2 April 2024. 80 years ago this month.
April 1944
Due to heavy damage inflicted by a Luftwaffe night fighter on 15/16 March Avro Lancaster ND424 PH-G did not fly on any operations in April 1944. It was being repaired at RAF Wickenby by outside contractors, possibly Avro.
Pilot Mike Gulifoyle flew as a second pilot with Lail Dawley and crew in Avro Lancaster ND627 PH-U on 22/23 April on an operation to Dusseldorf in Germany. First Lieutenant Lail Keith Dawley, of the US Army Air Force, was seconded to 12 Squadron and completed his 30 operations on 17 June 1944, including eight alongside our crew. Lail was born in Kansas, USA.
1 March 2024. 80 years ago this month.
March 1944
Avro Lancaster ND424 PH-G flew on the following operations in March 1944:
- 1/2 March. Stuttgart. Pilot P/O S. B. Black.
- 15/16 March. Stuttgart. Pilot P/O H. H. Adams.
During the 15/16 March operation to Stuttgart ND424 was attacked and heavily damaged by a twin-engine Luftwaffe night fighter 50 miles before reaching the target while flying at 22,500 feet. The aircraft was “raked from stem to stern by cannon and M/G. Starboard inner U/S. Petrol leak from starboard inner tank, both turrets U/S, intercomm U/S, trimming tabs U/S”. However the aircraft managed to return safely and landed back at Wickenby at 02.20. The rear gunner was hit during the attack and was taken to hospital. The damage to ND424 was extensive and it had to be repaired on site by a contractor so was out of action until 7/8 May when our Guilfoyle crew flew it on an operation to Bruz.
12 Squadron Lancaster ND447 PH-C was shot down during the Stuttgart operation by Oblt. Fritz Lau and crew of 4./NJG1 in BF110 G-4 ‘G9+CP’. They set the bombers engines in flames and it crashed at Hartheim, sadly six of the eight crew were killed including pilot W/O Donald R. Knowles.
11 February 2024. 80 years ago this month.
February 1944
Avro Lancaster ND424 PH-G flew on the following operations in February 1944:
- 15/16 February. Berlin. Pilot P/O H. H. Adams.
- 20/21 February. Stuttgart. Pilot P/O H. H. Adams.
- 24/25 February. Schweinfurt. Pilot P/O S. B. Black.
- 25/26 February. Augsburg. Pilot P/O S. B. Black.
23 January 2024. This year is the 80th anniversary of these events.
This year it will be 80 years since the story of Avro Lancaster ND424 and her crews between January and June 1944. So I will add highlights of the main events as we go through 2024 such as…
January 1944
Avro Lancaster ND424 was built at the A. V. Roe factory at Chadderton, north of Manchester. It was then transported in large sections by lorry and trailer 16 miles to Woodford for final assembly and flight testing. It was delivered to 12 Squadron at RAF Wickenby 80 years ago this month on 4 January 1944.
Its first operation was probably on the night of 14/15 January 1944 on an operation to Brunswick (Braunschweig) in Germany and the pilot was Sgt. Donald R. Knowles. Sadly Donald Knowles was killed on 15/16 March 1944 when flying Avro Lancaster III ND447 PH-C on an operation to Stuttgart.
The full list of operations for Avro Lancaster ND424 in January 1944 were:
- 14/15 January. Brunswick (Braunschweig). Pilot Sgt. Donald R. Knowles.
- 20/21 January. Berlin. Pilot Sgt. G. R. Knowles.
- 21/22 January. Magdeburg. Sgt. Pilot G. R. Knowles.
- 27/28 January. Berlin. Pilot P/O H. Adams.
Newly scanned items are available on the UK National Archive so I updated the above list on 1 February 2024.
12 December 2024. I purchased the book ‘Avro Lancaster – The Definitive Record’ by Harry Holmes.
I have bought a second-hand copy of the comprehensive reference book ‘Avro Lancaster – The Definitive Record’ (first issue) written by Harry Holmes and published by Airlife Publishing Ltd in 1997. I am also searching for an affordable copy of the updated second issue of the book published in 2001.
