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My
Grandfather - Thomas Benzie Forbes
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Newquay, Cornwall, Autumn 1941:
No.8 I.T.W. Beach View and Edgecliffe Hotels are still
in existence. My Grandfather, Tom Forbes is on
the top row, far right. Tom Fee is one row down, 4th from
the right, Jack Jeffrey is in the middle on the same row,
7th from the right
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Reverse
of the photo opposite "c/o H.Q. R.C.A.F. Ottowa, Canada".
This must have been the posting address home. Also
a list of exam results starting with Maths, Nav(igation)
and Sig(nalling). Final result 93.6%
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Course
No. 6 - No. 2 BFTS - December 1941:
This amazing, and large [660Kb] photograph was sent to me
by Jim Jeffrey whose father Jack is in this parade with
my grandfather, Tom Fee, James Breignan and William [Bill]
Reid who was to be awarded a V.C. later in the war
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Jim
Jeffrey (see above) also has a copy of the cadets photograph
at Newquay - On the reverse of his there are many signatures
Many thanks again to Jim for this scan [again rather large
510Kb]
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Towan Beach, Newquay, Cornwall Autumn 1941:
This is a postcard sent by Tom Fee to his daughter Jean.
If you look carefully at the top right corner and compare
with the photo above (behind the cadets) you will see it
is the same area!
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Newquay,
Cornwall Autumn 1941:
Tom Fee in flying gear. You can just make out
the bridge in the top left of the previous photo
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No.
2 BFTS, California:
Winter 1941/Spring 1942. Tom in full flying gear in
front of a Stearman PT 17, the classic WWII biplane trainer
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No.
2 BFTS, California:
Winter 1941/Spring 1942. Tom and another cadet
(instructor?) in front of the same Stearman as in the previous
photo
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No.
2 BFTS, California:
Tom climbing into the same Stearman as in the photograph
above
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No.
2 BFTS, California:
Tom is far right in the group cadet photo
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California:
My Grandfather (seated) with Tom Fee
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California:
Tom Forbes (L) and Tom Fee (R). According to the back of the
photo they are having a friendly argument!
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California:
Tom Forbes, the Bottomley family and Tom Fee
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California:
Mrs Bloomhurst, Tom Forbes, Dorothy, Tom Fee and Laddie (the
dog)
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No. 2 BFTS, California:
Tom behind a BT-13 outside a hangar at the Polaris Flight
School, Lancaster
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No.
2 BFTS, California:
Tom with a local police officer (Tom was a Metropolitan Police
Officer in London before he joined up)
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California:
The two Tom's with the Bottomley's and Bloomhurst's
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California:
On the reverse Tom noted:
"Enjoying some fruit we had just picked - that's me on
the grass at the back - the dog is a collie named 'Laddie'"
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California:
Tom outside number 1206
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California:
Tom and Tom enjoy a beer!
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No.
2 BFTS, California:
Tom in front of two US Army BT-13 Vultees - The Stearman and
these BT-13's all have BL as a prefix
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No.
2 BFTS, California:
Cadets and ground crew (?) In front of North American AT6
- 'BL 213'
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No.
2 BFTS, California:
Tom on a North American AT-6 Texan Trainer
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No.
2 BFTS, California:
The AT-6 was more powerful than the BT-13
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Interesting
photo of the inside the cockpit of a Stearman?
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Photo
of an unknown mess
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California:
My Grandfather (far right), friend Tom Fee (middle) and possibly
R.M. Gibbney (far left)
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California:
Top Row: Louis Stevenson, ?, James Breingan Bottom
Row: Thomas Forbes, ?
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No.
2 BFTS, California:
A good luck photo to Tom Fee of and signed by an incredibly
young looking Eric Hannington
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No.
2 BFTS, California:
A photo of a Spartan 7W 'Executive' sporting a Polaris logo
- Many thanks to Tony Broadhurst and Ian Kroemer for this
information
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California:
The two Tom's having dinner. Alec Rennie is sitting opposite
my grandfather.
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No.
2 BFTS, California:
Tom at Polaris Flight Academy
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Tom
at home in Kilburn, North London
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30
OTU Hixon:
Superb photo sent to me by Wilfred Sneesby (L-R)
Reginald Sneesby, Tom Forbes, Leslie 'Lin' Matthews, George
Deasley and William 'Frankie' Thomas (sat down)
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England:
Could be Hixon, Lindholme or Wickenby.
Tom is on the right giving the piggyback.
