Insignia of two KIA Relatives

[morrienz]

Hi All. First time poster here.

I am trying to find what brevet/wing two relatives KIA on bombing raids over Germany in WW2 would have worn, and am wondering if anyone here can help. They were cousins of each other and are both buried just a few metres apart in the Rheinberg cemetery in Germany, although they were killed a year apart.

Both were RNZAF Pilot Officers flying with bomber command.

One was killed in Sep 1941 flying with 77 Sqdn and is recorded as being a wireless operator/air gunner. Would he have worn one or other of the single wing brevets he had presumably qualified for in his roles, or some hybrid brevet for both roles?

The other was killed in Sep 1942 flying with 75 Sqdn and is recorded as being a pilot/observer. Would he have worn the normal double wing pilot wings or some hybrid having presumably qualified as both a pilot and an observer?

Regards,
Chris M

[waynem]

Just a wild guess, but would the relative in 75 Squadron be Plt/Off K. J. Devlin?

He is the only P/O I've found in September losses in the squadron O.R.B. and is buried in Rheinburg cemetery

He is listed as Observer/Navigator in the O.R.B. so would probably have the "O" brevet.

As I say, just a wild guess so far.

[morrienz]

Thanks Waynem. Yup, you have the right bloke. I have him listed as pilot/observer from another source (and haven't noted what the source was), but I imagine the ORB would be a solid source. Sometime I'll have to get his service record from Defence but I haven't done that yet, Is the Squadron ORB online somewhere?

Since there were some combination role single wing brevets like "WAG" for wireless operator/air gunner, I wonder if there was a hybrid one for Observer/Navigators, or were all Observers also Navigators too?

I think I've worked out myself that the other bloke, as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, would have probably worn a "WAG" single wing brevet, and I found an image online of an RNZAF one of those from that period.

Airforce insignia and terminology is a mystery to me since my small bit of military experience many years ago was all Army.

Cheers,
Chris M

[errolmartyn]

Hello Wayne,

It's a good idea when requesting info about individuals to also provide their names - to receive information one needs to give information!

The following entry from my Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume Three: biographies & appendices) answers your query about the man you have now named:

DEVLIN, Pilot Officer Kevin John.
NZ413334; b Wgtn 11 Sep 16; Wgtn TColl; accounts clerk - Internal Marketing Division, Wgtn. RNZAF Levin/ITW as Air Observer u/t 15 Jun 41, emb for Canada 14 Aug 41, att RCAF 29 Aug 41, 6AOS 31 Aug 41, 3BGS 22 Nov 41, Air Observers Badge & Sgt 3 Jan 42, 1ANS 5 Jan 42, Comm 7 Feb 42, 1 Y Depôt 18 Feb 42, att RAF & emb for UK 28 Feb 42, 3PRC 10 Mar 42, 7PRC 20 Apr 42, 2(O)AFU 2 May 42, 11OTU (Wellington) 23 Jun 42, 75(NZ)Sqn (Wellington - 2 ops) 28 Aug 42, kao 11 Sep 42. Rheinberg War Cemetery - 4.A. coll. grave 20-21, Germany. Son of Joseph Calixtus & Dorothy May Devlin (née Burch), Wgtn. [phot. TWN 23.12.42].

Note that officially it’s Observers Badge (not brevet). Kevin Devlin was acting as navigator (one of his Observer ‘trades’) on the aircraft that he was lost in on the night of 10/11 September 1942.

Cheers,
Errol

[davidd]

Please note that the "WAG" badge was one issued in Canada for much of the war, although the RAF itself long dissaproved of this badge, and never issued such itself. In the RAF a non-commissioned WO/AG wore the normal A/G single wing badge, plus the Wireless Operator's "Sparks" badge on the upper sleeve of his uniform. The disadvantage of these badges was that should the WO/AG in question be commissioned, he could no longer wear the "sparks" badge, and had to go through his commissioned career with just the A/G badge (Officers were not permitted to wear any "ground trade" badges on their uniforms). This was why the "WAG" badge was so popular in the RAF among both NCOs as well as commissioned officers, if they could get their hands on them, although I believe the RAF attempted to get them removed. This was probably almost as big a battle as the passionate one between the powers that be and the actual men at the coalface over the newly itroduced "N" badge for navigators, and the RAF's attempts to disallow any further wearing of the old "Flying A... hole" observers' badge by those qualifed to wear it.
David D

[Dave Homewood]

It seems very silly really. A trained observer had a bigger range of skills in his armoury than a trained Navigator, so he should have been entitled to wear the 'O' brevet in my opinion. Same goes for the WAG brevet over the AG one.

What was the stance of the RNZAF for those WOp/AG's trained here in New Zealand? I know one friend who was training to be an Observer from before the war in the Territorial Air Force, and became proficient as an Air Gunner, Wireless Operator, Bomb Aimer, Navigator and Radar Operator was annoyed that when he sat his final exam in Fiji they gave him an N brevet. In the end he remustered to pilot, so he ended up doing all the aircrew trades!

[morrienz]

Thanks Wayne, Errol, David, Dave,

Seems that as with the Army which I have some experience of, various versions/variants of badges/insignia that could be got hold of, and got away with, were sometimes worn by RNZAF/RAF personnel, which makes being totally certain about such things a little tricky. That's answered my questions very well thank you all.

In times past I'd have asked my uncle who was an RNZAF Flying Officer late in WW2, a flight instructor here in NZ in Harvards and not sent overseas because of a withered foot from polio I think, but sadly while he is still with us he is no longer up to answering such questions.