It is an excellent reference book and another useful tool for researchers of Bomber Command in WW2. It is a comprehensive history of the Avro Lancaster, its development, production, units and squadrons, operations, identities, losses and individual aircraft histories, etc.
It has an entry for the loss of Avro Lancaster ND424 PH-G that says it completed 196 flying hours and that is new information to me. It also has a photograph of Lancaster Mk. III’s LM516 and LM514 nearing completion in January 1944 at the Avro factory at Yeadon near Leeds in Yorkshire. Delivered to 12 Squadron in April 1944, both were lost on 3/4 May 1944 as mentioned in the News item below.
9 December 2023. New information about evader Sgt. Maurice Garlick of 12 Squadron.
While reading the excellent book ‘Lancaster’ by John Nichol I found some interesting infomation about the evasion of Sergeant Maurice Garlick and the name seemed familiar. So I checked my research document and found he was navigator in the crew of pilot F/O Peter G. Maxwell of 12 Squadron. They were shot down on 3/4 May 1944 on the operation to attack the German Panzer camp at Mailly-le-Camp in Avro Lancaster LM514 PH-Q. This was our crews first operation, so it was the only one flown with this crew. Forty two Bomber Command aircraft were lost on that operation including four from 12 Squadron: JB405 PH-H, LM514 PH-Q, LM516 PH-D and JB748 PH-Z.
Further internet research found several references to Maurice Garlick. He is in ‘Heroes of Bomber Command Lincolnshire’ by Rupert Matthews and in a private memoir ‘Mystery of Uncle Joe’ written by Maurice Garlick and Ian Strong. His evasion story is also in the London Gazzette from 6 December 1946 at
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37812/supplement/6015/data.pdf
26 October 2023. Another visit to see and photograph Avro Lancaster Mk. VII NX665 at the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) in Auckland, New Zealand.
Avro Lancaster NX665 was built at the Austin Motor Works at Longbridge, Birmingham and was delivered in June 1945 (after VE Day) so it did not serve in WW2. It was held in storage at 38 M.U. (Maintenance Unit) at RAF Llandow in South East Wales, until being transferred to the French navy as WU13 in 1951 (as one of 54 aircraft) to support the Western Union (the fledgling NATO).
The starboard side of NX665 is painted to represent Avro Lancaster Mk.III ND752 AA-O of 75 (NZ) Squadron that was lost on 21 July 1944 on an operation to bomb the Rheinpreussen synthetic oil installation at Meerbeck in Germany.
The port side represents Avro Lancaster Mk.III NE181 JN-M ‘The Captain’s Fancy’ also of 75 (NZ) Squadron and it completed an amazing 101 operations during WW2. It also took part in Operation Manna, the humanitarian food drops over German occupied Netherlands. It survived the war and was scrapped on 30 September 1947.
Note: 75 (NZ) Squadron had two squadron codes: ‘AA’ for A & B Flights and ‘JN’ for C Flight.
19 October 2023. Encounter with the only Avro Anson Mk.1 flying in the world while visiting New Zealand.
While visiting the South Island of New Zealand in October 2023 we visited the Aviation Heritage Centre at Omaka just outside Blenheim in the Wairau Valley, Marlborough. Sadly only the WW1 exhibition was open so we paid our entry fee and really enjoyed the exhibit that is the personal collection of film director Sir Peter Jackson.
As we left the museum I was very suprised to see Avro Anson MH120 being prepared for flight. My father Leslie Faircloth’s first flight was in an Avro Anson in 1943 while he was training to be an air gunner at Stormy Down airfield in South Wales. So I walked over and asked if I could take some photographs and they said OK. I told them a little of dads story and role the Anson played in his Bomber Command training.
MH120 was built in 1943 as an Anson Mk.1 by A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd. (Avro) at Yeadon near Leeds in Yorkshire. It is now painted to represent Anson K6183 VX-B of 206 Squadron, based at RAF Bircham Newton near Kings Lynn in Norfolk. The original K6183 was the first RAF combat loss of WW2 on the night of 5 September 1939. Its civil registration in New Zealand is ZK-RRA.
