550 Squadron Crew
P/O J S Percival and Crew
P/O Percival and crew were posted to 550 Sqdn from 71 Base w.e.f. 28.2.45:
- P/O J S Percival (P)
- Sgt E W Ward (F/Eng)
- F/Sgt S E Whyte (Nav)
- Sgt N R Knipton (A/B)
- Sgt C J Nileman (W/Op)
- Sgt I Rees (R/AG)
The transfer-in record shows a six-man crew, with only one air-gunner. The reason for there not being a seventh man listed is not clear.
Also known to have flown with the Percival crew on at least one operation were:
- W/O R Vietheer A/G (as MU/AG)
- Sgt C G Evans A/G (as MU/AG)
It is possible that this Sgt Evans is the Air-Gunner from the P/O Nielson crew lost on 7/8 March when there was a stand-in gunner for him (Sgt G Evans). This seems likely given the dates, and has been confirmed with recently (June 2024) received information. For more information see below. - F/Sgt E Ashley (W/Op)
P/O J S Percival (P) |
Sgt E W Ward (F/Eng) |
P/O Percival
The following have kindly been made available to the 550 Squadron Museum by Bob Grew.
Jacket |
Medals |
Wings |
Collection |
Collection (close up) |
Log book and medals |
Documents and miscellaneous photos |
550 Flight |
Photo Group |
Photos taken from the aircraft during post-mortem flights (June 1945).
Aachen |
Arnhem |
Essen |
LogBook
The following are pages from P/O Percival's log book. These have kindly been made available to the 550 Squadron Museum by Bob Grew.
Log book cover |
Log book, inside page |
Log book, inside page (2) |
Log book, page 1 |
Log book, page 2 |
Log book, page 3 |
Log book, page 4 |
Log book, page 5 |
Log book, page 6 |
Log book, page 7 |
Sgt G Evans (MU/AG)
Sgt Evans was the original MU/AG on the P/O S W Nielson crew through OTU/HCU and on posting to 550 Squadron, but between arrival and their first op Sgt Evans was admitted to Station Sick Quarters (SSQ) with appendicitis. It is not known whether the op to remove it was done in SSQ or in a local hospital, but due to slow healing of it, he missed flying ops with his crew. On 2nd and 7th March his place, in the Nielson crew, was taken by Sgt Delaveleye, who was, thus, lost when the aircraft was shot down (see the Dessau op, ME503 details here).
Many thanks to Graham Platt for providing this additional information on Sgt Evans. The information was in fact obtained first-hand from Sgt Evans during a visit to the IBCC Spire. Sgt Evans, his wife and sister-in-law were at the Spire opening event. Sgt Evans was looking for Delaveleye's name, and when asked whether it was a friend, he ran his finger across the name and said "That should have been me ..." and then told of the events related above.