‘B’ Flight group photograph, March/ May 1944 in front of ‘P’

b flight May 1944 NUMBERED

Courtesy New Zealand Bomber Command Association/ © NZBCA Archives

21. P/O Glen Osmond Marshall, RNZAF NZ416011 – Wireless Operator. Witting crew. confirmed – Chris Newey
22. F/O Jack Thomas, RAF 138463 – Air Bomber. Witting crew. confirmed – Ted Anderson
23. F/L Spencer Francis “Spanner” Fauvel, RNZAF NZ414971 – Pilot. confirmed – Ted Anderson
24. F/L Eric Francis Witting, DFC, RNZAF NZ415212 – Pilot. confirmed – Chris Newey
25. F/L William Edwin ‘Ted’ Anderson, DFC, RNZAF NZ416073 – Navigator. Witting crew. confirmed – Chris Newey
27. P/O Edgar Lawrence Burke RNZAF NZ417016 – Pilot. confirmed – Kevin KIng
28. W/O Frank Albert Page RAAF AUS.409481 – Air Bomber. Burke crew. confirmed – Kevin King
41. F/Sgt Alan Stevens Bromley RAFVR 1247614 – Wireless Operator. Burke crew. confirmed – Kevin King
42. F/O Lawrence Michael O’Connor, DFC, RNZAF NZ424505 – Pilot. confirmed – Terry O’Connor
43. P/O Joseph William Collins, RNZAF NZ424969 – Rear Gunner. Witting crew. confirmed – Chris Newey
45. Sgt Arthur Reginald Gunn RAFVR 1583849 – Flight Engineer. Witting crew. confirmed – Kevin King
48. P/O William Bryce “Gerry” Campbell, RCAF R.176432 – Mid Upper Gunner. Witting crew. confirmed – Ted Anderson
51. Sgt. Bertram William Billing, RAFVR 1318831 – Wireless Operator. Brown crew. confirmed Michael Billing
67. F/S George Wilks RAFVR 1601175 – Wireless Operator. Potts crew. confirmed – Kevin King

14 thoughts on “‘B’ Flight group photograph, March/ May 1944 in front of ‘P’”

  1. Reg

    apart from identifying individuals on pictures like these I would like to know if there is a systematic way of how these men were placed in pictures like this. Does anyone know this?

    Like

    Reply ↓
    1. 75nzsquadron Post author

      Hi Reg
      The simple answer is I don’t think we know – the obvious assumption is that the boys will probably stand together as crews – having said this, this grouping might not necessarily be in a single row per se – if you look at the ‘B’ flight photo from 1945, you will see the Zinzan crew (my fathers 2nd tour crew) standing together, but spread through a number of rows. Until individuals are identified and their crews therefore ascertained, it’s difficult to know the associative relationship on any individuals in the photographs.

      I have thought that as we identify crews, I might reorder the lists below the photo to group individuals within crews, irrespective of their numerical order or position within a photograph.

      Like

      Reply ↓
  2. Kevin King

    27- Edgar Burke NZ Pilot
    28- Frank Page AUS A/B Burke crew
    41- Alan Bromley WOP Burke crew
    45- Reg Gunn F//E Witting crew
    67- George Wilks WOP Potts crew

    Like

    Reply ↓
  3. Val Morrison

    I have my dads log book in front of me and he did a lot of “OPS SPECIAL DUTIES” in March of 1944 and at night. I thought he would be in this photo? His pilot was W/O HUNT and it looks as to it is signed off as “B Flight …cant quite make out the signature of the F/L who has signed it off ..Ew Lovehtler? I just dont know enough about all of this…..Dad was W/op TJ Nation

    Like

    Reply ↓
    1. 75nzsquadron Post author

      Hi Val
      It might be that your father and his crew had gone to No.3 Lancaster Finishing School when the photograph was taken, as part of the Squadron’s conversion from Stirlings to Lancasters. Prior to the Squadron converting to Lancasters, Group deemed the Squadron too exposed to continue to participate in main bomber force Ops, in the now relatively aged Stirling, so the Squadron switched almost exclusively to Mine laying and ‘Special Operations’ – these Special Ops were dropping supplies to French resistance and SOE I understand.

      The signature may possibly be S/L Euan Sachtler.

      hope this helps

      Simon

      Like

      Reply ↓
  5. Chris Newey

    21. P/O Glen Osmond Marshall, RNZAF NZ416011 – Wireless Operator. Witting crew.
    24, F/Lt. Eric Francis Witting, DFC, RNZAF NZ415212 – Pilot.
    25. F/Lt. William Edwin ‘Ted’ Anderson, DFC, RNZAF NZ416073 – Navigator. Witting crew.
    43. P/O Joseph William Collins, RNZAF NZ424969 – Rear Gunner. Witting crew.

    Like

    Reply ↓
  7. David N Downing

    Hi
    I can confirm that 29 in the picture above is my Uncle F/O John Wallace Downing 136351 RAFVR Navigator Burke Crew. Shot down 23rd May 1944 and buried along with some of the crew including P/O Burke in Heverlee Cemetery Belgium.

    Like

    Reply ↓
  8. Lee Farrow

    I can confirm that 10 in the picture is my grandfather Sergeant Thomas ‘Tommy’ Farrow, Rear Gunner on ‘Seven Sinners’ LM266, with the Bates Crew. I have been looking for information for many years and have finally found it on this fantastic website!

    Like

    Reply ↓
  9. JN-Dog

    22. F/O Jack Thomas, RAF 138463 – Air Bomber. Witting crew. confirmed – Ted Anderson
    23. F/L Spencer Francis “Spanner” Fauvel, RNZAF NZ414971 – Pilot. confirmed – Ted Anderson
    48. P/O William Bryce “Gerry” Campbell, RCAF R.176432 – Mid Upper Gunner. Witting crew. confirmed – Ted Anderson

    Like

    Reply ↓

Leave a comment