MH120 later took off, made a short flight up the valley, returned overhead and landed. As it taxied past the pilot signalled for me to follow him. So I wandered over and the pilot and owner Bill Reid asked if I’d like to go inside and have a look around, so I did. It was an opportunity of a lifetime and an experience that I will never forget.
Very many thanks to owner and restorer Bill Reid and Warbirds Limited for allowing me to photograph and tour inside this wonderful aircraft. P.S. It’s currently for sale!
8 July 2023. Navigation Charts and Logs found in the IBCC Archive
Another exciting chapter in my search for information about Lancaster ND424. I have found Navigation Charts and Logs for some of the operations flown by our crew on the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) Digital Archive. They were donated by F/O A. R. ‘Ronald’ Witty who was navigator in the crew of pilot F/S G. F. ‘Fred’ Holbrook DFC of 12 Squadron who flew 25 operations in Avro Lancaster ME758 PH-N, including 9 alongside our crew. All are from the A. R. Witty collection at the IBCC Digital Archive hosted by the University of Lincoln at https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk.
The following 9 operations were flown alongside our crew and each have a Navigation Chart and Log. The list is from Ronald Witty’s ‘Observer’s and Air Gunner’s Flying Log Book’at https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1817/32280/CWittyAR-170323-010001.1.jpg
- 7/8 May. Bruz in ND699 PH-N. Our Op 2. Railways.
- 25/25 May. Aachen in JB462 PH-S. Our Op 6. Marshalling yards.
- 27/28 May. Aachen in ME758 PH-N. Our Op 7. Marshalling yards.
- 9/10 June. Flers in ME758 PH-N. Our Op 8. Airfield and ammunition dump.
- 11/12 June: Evreux in ME758 PH-N. Our Op 9. Railways.
- 12/13 June. Gelsenkirchen in ME758 PH-N. Our Op 10. Nordstern synthetic oil plant.
- 14/15 June. Le Havre in ME758 PH-N. Our Op 11. German naval craft.
- 15/16 June. Boulogne in ME758 PH-N. Our Op 12. German naval craft.
- 17/18 June. Aulnoye in ME758 PH-N. Our Op 13. Railway junction.
Ronald Witty wrote a book about his wartime experiences called ‘Time Out for War’ and a copy is held in the IBCC Digital Archive at https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/files/original/1817/32365/BWittyARWittyARv1.2.pdf
20 June 2023. 79 years since Lancaster ND424’s final operation.
It is 79 years since the final operation of Avro Lancaster ND424 PH-G of 12 Squadron, Bomber Command. It was an attack on the important railway marshalling yards at Vaires-sur-Marne to the east of Paris. This was on the night of 27/28 June 1944 and was in support of the D-Day landings three weeks earlier on 6 June.
The aircraft had engine problems before they reached the target but they dropped their bombs as planned around 0300. They turned for home but soon had further engine problems and were failing to maintain altitude. Pilot Mike checked with navigator Joe and he agreed they would not make it home so he told the crew to abandon aircraft. All of the seven crew parachuted from around 800-1000 feet and landed relatively safely to the south-west of Paris. Three of the crew were betrayed, captured and became POW’s, spending several months in Buchenwald concentration camp: Mike, Doug and Joe. Four evaded capture and eventually returned home safely: Leslie, David, John and Bob.
My father Leslie Faircloth was the mid-upper gunner in a glazed turret on top of the rear fuselage. He heard the pilots order so left his position and headed towards the emergency exit in the starboard side near the tail. He found tail gunner Doug Jordin sitting on the exit step so, as he was in the way, pushed him out. Leslie then jumped out and on his way down he saw the Lancaster hit the ground and burst into flames. He then saw ‘his’ ammunition in the aircraft ignite and fire into the air so he was shot at by his own aircraft!
When they met again 64 years later (in 2008) Doug agreed that Leslie did push him out but he was about to jump anyway. Doug landed in a farm yard and dogs started barking at him. Leslie said he heard dogs barking while he was still descending on his parachute. None of the crew had used a parachute before so jumping into the black night required some courage. Their reunion was at a pub in Warrington it was filmed and broadcast by BBC Look North.
