route took us north over Scotland, over Iceland and Greenland and then over Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. We entered Alberta airspace almost exactly over where Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories meet according to the position display on the aircraft.