Cheers,
Chris M

[davidd]

Dave,
I think that the RNZAF contracted with badge makers (the embroidered cloth ones that is) to supply "WAG" badges like the Canadian ones, but am not certain if any were actually manufactured. A small number of existing Wireless Operators (Group II ground trade) were converted at Ohakea to WOAGs (aircrew) in 1941/42 period, with others undergoing conversion to aircrew (mostly observers and WOAGs) with the GR squadrons, in 1942 period. There were plans to train some numbers of WOAGs at Wigram from about March 1945 onwards (presumably in response to the plans to greatly enlarge the RNZAF's transport fleet of C-47 to four squadrons), although if this were the case, why insist on providing them with A/G training? Four such courses were commenced (about 25 - 30 men in each course from memory) but none of these graduated prior to the surrender, and they were posted to the reserve without any qualifications. None had commenced the air gunner stage of the course. However I have seen examples of the plain "WAG" badges WITHOUT RNZAF title in lower part of badge, which was the typical style of the Canadian-designed and manufactured ones. Despite their appearance, these latter were not in fact RNZAF badges.
David D

[Dave Homewood]

Four C-47 squadrons? That's pretty amazing. We ended up with four transport squadrons postwar I guess, No's. 1, 40, 41 and 42, but all four with Dakotas at the same time would have been impressive.

[davidd]

Dave H,
40 and 41 Sqdn were both largely C-47 equipped by about April 1945, the two new squadrons were to be Nos. 43 and 44, but then decision made to increase establishment (size) of individual squadrons and reduce number to three by deleting No. 44. The surrender of Japan and consequent cancellation of all remaining Lend-lease allocations of undelivered C-47s put paid to these plans.
Dave D

[fwx]

Hi Chris M,
Do you want the details of P/O Devlin's crew and aircraft?
Unbelievable, Thomas Metcalfe the Pilot, was only 19 ...
Cheers, Chris N

[Gareth]

Just my two cents on the WAG brevet.
The WAG brevet was not an official brevet in the RNZAF, RAAF, RAF. Versions did exist and were either privately purchased/modified (from AG brevets) by a tailor or the servicemen themselves.
The RCAF did have official WAG brevets and awarded they to foreign aircrew trained in Canada, but only for wear while in Canada. Once posted the standard AG was to be worn.
The introduction on the 'S' for Wireless Operator (Air) seemed to resolve the problem with Wire operators wearing the AG brevet and the the lost of the sparks badge once commissioned.

[pjw4118]

The concern about aircrew badges continued into the post war , where one well known officer proud of his O badge was finally sent on a wings course so he didnt offend the Base CO any more. Dave will know who that is.
From the Bomber Command boys I have known , they kept their Canadian badges S, N , AG or WAG while serving on RAF squadrons and replaced their O badges if they could. I have even seen a few gunners with RG which I assume was not sanctioned at all.

[Dave Homewood]

You've lost me there Peter as to who the officer was...

[accadacca]

Hi all
My great uncle Sergeant Walter Foch Kelcher was the air bomber on Kevin Devlin's crew. Uncle Walter was trained as an Observer, as was P/O Devlin.At the time the crew was put together, the role of air bomber ( later changed to bomb aimer ) had just been introduced, as previously it was the Navigators job to release the bombs, and some Navigators moved into the role to fill the roles before specialists weretrained.Both of these men would have had the same training,in navigation, air gunnery, and night bombing, but how they were chosen for their roles I have no idea, rank possibly?P/O Devlin must have been near the top of his course to get a commission before going on OP's.
Uncle Walter did not think he was a very good night bomber ( according to his letters home to his sister ) but seemed to really enjoy the navigation part of it.
His role on the aircraft would probably have included being the front gunner, but both these men would have worn the Observer wings.

[fwx]

Thanks accadacca, and welcome to the forum. So sad that your great-uncle and his crew were lost only a few days after arriving on operations, the Pilot, Metcalfe only 19 years old.

Sgt Thomas Otto Metcalfe RNZAF (NZ414386) Pilot, age 19, on his 4th op'.
Plt Off Kevin John Devlin, RNZAF (NZ413334) Navigator, age 26, only his 2nd op'.
Sgt Walter Foch Kelcher, RNZAF (NZ411908) AB/Front Gunner, age 23, 2nd op'.
Sgt Desmond James Walshe, RNZAF (NZ412912) W/Op, age 25, 2nd op'.
Sgt Alexander John Lock, RAF (928209) R/Gnr, age 22, 2nd op'.

Looking at the experience of Jack Moller, DFM, another AB on 75 (NZ) Squadron around the same time, he had trained as a Wireless operator in Canada, but by the time he reached OTU in England, he says there was "a surplus of W/Op's" (maybe a shortage of Bomb Aimers because it was a new role?), so he retrained into the Air Bomber's trade. There is some of Jack's story here: 75nzsquadron.wordpress.com/2013/11/02/andrew-john-jack-moller-dfm-bomb-aimer-kearns-crew/

As you say, Devlin may have been retained as a Navigator due to rank, which in turn may have indicated performance in training, or previous higher education, or prior flying or navigational experience.

Going back to morrienz's original question, I've seen examples where both Navigators and Flight Engineers who had also qualified as Pilots, wore their wings rather than their trade badge, so assume that the wings "trumped" any other qualification. As you mention, the crew roles were still evolving around this time, and not that much earlier in the war, all Wellington crews carried two Pilots.