24 November 2022. Nachtjagd Combat Archive: Eastern Front and Mediterranean.
An extra volume of the Luftwaffe Nachtjagd Combat Archive series has been published which covers the German night fighter operations on both the Eastern Front and Mediterranean. For further information see the Wingleader website at: https://www.wingleader.co.uk/series/nachtjagd-combat-archive.
22 October 2022. Luftwaffe Records for RAF Wickenby found at the Imperial War Museum.
On the Imperial War Museum archive I have found records originally created by the German Luftwaffe containing information about ‘Wickenby Flugplatz’ (Wickenby Airfield), i.e. RAF Wickenby Bomber Command airfield in Lincolnshire. I downloaded copies online and all of the images are courtesy of the Imperial War Museum. © IWM LBY LUFT 1005. From https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1504009143. The records are:
- Wickenby Flugplatz: Details. This Luftwaffe form has details of RAF Wickenby including map references and distances to nearby RAF airfields. The top left, I think, says ‘Fielftammkarte’ which Google translates as ’Field Card‘. Dated April 1943.
- Wickenby Flugplatz: Map of Wickenby. Showing the location and surroundings of RAF Wickenby and its relative position to Lincoln, ‘ca 15 km’ to the south west. Dated December 1941.
- Wickenby Flugplatz: Aerial Photograph 1. Showing the location and surroundings of RAF Wickenby. Dated April 1943.
- Wickenby Flugplatz. Aerial Photograph 2. Showing the layout of RAF Wickenby. Dated April 1943.
13 October 2022. New information about Leslie’s flight from Gibraltar to Whitchurch in 1944.
I e-mailed the British Airways (BA) Museum to see if they had any details of Leslie’s flight home from Gibraltar to Whitchurch airfield near Bristol as I believe it was operated by BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation), a forerunner of BA. This was following his evasion and escape from occupied France and journey through Spain. They replied with the following information about the flight:
‘Flight 8M230 was operated by G-AGHJ, a Dakota DC-3. Our records show it departed Gibraltar on 9 August 1944 at 2006Z and arrived Whitchurch at 0450Z on 10 August’.
The BA Museum have also sent me a copy of the above BOAC document and it is called ‘Chart of Whitchurch Base Operations August 1944’ so it will be added to my research document. It shows Dakota G-AGHJ flew non-stop from Gibraltar to Whitchurch in 8 hours 44 minutes. Updated 12/11/2022.
This Douglas C-47A Skytrain was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1943 at their Long Beach plant in California, USA. It was a militarised version of the DC-3 airliner. The Constructors Number (C/N) was 09413, the USAAF aircraft registration number was 42-23551 and the RAF registration was FD867. The C-47A was known as Dakota III in RAF service.
It was assigned the civil aircraft registration G-AGHJ by the UK CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) and was initially operated by BOAC. I have downloaded a copy of the original documents from the CAA website. More research is ongoing.
13 October 2022. New crew records found at the National Archive
The following Prisoner of War (POW) records relating the the crew of ND424 have recently been found by me on the UK National Archive in Kew. The records have not been digitised and copies cannot be downloaded so I will need to request copies online or plan a visit. Three records are open and available but one had an opening date of 01 January 2025 but it is now open following my request.
- NA Reference FO 950/2711. Nazi persecution claim by Mr Douglas Foster Jordin. Dated 01 Jan 1965 to 31 Dec 1966.
- NA Reference WO 416/203/60. Original German POW cards for Douglas Foster Jordin. Record opening date was 01 January 2025 but, after my online request, it is now 19 October 2022.
- NA Reference WO 208/3338/945. POW Liberation Report for Flight Sergeant Douglas Foster Jordin (Service Number 2210100).
- NA Reference WO 416/154/247. Original German POW Cards for Michael Alexander Guilfoyle (Service Number 172424).
NOTE: I did not find any records in FO 950 ‘Nazi Persecution Claims’ for Michael Guilfoyle or Joe Sonshine. Also I did not find a record in WO 208 ‘Liberation Report’ for Michael Guilfoyle.
I have received copies of all items from the National Archive. Updated 19/12/22.
11 July 2022. Visit to the RAF Museum in Hendon
In July 2022 I made a long-awaited visit to the RAF Museum in Collindale near Hendon in north west London, built on the site of the former RAF Hendon airfield.
