大象传媒

This story was added to the People's War website on behalf of the contributorby 大象传媒 Radio Leeds, with his permission. These letters were received by my parents, relating to the death of my brother while he was serving in the RAF. It is not my story but you may find it an interesting account of the pressure under which the RAF was working during the Second World War that it was not until June 1945 that my parents received information about the probable circumstances of my brother鈥檚 death that helped them to appreciate that, at the time of his death, he was engaged in a flight that was of real importance to the war effort. This importance was of course confirmed by Winston Churchill, in his history of the second world war vol2 in chapter 30 at page 537.

Dear Sir,

I have to thank you for your letter, dated January 11th, addressed to the Officer Commanding who is away, and in reply to state that the aircraft accident in which your son lost his life occurred in a snow squall at Hoylake, Wirral, Cheshire. Unfortunately the second pilot, wireless operator and air gunner also lost their lives.
The additional risks which have to be taken when the Nation is at war, were the direct cause and such a thing could not happen in peace time.
Please accept my thanks for the blessing contained in the last paragraph of your letter.

Yours sincerely,
Flight Lieutenant, Adjutant
No.48 Squadron, RAF

5th June 1945

Dear Mrs. Curry,

The correspondence you addressed to this unit at Hooton Park has finally been forwarded to us by No. 48 Maintenance Unit, and I have done my best to find out what information I can for you.

You will of course appreciate that since the sad loss of your son, the squadron has seen service in various parts of the world and that there is not one of the aircrew members originally serving with your son still remaining on the Unit. I myself have served with the squadron for over two years but despite a careful search I am unable to find any local records going back as far as January 1941 and what information I have been able to glean has come from members of the ground staff stationed at Hooton Park at the time of your son鈥檚 tragic death.

The squadron at the time was engaged on anti-submarine patrols and convoy escort duty over the Irish Sea and the beginning of the Western approaches. This duty at that time rated as one of the most vital tasks of the war- involving as it did the safe arrival of food and arms convoys in this country at the height of the blitz and submarine campaign.

As far as I can gather, your son was returning from an operational trip over the Irish sea and crashed during a heavy snow squall at Hoylake. I am unable to get ant details of the crash but from my experience and knowledge of other cases I should imagine it was very likely that the aircraft iced up and forced your son to a low altitude. In such a case it is quite likely that the aircraft would become uncontrollable.

I am afraid I can throw no light on the disposal of your son鈥檚 pocket book as all the documents relating to the disposal of his effects are now not available.

Yours sincerely,

Flight Lieutenant, Adjutant,
No. 48 Squadron, RAF

Winston S. Churchill
The Second World War Vol 2, Their Finest Hour
Chapter 30 Ocean Peril, page 537

At the same time however we gave orders to the RAF Coastal Command to dominate the out lets from the Mersey and Clyde around Northern Ireland. Nothing must be spared from this task. It had supreme priority. The bombing of Germany took second place. All suitable machines, pilots and material must be centralised upon our Gunter-Offensive, by fighters against the enemy bombers, and surface craft assisted by bombers against the U-boats in these narrow vital waters. Many other important projects were brushed aside or delayed.

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