Glider Pilot PWs at Rennes Military Hospital

Sean - the only Rhodesian Spitfire squadron operated in Italy. 44 (Rhodesia) squadron was part of Bomber Command at the time, but not with Spitfire's of course!

Pat - Thanks for clearing up the 325!

Allan

 

Hello Pat,

I think it would mean "from Rhodesia" in this case- the pilot's nationality being much more noteworthy and interesting than the squadron he flew with.

Cheers,

Sean

Edit: I responded to Pat before reading your reply, Allan, which would seem to confirm an individual Rhodesian rather than an affiliate. Thanks for the clarification.

 

Just updating - 266 (Rhodesia) squadron operated Typhoon's in Normandy, no idea how many actual Rhodesian pilot's serving with it though.

Involved in friendly fire incident with HMS Britomart etc. (Minesweepers) in August 1944.

Allan

 

hello Pat

Not a bad price for it - last time I looked it was a lot more expensive. Any chance of a description of this Rhodesian Spitfire pilot from the source document please?

The most famous Rhodesian Spitfire pilot (post-war) was the former PM of Rhodesia (formerly Southern Rhodesia) Ian Smith. He was part of the former No. 1 Squadron Southern Rhodesian Air Force, which became 237 (Rhodesia) Squadron of the RAF in 1940, and operated in Africa, Corsica and Italy. Ian Smith had crashed a Hurricane after take off in October 1943, and severely damaged his face - he could have become an instructor in Rhodesia, but wanted to stay operational. He re-joined 237 Squadron, by then flying Spitfire IX's and was shot down strafing a rail-yard in Italy in June 1944, and continued the with fight with partisans, eventually escaping to Allied Lines. Again he was offered another posting, but via 83 Group Support Unit in the UK he joined 130 (Punjab) Squadron (part of 125 Wing, hence my interest) in April 1945, flying the Spitfire XIV until the end of the war, then moving to Norway as part of the Liberating forces.

I won't go in to the political side of Ian Smith (he is like marmite, you either hate him or admire him), but I admire his personal courage in fighting on when he was offered a way out on at least two occasions, which he could easily have done with honour because he had more than done his bit, so to speak.

regards

Allan

Allan

 

hello Pat

I had missed that one - Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia - it used to be the federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland when I was growing up I think!

237 was formed out of No. 1 Squadron Southern Rhodesia Air Force, and Ian Smith had an SRAF service number (not to hand, but I have it) starting SR as it appears in the 130 ORB when he joined.

245 was formed at Leconfield on 30 October 1939, and might have been supported by Northern Rhodesia (comfort gear etc.), but, unlike 237 only served in the UK and western Europe.

It would have been considered an RAF Squadron, in the same manner that 130 (Punjab) Squadron was RAF, but with some form of support from the Punjab. 237 was also an integral part of the RAF, also 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron in Bomber Command, with probably a very small Rhodesian element, if any, in 245 and 44 - but more in 237.

Thanks for the book extract - very interesting, but not much help I am afraid, but I will try to check my 2TAF books to see if any Rhodesian Spitfire pilot is mentioned around D-Day.

regards

Allan

 

Thanks Dale.

I've been through Norman Franks' Fighter Command Losses from Jan to July '44 checking out all the PoW for Rhodesians (who Franks identifies as such).
Unless I've missed one, the only posibilities are Balloch and S/L J G Clouston, who died on 21/6/44 whilst being transported by road.
Although the CWGC site gives Clouston's parents as coming from New Zealand, he was a native of Rhodesia.
A painting of Clouston is in the RAF Museum collection.

Sean

 

Sean - I tend to agree with you about WO F Balloch - I couldn't find any mention of him in 2TAF volume 1 "Spartan to Normandy" for 7 June until I checked the Order of Battle, only to see that 165 Squadron was still part of Air Defence of Great Britain, being a 10 Group Squadron operating from down here in Cornwall at Predannack, (see also http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/AlliedExpeditionaryAirForce.cfm) and not a 2TAF squadron, but of course they had a role over the beachhead. This entry http://www.absa3945.com/Pertes%20Bretagne/Morbihan/pertes_raf_morbihan.htm advises he was a South Rhodesian. 165 was never part of 2TAF, moving from Cornwall up country for anti-diver patrols, and daylight bomber escorts, before taking on the Mustang III for this role. "Fighter Command War Diaries" Part 4 - John Foreman - 7 June "....to the west, 10 Group sent out Roadsteads, Rodeos and Rhubarbs, losing a Typhoon pilot from 263 Squadron at St. Malo and a Spitfire pilot each from 41, 131 and 165 Squadrons..."
Confirmed here in POW list as South Rhodesian http://www.rafcommands.com/Ross/Air%20Force%20PoWs/RAF%20POWs%20Query%20B_1.html - as an aside - 9 South Rhodesians appear in the "B" page of the PoW list!!