It is a very impressive collection of many types of aircraft and includes Avro Lancaster Mk. 1 R5868 ‘PO-S’. This aircraft completed 135 operations flown between 8 June 1942 and 23 April 1945, more than any other Lancaster in WW2, except for ED888 that flew 140 operations.
This Lancaster also flew on our crews first operation, the attack on the German Panzer barracks at Mailly-le-Camp on 3/4 May 1944. Forty two Lancasters were lost on that operation mostly falling prey to Luftwaffe night fighters.
There are around 17 largely complete Avro Lancaster aircraft in the world and I have now seen the following six of them:
- PA474. Lancaster B Mk. I built at the Vickers-Armstrong factory at Broughton in Flintshire and now in the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Still flying.
- FM213. Lancaster B Mk. X built by Victory Aircraft Ltd at Malton, Ontario and belongs to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. Still flying.
- NX611. Lancaster B Mk. VII ‘Just Jane’ at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby in Lincs.
- KB889. Lancaster B Mk. X at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford.
- NX665. Lancaster B Mk. VII at MOTAT in Auckland, NZ.
- R5868. Lancaster B Mk. I at the RAF Museum in Hendon.
I have also seen the forward fuselage of Avro Lancaster DV372 at the Imperial War Museum in London.
20 May 2022. Final Book of the Nachtjagd Combat Archive Series
The final book in the current Nachtjagd Combat Archive series is available from Wingleader on 27 May 2022. This part covers 1945 (1 January to 3 May) when the Luftwaffe Night Fighter force battled for survival against overwhelming odds. For further information see the Wing Leader website at: https://www.wingleader.co.uk/series/nachtjagd-combat-archive
- The Early Years Part One (1939 to 12 July 1941)
- The Early Years Part Two (13 July 1941 to 29 May 1942)
- The Early Years Part Three (30 May to 31 December 1942)
- 1943 Part One (1 January to 22 June)
- 1943 Part Two (23 June to 22 September 1943)
- 1943 Part Three (23 September to 31 December 1943)
- 1944 Part One (1 January to 15 March 1944). Copy bought
- 1944 Part Two (16 March 1944 to 11 May 1944). Copy bought
- 1944 Part Three (12 May 1944 to 23 July 1944). Copy bought.
- 1944 Part Four (24 July to 15 October 1944).
- 1944 Part Five (16 October to 30 December 1944).
- 1945 (1 January to 3 May 1945).
4th May 2022. Visit to Beamsley Beacon
On 3 March 2022 we climbed Beamsley Beacon to pay our respects to Pilot Officer Walter Frederick Conley RCAF who died there on 5th November 1945.
He was the pilot of Avro Lancaster RA571 that crashed on the south side of the hill in bad weather. He was one of four of the eight crew on board the aircraft who sadly died and they are buried at the nearby Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery.
The hill is north of Ilkley in Yorkshire and south of the A59 Harrogate to Skipton road, overlooking Wharfedale. The memorial plaque on the trig point is all thanks to the work of local man Sam White and 1224 Wharfedale Squadron ATC.
RA571 was a Lancaster Mk 1 of 429 Squadron RCAF based at RAF Leeming (near North Allerton in North
Yorkshire). The crew were all in the RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force):
- Pilot Officer Walter Frederick Conley (pilot). Killed.
- Flight Sergeant Arnold Emerson Stinson (flight engineer). Killed.
- Flying Officer Wallace Land (bomb aimer). Killed.
- Flying Officer Alan Coleman (navigator). Injured.
- Flight Sergeant Frank Moran (wireless operator). Injured.
- Sergeant Joseph Balenger (tail gunner?). Injured.
- Leading Aircraftsman Reg Henderson (passenger?). Injured.
- Acting Corporal William J. Ellis (passenger?). Killed.
5th October 2021. Taxi Ride in Lancaster NX611
On Saturday 25 September 2021 I had an amazing tour and taxi ride in Avro Lancaster NX611 ‘Just Jane’ at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre based at East Kirkby near Spilsby in Lincolnshire. My wife Gaynor has been secretly planning the trip for some time and when she spotted a cancellation on the previous Wednesday, she quickly booked it. We also booked two nights at the nearby Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire, once home to 617 Squadron, the Dambusters. It was a very special weekend all thanks to my wife Gaynor.
