大象传媒

I was born in Stoke-on-Trent in December 1941. Mum Nellie, was a shop assistant, dad, Seymour 'Bill' was in the RAF, a Flight Engineer with 120 Sqn Coastal Command. I was eight months old when he was killed in August 1942. Mum last saw dad when she said goodby to him at the station after his last leave, the next she had, was a telegram saying he was missing from operations, a few weeks later another telegram arrived saying "Missing believed killed". They had been married just under two years. And that was was all she was told. As I grew up without a father I would ask questions about him, what was he like, what did he do, how tall was he, what was his favorite food, did he smoke or drink? All these questions could be answered by my mum and the family, but there was one question that could not be answered,"How did he die?" About twenty years ago I decided to find out for myself and my mum what had happened, this was the days before the computer. I wrote to many organisations and newspapers asking for help, and over the years was able to trace three of the survivors of the crash in which my dad was killed. The three were able to give me a full account of the events of that day which I added to my own research.
Mum always wanted to know what had happened and I was pleased I was able to tell her before she passed away in 1997. Mum never remarried, in fact, she stayed in the house she was married from, I was born in, and she died in. I always thought she believed dad would come home one day.
Because of my research, I have amassed lots of information concerning 120 Sqn and pass it on to anyone that has an interest in the Sqn.
My story will be about the last flight dad made and the events leading up to his death.
Peter Clare.