|
My late father-in-law who served in the RAF Regiment during the
40's and until his death in the early 50's.
His name was James Alexander McDowell from Portstewart,
Northern Ireland.
He served at various airfields in Britain during the war and was
posted to Germany after the war. Although he had signed on for
20 years he developed cancer and died at the early age of 42.
His final posting was to Aldergrove, Northern Ireland
Pictures from Howard Tonks



2727 Sqn RAF Regiment 1940-45
Many thanks to Brian Horton for these pictures and
information below.
My father, Jack Horton, was in the RAF Regiment from August
1940 to October 1945 (number 1355544, 2727 Squadron) and became a
Sergeant gunner defending against V1’s.
Jack Horton was Mentioned in Dispatches (London Gazette 14
June 1945) whilst stationed on the south coast.
Jack
trained at Blackpool, Castletown and Caithness, then as a Corporal
stationed at Syerston, Nottingham (January 1941), and as a Sergeant
at Hunsdon near Ware, Stapleford Tawny, Saffron Walden, Henlow,
Felixstowe, Hornchurch, Romney, Worthing, Shoreham, Cirencester
(around D-Day), and the Isle of Man.
Jack completed
courses as a Sergeant in Filey and in 1942 took a 25 pounders course
at Eastchurch, Isle of Sheppy.
His Skill at Arms records also shows courses at: Grantham (16-17
February 1943), North Weald (5 January 1943), Toddington (11 Nov
1943 - Lloyds Cup 1st class and 11-17 December 1944 Lloyds Cup
again).

1: New recruits 1940, 2: 1941 2727 in Isle of Mann
3: 2727 at Filey

4: Officers and Senior NCO's Filey 1943
5: 2727 at Wave Crest Hotel, Isle of Mann
6: 2727 Squadron RAF Regiment Around 1941

1945
2727 Sqn RAF Regt Lloyds cup Winners 1944
Below from the
Book "in Adversity " Exploits of Gallantry and Awards to the
RAF Regiment 1921-1945, showing Sergeant Jack Horton Mention
in Dispatches.

Mentioned in Dispatches for a V2 Rocket attack in Nov 1944
Stapleford Tawney Essex, 17 Personnel were killed and 50
injured.

Thanks to Gordon Carle for these pictures
63 Sqn RAF Regiment
From the cover of the Tengah Times - Oct 1970

The chap with the moustache in the middle was Sqn Ldr Elmes
Tengah Times from my posting to Singapore. Units were invited to
contribute articles (often from the Sqn "Joker") to the monthly
issues when they were not away on detachment.
Click here for
More from the
Tengah Times

Samuel Holt (With thanks to Michael F Dixon
for the following information)
Samuel Holt served with the RAF from July 1941. After basic
training at Padgate near Warrington, he was transferred to
Perdiswell near Worcester where he joined 790 Squadron. It was
while serving at Perdiswell that the RAF Regiment was formed,
and ‘Sammy’ served with the Regiment (initially 2790 Sqdn) until
his demob at Hednesford in July 1946.

A group photograph taken outside Perdiswell Hall
(1942)
He was an AA gunner involved in airfield defence and served at
over 20 airfields in England before transferring to Belgium,
France, Holland and Germany following D-Day and the advance
through western Germany.
The airfields include Padgate, Worcester, Digby, Filey, Upottery
(2896 Sqn), Honiton, Feltwell, St Athens- Llantwit
Major, Felixstowe, Folkstone, Poole, Weymouth, Swanage,
Bagington, near Coventry (Unit 4135 AA Flight),Fairwood
Common- Swansea, Cardiff, Davidstow- Cornwall, Penclawdd-
Swansea, Hednesford (2878 Sqn), Cranwell, Redruth,
Truro, Boscombe, Locking- Weston-super-Mare, Clyst Honiton-
Devon, Biggin Hill and Warmwell-Dorset, in England; Ghent in
Belgium; Lille in France; Eindhoven in Holland; Bückeburg,
Hameln, Hannover and Oldenberg in Germany.

LAC Samuel Holt (left) with his friend Frank
Terry from Barsby in Leicestershire taken in 1943;

photograph taken
in the former German canteen in Eindhoven following liberation
where RAF personnel mingle with the local girls ! (1944)
He was at Hannover when the armistice was declared but was to
remain in Germany for a further year.

|