Although I have studied and seen the Avro Lancaster many times this was my first time inside one. We have seen Lancaster PA474 of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) at lots of flying displays and saw it flying alongside the Canadian Lancaster FM213 at Southport in 2014 with my dad Leslie and family. Altogether we have seen the following Lancaster bombers:
- Lancaster Mark 1 PA474 of the BBMF. It was built at the Broughton factory in Flintshire in 1945. I worked there from when I left school in 1972 (when it was Hawker Siddeley) until 1989 (when it was British Aerospace).
- Lancaster Mk. X FM213 of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.
- Lancaster Mk. X KB889 at the IWM at Duxford in Cambridgeshire.
- Lancaster Mk. VII NX665 at the MOTAT museum in Auckland, New Zealand.
- Lancaster Mk. I DV372 (nose only) at the IWM in London.
- Lancaster Mk. VII NX611 ‘Just Jane’ at East Kirkby.
- Lancaster Mk. I R5868 at the RAF Museum in Hendon, London.
There were nine of us on this tour and we were given a group briefing then watched the health and safety video. We then walked across the concrete taxi way to the waiting Lancaster NX611. After entering through the main crew door on the rear starboard side we were given the guided tour. I sat in each of the crew positions: Pilot, Flight Engineer, Bomb Aimer, Wireless Operator, Navigator, Tail Gunner and my dads position Mid-Upper Gunner. Dad had told me how difficult it was to climb over the main wing spar that bisects the centre of the fuselage and I can now confirm this!
I stayed in the Mid-Upper turret for the taxi ride around the grass airfield. The engines started one by one and the sound and feel of four Rolls Royce Merlin engines at full throttle is an unforgettable experience. Brakes off and we carried out a few circuits of the airfield bouncing around on the grass. Magic!
Following the taxi ride we returned to the concrete area to disembark. As you can see from the picture below I didn’t stop smiling all weekend.
RAF Coningsby
On the way back to the Petwood Hotel we made a slight detour to RAF Coningsby, now home to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF). There had been a flying display earlier in the afternoon so Avro Lancaster PA474, the C47 Dakota, a Hawker Hurricane and a number of Supermarine Spitfires were on display. So we saw two Lancasters in one day so adding to the great weekend experience. RAF Coningsby is also currently home to RAF 12 Squadron who operate the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4. Below is a picture I took of Avro Lancaster PA474 of the BBMF at RAF Coningsby on the day.
International Bomber Command Centre
On our way back home we called at the International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC) just south of Lincoln to pay our respects to the 57,861 men and women who gave their lives supporting RAF Bomber Command. The picture below shows the Memorial Spire and Wall of Names on a hill overlooking Lincoln and its beautiful Cathedral. The cathedral has chapels dedicated to the RAF, Army and Royal Navy. The IBCC has a growing digital archive of personal stories and pictures that will be a key asset to future researchers into Bomber Command.
27th July 2020. E-mail from Texas
I have received an e-mail from George Cozens a researcher with the No. 1 British Flying Training School Museum in Terrell, Texas, USA.
George has provided me with details and photographs of Michael Alexander Guilfoyle, the last pilot of Avro Lancaster ND424, who carried out his pilot training on Course 11 in 1942 at the No. 1 British Flying Training School.
George also said that sadly the records of the No. 1 BFTS were destroyed by fire after being placed in storage late 1945, but he did send me Mike’s cadet picture and class picture plus some other related photographs as follows:
- Picture of cadet of Michael Guilfoyle taken from the No. 1 British Flying Training School yearbook, Detached Flight Vol. II.
- Mike and other cadets in their class photograph taken from the above yearbook.
- The No. 1 BFTS terminal and flight line with AT-6 Harvards, the final aircraft he would fly at the training schoo.
- Cadets marching in front of Bass Drug Store, a favorite off-duty destination of the cadets. Like many US drug stores of the day, it had a lunch counter where one could order hamburgers, hotdogs, sandwiches, French fries, Coca-Cola or Dr. Pepper, and ice cream.
