RAF 550 Squadron and North Killingholme Association - Correspondence

Somebody who wishes to remain anonymous
asks for information on Marcus Degast.

Marcus Degast served with 550 as a navigator during WWII. Would anyone be able to give me any information about which aircraft he crewed, and the serial numbers, code numbers and artwork.

I just wanted to ask if anybody had any information on Edward Goldman who was an
armourer in 550 squadron during the second world war.

The navigator in Lancaster "E for Easy" was named Ken and used to go out with one of my Mum's friends who evacuated to Lincolnshire with us. From the gate of our house in Ulceby, we used to watch the "kites" overhead as they went out on their "ops". One night my Dad came up to my bedroom and told me that Uncle Ken's plane had not returned and to say a prayer for him. I never knew his full name, but from your website's Aircraft Database and Roll of Honour, Lancaster LL836 of A Flight with ID "E" could possibly have been his plane and there was one man with the first initial K (Sgt. K.P.C. Williams 10/11 April 1944) on that plane who could possibly have been him.

I was surfing the CWGC website for namesakes and found the following on the above officer which may be of interest. If you have any information on the Mailly operation I would be most interested. I should advise that F/O Batt is merely a namesake and not a relative as far as I know.

Rebecca Redmond
requests information regarding her Grandfather, S/Ldr Brian Redmond

I have recently been looking into my grandpa's history. He is still alive but his recent move to a nursing home has meant a small clearout. In doing so my Dad and I have found the flight log books plus supplementary as S/Ldr Brian Redmond. It is a fascinating read and poses lots of new questions for us!! I believe he was based with 550 June 44- Jan 45 or thereabouts.

If there is any additional information that might be of interest to our family about S/Ldr Brian Redmond, we would be very keen to know about it!!!

Thanks - great website by the way!!

Carol Johnson (Ontario, Canada)
asks for information on James Thomson Kermack

I'm seeking information on a first cousin, JAMES THOMSON KERMACK, Sergeant, 1341586, W. Op./Air Gnr., 550 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, who died on Saturday 15 July 1944 at the age of 21. He is one of seven buried in the BUSSY-LA-COTE CHURCHYARD, Meuse, France.

From your web site I believe the following is his flight crew.
W/Cdr. P.E.G.G. Connolly 14/15 July 1944
F/O N. Nunns 14/15 July 1944
F/L, K.W. Fuller 14/15 July 1944
Sgt. J.T. Kermack 14/15 July 1944
Sgt. C.J. Watson 14/15 July 1944
Sgt. J.R. Penton 14/15 July 1944
Sgt. J.D. Naunton 14/15 July 1944

Basically from what I have found out is that this crew wasn't W/Cdr Connolly's regular crew, it was my Grandpa's. I know he has visited the graves in France but has never spoken about it. Without looking in the flight logs I would say he flew roughly ten sorties with this crew and on one occasion decided to bale out- all crew surviving. I believe that was the 22nd June. I have a report of the incident of which Sgt Kermack was involved.

Gary Kelly is seeking any information about his Uncle - *1620610 Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr.) John Keneth Norgate. Son of Frederick and Doris Norgate, of Heywood, Lancashire. who along with 4 other members of his crew were reported killed in action when their Lancaster III serial PA991 code BQ-E from 550 Squadron took off from RAF North Killingholme at 1756 on 27/28.08.44 on Ops to raid the German flying-bomb launching and storage sites in the Pas de Calais area and due to a direct hit from a flak battery near Dunkirk crashed near Bollezeele.
Four members of the Crew managed to parachute to safety and were taken Prisoners of War, but three of the crew were killed.
The rest of the crew were as follows: -
1851762 Sergeant (Air Gnr.) James Arthur Trayhorn
1801735 Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Horace Sydney Picton. Son of Sydney and Nellie Florence Picton, of Ponders End, Enfield, Middlesex. His brother 3000833 Flight Sergeant (Flt. Engr.) Walter Charles Picton age 19 also died on service. 08/11/1944

The 4 who were taken POW were -
175515 FO S. C. Beeson POW No. 5275 Stalag Luft L1 Barth Vogelsang
1852573 Sgt K. J. R. Hewlett POW No. 783 Stalag Luft L7 Bankan, near Kreulberg, Upper Silesia
117149 SLdr K. MacAleavey POW No. 5294 Stalag Luft L1 Barth Vogelsang
1398484 FSgt D. Neal POW No 797 Stalag Luft L7 Bankan, near Kreulberg, Upper Silesia

Do you remember Ken Norgate? Or perhaps you knew some of the other crew members? If so then Gary would like to hear from you. His email address is: gjkelly@aveton.fsnet.co.uk

this message was originally posted on www.worldwar2exraf.co.uk , and is reproduced here with permission of Mr Kelly

I have an interest in the RNZAF in WWII and in my small collection I have some memorabilia, including medals, DFC, memorial cross and scroll, photographs and service history, of F/L McConnell. Mr McConnell was the Squadron Bombing Officer of 550 from when it was formed until his untimely death on the night of 16/17June 1944.

In order to keep his memory alive I am appealing for anyone who may recall anything at all about Mr McConnell to get in touch with me.

He was married to a WAAF Corporal named Betty, from Oxford and I have wedding photos also. His Lancaster was LM134 code BQ-H which crashed between Achterberg and Veenendaal in Holland and only three of the EIGHT crew were recovered, one of which was Mr McConnell. Does anyone know why there were eight crew - was this normal? and is there any record of exactly what happened to the particular bomber to cause the crash.

If anyone can give me any information or recollections - no matter how small - I shall be extremely grateful.

I have three other photos but I am loath to scan them as they are frail however if anyone would like to see them I will happily do so.

Kind regards and congratulations on a great website.

I recently visited Blamont Cemetery near Nancy and found the graves of five airman from 550 squadron who died on 29th July 1944. I am trying to find out more. I am particularly interested in why they were so far south-east of Paris when we were fast approaching Paris from the north and west at the time. I am wondering whether the relatively closeness to the only concentration camp in France had anything to do with it.
Any help you can give would be most helpful

My late father’s twin brother, Sgt Sidney Alfred Jarvis, was killed when his Lancaster was lost on the night of 21/22 May 1944 and is buried along with his fellow crew members in the St Niklaas Communal cemetery near Antwerp. Your site makes considerable mention of the Lancaster shot down over Westerlo on the same night but I would be very interested to learn more of my uncle’s fated operation and to perhaps contact surviving relatives of the other crew members.