Squadron 138, Tempsford England
Shelley Letteri
flying out of Tempsford....????
What I've learned so far is that 138 was one of 2 RAF squadrons
based at a wartime airfield known as Tempsford, located in Bedfordshire
about an hour's train ride north of London. Tempsford became the
spiritual home for the European resistance movements as planes from there
delivered
supplies and agents in support of the resistance groups. Although an RAF
base, aircrews of many different nationalities were posted there to give
the base an international flavour. Ops were mostly flown in darkness, over
occupied Europe - most likely Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.
We have learned that my great uncle (now deceased) flew 37 operations with
squadron 138, as a rear gunner....however we do not have his log book.
Does any one have any information regarding the exact kind of missions they
were involved in??
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
casita
> We have learned that my great uncle (now deceased) flew 37 operations with
> squadron 138, as a rear gunner....however we do not have his log book.
Their Log Books never were carried on Operations. So they were always
secure. They were handed over to the aircrew when they left the
Station or
forwarded to NOK when they went MIA.
Pity about the Log Book. However, you can hire a PRO researcher to
photocopy the RAF Forms 540's and 541's. These Forms were completed
for
every Operation of every aircraft. Plus the Logbook. These will show
all the
details of your late uncle, his crew, aircraft, Ops and Sqn. The
squadron
then compiled its own report, then Group, them Command. They were
meticulous
in record keeping, and it never left England. It is possible you may
even
get to see his Personnel Record, but if he was RAF it may not be easy,
also
it sounds like he survived the war, so you likely won't get access.
138 did
not become a "normal" bomber sqn till Mar 1945.
Might even be a 138 Assoc somewhere. Then we can have a look at his
Operational record. The info is in the PRO. Bomber Command
Some brief details of 138 from the BC War Diary. I don't feel like
typing it
all out but can photocopy and mail you. It may also be some where on
the
Net, or you can get the Diary from the Library.
138 carried out more operations in support of Resistance Groups than
any
other squadron.
Co incidentally, my next door neighbour had an uncle in 138 who was
KIA on a
trip to Italy in a Halifax and he loaned me a great book about the
crew. He
has since moved, and I can't recall the book title, but I'll ask him.
LetterGirl_2000
I only know of two books that were written which are:
K. A. Merrick, Fights of the Forgotten: Special
Duties Operations in World War Two (U.K.: Arms and Armour, 1989), esp.
chs. IV & V, Pt 1 (now out of print.); Ironically, my grandmother had
been
contacted by the author of this book when he was doing his research.
This
is when we
first found out about his duties during the war. This is going back
many
many
years ago, I was just a kid, and not interested in this stuff.
Unfortunately,
we never obtained a copy then, and now it is out of print.
and Freddie Clark, Agents by Moonlight:
The Secret History of RAF Tempsford During World War II (U.S.: Tempus
Publishing Inc., 1999), esp. chs. 16-23. I have purchased a copy of
this
book!! and am in the middle of reading it right now.
From what I've learned so far...in Canada there is no 138 Association.
I
have contacted a gentleman who served in 138 and he has given me many
interesting
stories!! I know my uncle was shot once (only in the hand) and still
continued on...
My grandmother has many of his pics from that time. Their group even
had a
goat for a mascot....???
Thanks again!!
casita <cas...@home.com> wrote in message
news:3b00bbf0...@news.pacific.net.au...
Terence O'Brien
> I'm curious if anyone has any information on the above noted Squadron
> 138, flying out of Tempsford....????
> Does any one have any information regarding the exact kind of missions
> they were involved in?? Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Tempsford was the air base for most clandestine operations, and 138 was
stationed there from the squadrons's inception. The squadron was
originally 419 Flight, equipped with three or four old Whitleys, flying
from Newmarket racecourse, then in mid 1941 they got some Halifaxes and
became 138 squadron. The squadron commander at some stage was the
present Sir Lewis Hodges, who later commanded another Special Duty
squadron in India.
The 138 squadron ORBs, records of each operation, are available at Kew,
but although I know that the names of the crews on such operations in
India were noted in the ORBs they may have been more secretive in the
UK - I don't know, so have no idea if your great-uncle's flying record
can be traced. There are many contributors to this newsgroup who are
knowledgable about Kew, even have copies of the ORBs of many squadrons,
and perhaps someone will give you more precise information about that.
Certainly there is a mass of information about 138 in the hundreds
(literally) of books about SOE activities in Europe... for example,
turning in my chair I groped on the shelf behind me and pulled out one
one at random by M R D Foot, the official historian, entitled SOE, the
Special Operations Executive 1940-46, which has twelve pages of
references. If you go to any library in the UK you will find under
HISTORY a section devoted to World War 11, at 940 I think, and it will
include books which deal with clandestine operations - I am prepared to
bet on that. And a study of the bibliographies in such books might lead
you to one actually written specifically about the activities of 138.
Certainly some of the people who flew on the squadron are still alive -
Air Chief Marshal Hodges, for one.
I wish you luck in your search.
Terence O'Brien
Terence O'Brien
> I'm curious if anyone has any information on the above noted Squadron
I wrote the following response but seems that I failed again to
transmit
it to the newsgroup (and to Shelley?):
references, and in nearly all of them there is bound to be reference
to
the transport of the agents - probably from Tempsford. If you go to
Terence O'Brien
> I'm curious if anyone has any information on the above noted Squadron
writing it and so he sent me a copy on publication. Glancing at it now I
see there is much about Tempsford, some sixty references in the index,
as well as pictures of 138 squadron personel in front of a Halifax taken
in the summer of 1942, a picture of F/Lt Walker and his crew at one time
in 1944 when, unfortunately, your grandfather was not with him on that
operation, and a dozen or more pictures of other crews - and also one of
me in India.
As for seeing a copy of the book yourself I think there is a
possibility one may be available through the Canadian inter-library
system, as there were many Canadians involved in the clandestine
operations (in my own 357 squadron the majority of aircrew were
Canadians/Australians). If you fail in the inter-library search you
might try asking the American distributors if they can help - they are
Sterling Publishing Company, 387 Park Avenue South, New York
NY10016-8810.
Merrick was living in South Australia in our correspondence days and I
thought of sending you his address but my filing non-system effectively
stopped that. Some people corresponded at such length that I simply
marked them as separated in the main folder, lumping all their material
into separate boxes or envelopes, and Ken is so marked - but I can't
find his container. Therefore, if you do wish to contact him personally,
you could ask his publishers for the address. They are: Arms and Armour
Press, Artillery House, Artillery Row, London SW1P 1RT.
Terence O'Brien
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