I sent e-mails to the Guilfoyle family in Australia to let them know.
Added on 14th July 2022. The names of the RAF cadet pilots on Course 11 in 1942 are:
1. L. J. Greenleaf.
2. L.A.C. N. Hall.
3. F/Sgt. R. H. Griffiths.
4. L.A.C. W. F. Halliwell.
5. L.A.C. E. C. Guilding.
6. L.A.C. M. Hardy.
7. L.A.C. M. A. Guilfoyle.
8. Cpl. W. F. Harris.
Note on RAF ranks. L.A.C. is Leading Aircraft men, Cpl. Is Corporal and F/Sgt. I Flight Sergeant.
27th July 2020. Wing Leader Book Releases
Further to the news item below on Luftwaffe night fighter combat claims. Another very interesting series of books being published are the ‘Nachtjagd Combat Archive’ (NCA) written by Theo Boiten covering different periods of WW2. In simple terms, the NCA is a comprehensive record of over 6,000 Luftwaffe night fighter claims and over 2,100 flak (anti aircraft) claims which have been painstakingly matched to RAF Bomber Command losses. The editions already published are:
Volumes covering the night air war over the Russian and Mediterranean theatres are also due to be written. For further information see the Wing Leader website at: https://www.wingleader.co.uk/series/nachtjagd-combat-archive
3rd May 2020. 75 Years Anniversary
It is 75 years since the POW’s from Avro Lancaster ND424 were liberated , nearly 10 months after they flew their last operation on 28th June 1944.
- 29th April 1945 – Joe Sonshine liberated from POW camp Stalag 7A at Mooseburg near Landshutt, north-west of Munich by the American 3rd Army.
- 3rd May 1945 – Mike Guilfoyle and Doug Jordin liberated at Trenthorst near the Baltic port of Lubeck, Germany by the British Armoured Division. They were flown back to the U.K. on 7 May 1945.
3rd April 2020. Research Guide Update
Added a new section to the Research Guide ‘7. Commonwealth War Graves Commission’. This website is used to search for details of those personnel killed in action in both World War One and World War Two. Their website is at https://www.cwgc.org/find/find-war-dead/
28th June 2019. E-mail Sent to Families
I sent an e-mail to the families of the crew to remind them that it was 75 years since the last crew of Avro Lancaster ND424 ‘PH-G’ completed their 17th and final operation to attack the railway marshalling yards at Vaires-sur-Marne on 28th June 1944. None of the seven crew are with us today but they will still be in our hearts and our thoughts.
- Pilot Officer Michael Alexander Guilfoyle (Pilot)
- Flight Sergeant John Smith Johnston Stephen (Bomb Aimer)
- Warrant Officer Robert Edgar Yates, RAAF (Radio Operator)
- Sergeant Hugh David Davies (Flight Engineer)
- Sergeant Leslie John Faircloth (Mid Upper Gunner)
- Warrant Officer 2 Joseph Sonshine, RCAF (Navigator)
- Sergeant, Douglas Foster Jordin (Tail Gunner)
23 June 2019. Luftwaffe Combat Claims
I have bought a copy of the book ‘Luftwaffe Night Fighter Combat Claims, 1939-1945’ by John Foreman, Simon W. Parry, Johannes Matthews (2004). ISBN 0-9538061-4-6. This book may allow me to carry out research to ascertain the possible Luftwaffe crews who may have attacked Lancaster ND424 or our crew on:
- 15-16 March 1944 – Stuttgart. ND424 heavily damaged by a night fighter attack (Flown by pilot P/O H. Adams and crew, not our crew).
- 3-4 May 1944 – Mailly-le-Camp. Our crew in combat in ME644 with a JU88 night fighter.
- 27-28 June 1944 – Vaires-sur-Marne. Possible damage from an unknown night fighter attack.
5 May 2019. 75th Anniversary
It is 75 years since the last crew of Avro Lancaster ND424 completed their 17th and final operation in support of D-Day just three weeks earlier on 6th June.
3 February 2019. New Version Being Built
Due to unforeseen technical issues we have had to build a new version of www.lesfaircloth.co.uk and this time we are using WordPress.
