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Welcome on the website of the Friends of 115 Squadron, Belgium
Our aim as a small group of local amateur historians:
History – We wish to search and pass historical information, to try to link up to the future in a digital area, that way preserving and applying new found data in an effort to complied history’s unspoken answers.
Respect – We cannot pay more tribute to them who have fallen, than to pay respect for them. In our research, we always respect the family's wishes and also the privacy of those who are left behind.
Remembrance - We wish to ensure that the people who fell, military and civilian are never forgotten. There for, each year, we lay a wreath at the monument of a crashed Lancaster.
Education – We support initiatives as; school projects and private quests, enabling us to understand the reasons for the freedom we have today and look to the future in a positive manner.
Future generations must be reminded of what happened in WWII so that they never forget that their freedom was gained by acts and sacrifices of these men and women in history.
Members, Geert Bourguignon, Bram Dermout, Filip Doms, Dan Jonckers, Erwin Sollie, Danny Van Den Broeck, Dirk Vermeulen.
| Roll of Honour and Aircraft losses. 1940 - 1941 - 1942 - 1943 1944/45/46 |
| Cope Jack Edward, evade from Belgium to Gibraltar |
| Old newsletters. The Tiller |
| The story of "The Y's 'Owells"  |
| Family Howell donating the Y's 'Owells Emblem to the RAF Witchford Display of Memorobilia. |
| TV reportage & slideshows. |
| Newspaper clips/photos 2019
27 April - Presentation of the book "Despite the Elements" written by Bram Dermout. 28 April - HLN - Remembrance Lancaster DS734, Sint-Katelijne-Waver. 28 April - photos from Bob Lams FaceBook |
| Bookshelf (13) |
| In memorian. |
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The Lincolnshire Lancaster Ass. |
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Diary of Bruce Johnston |
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| LOGBOOK P/O Cagienard Robert Roland Pilot. serv. no. 174879 °1920 - +1944 via Fam. Jean & Alan Duke |
| LOGBOOK Sgt. Eldrett F. Fl. Eng. serv. no. 1397252 via Mellissa Shepherd. |
| LOGBOOK W/O 2. Davison Ray Rear Gunner serv. no. 2200204 via Davison Lian. |
| LOGBOOK P/O. Mills James - DFC. Pilot serv. no. 43016 via Woods Ashley. |
| LOGBOOK F/O. Snyder John L. Pilot serv. no. J-36626 RCAF. via Hofeldt Tiffany. |
| LOGBOOK Sgt. Base Raymond V. Fl. Eng. serv. no. 3010920. via Base Roxy. |
All info and photos relating 115 Sqn are welcome, mail them to friends115squadron@gmail.com ,
the team thanks you for your effort.
<-- Our photobook.
115 SQUADRON - R.A.F. Operations Record Book - 1939-1945.
These pages including the Summary of Events (the daily notes),
and Details of sortie or flight (the mission's details, and the crewmembers).
This is a major task and will take months of work.
The plan in the future is to connect a search module.
I me french. So sorry for my bad english.
I discovered the grave of 4 RAF servicemen at Chalandry cemetery.
They were the crew of a Wimpy (BK 206) shot down on 22/11/1942.
That makes 80 years. were part of the 115 sqdn.
Would you have photos or testimonies of these men or threir families. It is about :
SGT Alexander Winton ROBERTSON - 657056 - KIA
SGT Alfred Leonard WOOD - 1208568 - KIA
SGT John Ashburner TEXTER - 1287689 - KIA
SGT Royston Delmare MORRIS - 1037412 - KIA
SGT Kenneth Arthur GOSNEY - 1380364 - POW
I would like to make a small exhibition to honor their memory for this 80th anniversary.
On 3 March we received following mail from Carolyn Woodruff regarding Sgt. Petts Laurence,
I have just found a photo album in my mother's possession.
Some of the squad in Port Elizabeth as well as I think the crew that was lost.
The crew mentioned was on Lancaster Mk II DS685 KO-A on a mission on Hamburg on 2/3 August 1943.
The crew,
F/S. Button Cyril - Pilot +
Sgt. Pasquins Richard Leonard - Nav +
Sgt. Brown Charles Frederick - WOP +
Sgt. Petts Laurence Alfred Herbert - BA +
Sgt. Eade Lionel Walter - MUG +
Sgt. Baily John Herbert - RG +
Sgt. Bell Eric James - FE +
Two other Lancaster's of 115 were lost that night with no survivors.
Lancaster Mk II - DS673 KO-V no survivors.
Lancaster Mk II - DS715 KO-Q no survivors.
I'm the Nephew of the late Harry Durham. Lancaster navigator in 115 Squadron.
He flew with Ernie Moon, pilot and Frank Kanarens, rear gunner, on raids from late 1943 to middle of 1944 from RAF Witchford.
I think they were the first crew to survive a full tour - but it was something Harry never spoke about.
I've now some material from my Mother, Harry's little sister, who very sadly passed away last October.
Ernie was awarded the DFC and I'd love to find out some more about what happened.
Please find a Photo of Harry, far left, and Ernie third from the right with Frank on the right.
Happy to link up on Facebook which is how I found you 🙂
Very best wishes
Peter
Under movements we find,
15 Dec. 1943. - 1129413 F/S. MOON, E. Pilot Posted from No.1678 Con. Flt.
In the ORB, 29/12/43. Mission BERLIN.
F/S. MOON E. - Captain.
F/S. DURHAM H. - Navigator.
F/S. McREA D. - WOP/AG.
Sgt. SWANN J. - Air Bomber.
Sgt. OSWELL D. - Mid. Upper.
F/S. KANARENS F. - Rear Gunner.
Sgt. SHARPE. G. – Flt. Engineer.
One Crew was lost on this mission, Lancaster DS843 – 4 KIA, 2 PoW, 1 escaped via Comete Line.
We received a follow up regarding research on the service of F/S. Harry Durham - Navigator.
Many thanks for sending me all your records and Ernie Moon's DFC Gazette. These were hugely appreciated and really helped me piece together what happened to Harry, Ernie and crew.
I also had a lovely day in Witchford with Sue showing me the wonderful collection of memorabilia as well as the LL668's engine.
All very thought provoking - they were truly terrible times.
Please find a copy of my research from Harry's perspective. As he never spoke about it then it's very much what I've been able to piece together from his flying log and what you and Sue have shared with me.
Thanks again for all your help and I'll keep in touch - please let me know if you are thinking of coming over.
Very best wishes, Peter Schofield
30th September - 1st October 1940 a Wellington bomber Mk Ic R3292 - KO-F for Freddie took off from RAF Marham at 1937hrs. The target that night was the marshalling yards at Osnabrück. The aircraft was lost with the entire crew.
The Crew
Sgt Cyril Wessels KIA, aged 21, Buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery - Collective grave 26.F.1-9
Sgt Neville W G Thompson, KIA, aged 24, Buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery - Collective grave 26.F.1-9
Sgt A D Cameron, KIA, aged 26, Buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery - Collective grave 26.F.1-9
Sgt A J Pennington, KIA, aged 20, Remembered on the Runnymede Memorial Panel 18.
Sgt H W Pritchard, KIA, aged 19, Remembered on the Runnymede Memorial Panel 18.
Sgt J G C MacNair, KIA, aged 21, Remembered on the Runnymede Memorial Panel 17.
Recently, relatives of Sgt Pennington visited the RAF Marham Aviation Heritage Centre to dedicate a plaque to him on the Memorial Wall.
A heartfelt thankyou to the family for asking us to remember him and for the kind donation.
Everyone Remembered