Pat - apologies for asking for the source document when you had already published the page :angel: I had speed read, but not taken in the information originally, being more interested in the Cornish glider pilot at the time!

regards

Allan

 

Interesting if we have a "WO 776172 Ballock, T. W. E." and a WO 776173 Balloch F, both taken prisoner about the same time!

Very surprised if the Army and RAF were utilising the same number blocks at the same time in the UK - however, the number range fits in for 1940 local enlistments in the middle east - see the number range below is for Southern Rhodesians ?

http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?27-RAF-RAF-OR-Service-Numbers

776000 to 776199 July 1940 Local enlistments in Middle East (British, Maltese and Cypriots)
776200 to 776499 776445 Jun 1940 Southern Rhodesians in Middle East.

And quite reasonable to be transferred to the UK after pilot training

I know this list is accurate as I have looked up both of my parents - and they fit in the right place in the table!

Cheers

Allan

 

With the RAF number range basically fitting for a Southern Rhodesian enlisting directly in to the RAF in the Middle East, and not via the SRAF as per Ian Smith (who was SR80463), I believe we have the right man in the hospital.

Allan

 

There is an E&E Report written by Laird where it's noted that the co-pilot (Kuller) was left behind because of his broken leg.

They were both from the 86th TCS - 437th TCG
[hr]

Laird, Larkin, Koskiak and other men met with a patrol of the 79th Infantry Division on 23 June

 

Thanks Pat - a very interesting account, I have taken the liberty of continuing with the story of Lt John K England, and, at the bottom, of the activities of my late father this week 70 years ago, as both had been in Normandy with their respective units.

Although his loss is not relevant to our story, the CWGC link shows Lt England as formerly of 8th Battalion Parachute Regiment, and being a member of the Royal Armoured Corps, however on the Pegasus Archive he is shown as being a member of that Battalion and being killed during Operation Varsity - the Rhine Crossing http://www.pegasusarchive.org/varsity/frames.htm - my belief is that his original regiment was the RAC, and he then transferred in to the Parachute Regiment A.A.C. "Some of those members of the land forces buried there died in the advance through Reichswald Forest in February 1945. Others died crossing the Rhine, among them members of the airborne forces whose bodies were brought from Hamminkeln, where landings were made by the 6th Airborne Division from bases in England." in a lot of cases they landed in direct flak fire, a US Parachute battalion landed on a British DZ by mistake as well, the gliders of 6th Airlanding brigade being most hit.

Lt J K England, although a paratrooper, was killed when his glider crashed in to trees

http://www.pegasusarchive.org/varsity/frames.htm

"The 8th Parachute Battalion came first; their task was to secure the drop zone by capturing three areas of woodland to the south and east of it, whilst the remainder of the Brigade, arriving four minutes later, landed and attacked the main objectives. By 10:30, "A" Company had captured their assigned wood in the north-eastern corner of DZ-A, meeting little resistance and capturing a few prisoners. "C" Company, with Battalion Headquarters and the Mortar Platoon in tow, similarly encountered no problems in taking their objective in the south-east. Casualties were suffered, however, when the Brigade's gliders began to land at 11:00, one of which crashed into the wood, killing both pilots, two 8th Battalion sergeants, Lieutenant England, the Intelligence Officer, and injuring Lieutenant-Colonel Hewetson, who, in obvious discomfort and anger, emerged from beneath the wreckage, exclaiming, "How now you whoring bastard shite!"

From a personal family perspective - 70 years ago this week, having crossed the Rhine (125 Wing ORB 30/3/45 "A" echelon moved off at 0730 on their trek to cross the Rhine. They crossed the Maas at Venlo and the Rhine at Xanten. After passing through Wesel which was still burning, they finally fetched up at B.104 (Damm) at 1530 hours, at the same time as 39 Recce Wing...The strip is still under construction and it will certainly be a few days before it is suitable for the 'kites' to fly in) my late father had been at B.104 Damm, helping to set the place up, when on 6 April '45 "At B.104 warning was received to move at first light to-morrow to B.106 Twente, in Holland" 7/4/45 (125 Wing was still operating from B.78 Eindhoven, minus the personnel in the "A" echelon) "Weather still poor and only two operations carried out in which we destroyed 1 and damaged 2 met. 'A' party successfully reached Twente after an 8-hour journey to cover the odd 55 miles. The new airfield is very pleasant and the buildings are in good condition. The wily Huns had placed 500 lb bombs in all the buildings but had omitted to explode them - a serious omission from their point of view" the following day (70 years ago today) was spent settling in, before moving rapidly on to their final wartime destination - B.118 Celle, with the recce party leaving on 14 April - this was near to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, and all Wing personnel, and other allied personnel in the area, voluntarily gave up the equivalent of 1 meal a day each to provide sufficient food supplies to the former inmates of the camp before more supplies could be bought in.

May those days never return.

Allan