21 February 2018. Search for the Crash Site of ND424
One of my ambitions is to locate the crash site of Avro Lancaster ND424 (PH-G). In February 2018 amateur WWII historian Franck Signorile offered to help, so he sent details to a local newspaper in the area where Lancaster ND424 crashed to see if local people can help us to locate the crash site.
The aircraft crashed to the south-west of Paris around 03:30 on the morning of 28th June 1944 following an operation to attack the railway marshalling yards at Vaires-sur-Marne to the east of Paris.
The full-page article was written by journalist Florence Chevalier and an online version of the article was posted on 21 February 2018 at 13:01 at https://actu.fr/ile-de-france/chevreuse_78160/histoire-appel-temoins-apres-crash-dun-avion-juin-44_15506942.html
Many thanks again for the help provided by Franck Signorile and for e-mailing me a scan of the newspaper.
So far we have had no response to the article but if you feel you can help please contact us using the ‘Contact Us’ page.
25 August 2017. Visit to the UK National Archive
We made another trip to visit the UK National Archive in Kew in June 2017.
18 March 2017. Sad News
Leslie Faircloth passed away in hospital aged 92.
05 December 2015. RAF Casualty File & New Medal Case
In September 2015 we received Leslie’s RAF Casualty File and we bought him a new case for his medals.
May 2015. Bomber Command Clasp
In May 2015 Leslie received his long overdue Bomber Command Clasp from the UK Government. We had completed the ‘Bomber Command Clasp Application Form’ and sent it with full details of Leslie’s RAF service to the MoD Medal Office at the Imjin Barracks in Gloucester. He received the clasp in May 2015 and it included a new medal ribbon for his 1939–1945 Star.
9 May 2015. 70 years since POW’s Released
Seventy years ago this month in 1945 the three crew of Lancaster ND424 who were POW’s were released from captivity.
2nd November 2013. Reunion of Leslie and David
To try to locate David Davies I sent an e-mail to the South Wales Argus, the local paper for the area that David was originally from in South East Wales. The article was placed in the paper on 10 February 2011. The following day I checked our phone and there were a number of messages from David’s sister Sylvia and one of his best friends. A short while later I answered the telephone and a voice said “My name is Hugh David Davies and I believe you are looking for me”. After my initial shock wore off we had a great chat about what I knew and about him and what he has been doing since June 1944.
On Saturday 2 November 2013 Leslie Faircloth and David Davies had their long awaited reunion. This was the first time they had met since 28 June 1944, over 69 years ago. They are the last two
remaining members of the crew of Avro Lancaster ND424 ‘PH-G’ of 12 Squadron, Bomber Command based at RAF Wickenby. David was the Flight Engineer and Leslie was the Mid-Upper Gunner.
We drove Leslie and wife Megan from Wrexham to David’s home in Faringdon in Oxfordshire. It was fantastic for the two old comrades to meet after such a long time. We also met David’s daughter Janne who also lives nearby in Faringdon.
We had some interesting discussions about the details of the night they were shot down over Vaires sur Marne. David is certain that the Lancaster was hit by flak over the target that damaged and engine and was the main reason for the crew abandoning the aircraft to the south west of Paris.
12 December 2011. First Website Created
Website initially built in December 2011.
13 July 2008. Les and Doug Reunion
In 2008 I used the internet to search for the crew to see if any were still around. My wife Gaynor searched for ‘Jordin’ on the Electoral Roll and up popped a likely candidate. I then searched the BT web site and the name D.F. Jordin appeared, complete with address and telephone number. I passed this to my father Les and suggested he gave Doug a call so he did and the rest is history. I posted copies of the documentation we had gathered to Doug.
We arranged the long overdue reunion on Sunday 13 July 2008 at a pub near Warrington mid way between Wrexham and Poulton le Fylde. The last time they were together was 64 years ago in June 1944 when they were in a badly damaged RAF bomber descending rapidly towards the ground to the south of Paris. They were both just 19 years old. It was filmed by the BBC television programme ‘North West Tonight’ as both families were regular viewers. It was then picked up by other BBC channels and UK newspapers, but it then went global and Doug and Les were interviewed by News teams in Malaysia and Australia.
