Lancaster III, PB245 – PG-Z, 619 Sqn

[namupdater]

I hope this pos is in the right section.

Newark Air Museum is trying to assist the daughter of a 619 Squadron Lancaster aircrew member try to establish contact with any family members from her father’s crew.

Sgt William Harwood was the wireless operator on a Lancaster Mk.III PB245 – PG-Z, which was one of five 619 Squadron lost on the night of 18 / 19 July 1944 on operations to Revigny-sur-Ornain, France. Revigny is a small town in north-eastern France, in the district of Marne, south east of Reims. The town had a large railway junction that was on the supply route from Germany to the Normandy battle zone and it was subjected to several bombing raids in July 1944.

PB245 was delivered to 619 Squadron only days before it was lost on its first operation, having recorded only 4 flying hours. The aircraft is recorded as being airborne from RAF Dunholme Lodge near Lincoln at 2258 hours on 18 July 1944.

The aircraft is believed to have been shot down by a night-fighter, and crashed at Ussy-sur-Marne (Seine-et-Marne), 4 km west-north-west from la Ferte-sous-Jouarre. All of the crew were killed and are buried in the communal cemetery at Ussy-sur-Marne.

Some details are known about the mixed-Commonwealth crew and Janet Scorer would like to hear from anyone who has contact with any surviving family members of the following aircrew:

F/O Norman Wilfred Donnelley [Pilot] – Service number – 422269 [RNZAF] – son of Jack and Maud Donnelley – husband of Selma A Donnelley of Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand

Sgt Samuel Waudley Ling [Flight Engineer] – Service number – 1427911 [RAFVR] – husband of Gwen Ling

P/O James Kitchener Johnson [Navigator] – Service number J/88546 [RCAF] – son of William Hedley and Annie Johnson of Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada

F/O Donald Irving Grant [Bomb Aimer] – Service number 405253 [RNZAF] – son of John and Margaret Grant of Oamaru, Auckland, New Zealand; with a sister Josephine Grant

P/O Rupert Thomas William Harwood [Wireless Operator] – Service number178759 [RAFVR]

W/O John Frederick Russell Tate [Air Gunner] – Service number 1378784 [RAFVR]

Sgt Terrence Frederick Frogley DFM [Air Gunner] – Service number 1609273 [RAFVR] – son of Cecil Lloyd and Anne May Frogley of Lymington, Hampshire

Some contact work has already been carried out with some of the local newspapers in the various national and international locations, but this has so far yielded limited contacts.

If anyone is able to help Janet Scorer establish some contact with the relatives of her father’s comrades please contact me via PM or via the museum at:

Newark Air Museum
Winthorpe Showground
Newark
Notts
NG24 2NY

[Dave Homewood]

May 13, 2009 23:13:22 GMT 12 namupdater said:

IF/O Norman Wilfred Donnelley [Pilot] – Service number – 422269 [RNZAF] – son of Jack and Maud Donnelley – husband of Selma A Donnelley of Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand

F/O Donald Irving Grant [Bomb Aimer] – Service number 405253 [RNZAF] – son of John and Margaret Grant of Oamaru, Auckland, New Zealand; with a sister Josephine Grant

There are no Donnelley's listed in Takapuna these days, nor in anywhere across New Zealand, according to the White Pages. He must have been the end of the line.

There are a lot of Grants in Oamaru, but perhaps their local museum can assist with a contact, they may have a family tree:
North Otago Museum
60 Thames St Oamaru
03-433 0852

[namupdater]

Many thanks for that information Dave, which I'll feedback to Janet Scorer.

I'll endeavour to keep you posted of any developments.

[Glen T]

Namupdater,

I have a list of names that served on 75 (NZ) SQN (1939 to 2001) and one New Zealander listed surname Grant, is

SGT Horace Llewellyn Grant, RNZAF, NZ405254, Navigator, 26August to 4Sep 1942, killed in action.

The two NZrs' you list as crew for PB245 do not feature in the listing I have of 75 Sqn. I am aware that NZrs' were shuffled between RAF Sqns, and there were non-kiwis on 75 as well, but although this may not mean anything in your search, it was too close not to mention. Whether they were brothers, or just two Grants in the line when they joined, or they allotted a series of service numbers by Surname ....!!!

The online white pages for NZ show some 1,800 people or businesses with the name Grant in NZ at present !

I visited your museum with my friend Max Waldron in 2000 when I was based at RAF Marham for four months. Was very impressed and it was great to have a look inside the Vulcan, must try and get back there sometime.

Glen Turner
75 SQN NZ ASSN, Secretary
[e-mail]

[Dave Homewood]

Glen, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission lists Horace Grant as being the son of Leonard and Constance Grant, of Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand. So not a brother.

My guess is they were two guys with the same fairly common surname on the same course. The course roll would have been alphabetical and they'd have simply gone down the list when allocating the service numbers.

I checked the lists of names of men in training at Levin, New Plymouth and Ohakea through 1941 that were published in Contact magazine and almost every pilots course had at least one Grant.

[namupdater]

Thank you both for your further information. I have made Janet Scorer aware of this thread and she will be making some contact with the North Otago Museum.

Glen - I'm gald that you've had the chance to visit the museum and it's nice to report that it's changed a bit since 2000. Nice new second hangar now with 15+ aircraft inside!

One major project currently underway is the Monospar restoration and our website features regular news updates about this and other projects. I'll email you a copy of our newsletter.

I'm familiar with Marham as we have a small section of Lancaster from a 9 Squadron aircraft and they are based there. Just after Christmas I also gave a talk to their RAeS Branch.

[barnstormer]

I don't see PG-Z, as I have only looked through my Lanc photo Prints and not the negatives, yet. But I found this nice print of
Avro Lancaster IIIs of 619 Sqn, with PG-S in the foreground. Who knows if PG-Z might be in the background?

[Dave Homewood]

That's a lovely photo Joe!

[namupdater]

Very interesting Joe – you don’t see many pictures of PG – 619 Squadron aircraft; thank you for posting that.

I’ve been assisting with research into another 619 Squadron crew of Lancaster ME846 PG-C that was lost over the Dutch / Belgian border on the night of 21/22 June 1944. That crew had an Australian, five Brits and a Canadian on it and the remains of the aircraft and pilot have never been located. The Royal Netherlands Air Force Recovery Team is currently researching that loss.

Do you have any pictures of ME846, PG-C in your collection Joe?

Both of these Lancasters were lost whilst flying from RAF Dunholme Lodge, near Lincoln and yesterday I had the privilege of showing a gentleman called Brian Wykes around the Newark Air Museum. Brian and his brother currently farm the former Dunholme Lodge airfield site, they have a small memorial to the airman that operated from there and they are great supporters of the 619 Squadron Association, which meets annually in the UK.