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Reginald
Sneesby:
Wireless Operator in Tom's crew - Many thanks to Reginalds
brother Wilfred for sending me this and the next 3 photographs
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Reginald
Sneesby:
At either No. 4 Signal School or No. 8 Air Gunners School
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Reginald
Sneesby:
In full flying gear, probably during training
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Reginald
Sneesby:
A striking portrait
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Ernest
Southon:
A wonderful photograph of Ernest sent to me by his granddaughter
Nicola. He was the mid upper gunner in the crew and would
have joined Tom and the others during training at the Heavy
Conversion Unit at Lindholme.
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Ernest
Southon:
A very poignant photograph of Ernest as an older man. He survived
the Bay of Biscay crash and died in 1991 aged 75. Many thanks
to Nicola and her family for their kind permission to publish
these photos.
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12
Squadron: Lancaster LM321
My Grandfather flew this Lanc to Mulheim on the 22nd of June
1943 - it went on to fly many more missions eventually succumbing
on 10/11 June 1944 over France. Many thanks to Philip Swan
who sent me the photo's of LM321 after I spotted them in an
album at The Wickenby Memorial Museum
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30
OTU Hixon:
Vickers Wellington TN-X at dispersal. There is
another Wellington in the background also being maintained
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12
Squadron: Stuart Dunshea, Rear Gunner
Completed a tour of 30 operations at Wickenby from April to
October 1943 - After completing his tour, he was an instructor
at 30 OTU (Hixon). After that he was a Gunnery Instructor
for 6 months at 27 OTU (Lichfield). Stuart returned to Australia
in 1945 via America on the Queen Mary
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12
Squadron: Lancaster LM321
The nose art (I think a mounted Knight with lance) shows 13
operations - The 13th was the infamous operation Hamburg on
the 27th July 1943
See Lancasters Flown for more details
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12
Squadron: Lancaster PH-U
Back Row: Sgt A. Evans, F/S S. Dunshea, F/S M. Pritchett,
Sgt E. Brooks, Sgt H. Binder, F/S F. Kauter. Front
Row: Ground Crew (names unknown) Photo taken by
F/S M. Brown (pilot)
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12
Squadron: Lancaster PH-U
Back Row: Sgt A. Evans, F/S S. Dunshea, Sgt E. Brooks, F/S
M. Pritchett
Front Row: Sgt H. Binder, F/S M. Brown, F/S F. Kauter
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12
Squadron: Cyril Kroemer and Crew
Back Row: Dave Tibbs, 'Darkie' Clark, Bill Cloutman, Kim O'Brien. Front
Row: Jim Clement, Cyril Kroemer, Tommy Bishop
Many thanks to Philip Swan for this photo
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12
Squadron: (L-R) Pilot F/O Jim Wright, Bomb Aimer Sgt Doug
Tattersall and Navigator F/O Eric Saunders - Completed Operational
Tour in October 1943
Many thanks to Jim Tattersall for this and the 2 photos below
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12
Squadron: Sgt Brian Heath
Mid Upper Gunner in Jim Wrights crew. Completed Operational
Tour in October 1943
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12
Squadron: Sgt Wally Smith
Flight Engineer in Jim Wrights crew. Completed
Operational Tour in October 1943
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12
Squadron: Richard Barrass
Flight Engineer in P/O Norman Ashburner's crew. Tragically
lost on the first of the Berlin Raids, 24th August 1943
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12
Squadron: Richard Barrass
Both of these photos were kindly sent to me by Trish Gibson
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12
Squadron: F/L William Polgrean
William flew at least 35 ops with 12 Squadron but was tragically
killed serving 578 Squadron flying Halifaxes. Many
thanks to Derek Polgrean for this photograph
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12
Squadron: Sgt John Rennick RCAF
John tragically died on the same training flight as Reginald
Sneesby (25 June 1943). Many thanks to Dave Fenn
for this photo
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12
Squadron: F/S William 'Billy' Wicks
In Sydney before going to England. Many thanks
to Murray Ellis for these photographs of Billy
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12
Squadron: F/S William 'Billy' Wicks
With his maternal grandparents about the time of their Diamond
Wedding anniversary in 1941
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12
Squadron: F/L Patrick Ford RAAF
Born in Goondiwindi, Queensland, Australia
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12
Squadron: F/L Patrick Ford RAAF
In flying gear, probably at Wickenby
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12
Squadron: F/L Patrick Ford and crew (Front Row, Centre)
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12
Squadron: F/L Patrick Ford RAAF
Many thanks to Matthew Ford for sending me these very poignant
photographs
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12
Squadron: F/S Reginald Avery.
Lived in Ramsgate, Kent and was the Flight Engineer in F/L
Patrick Ford's crew. Many thanks to Janet Byron
for this photograph
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12
Squadron: F/Sgt John 'Reggie' Richmond
At home in Ontario, Canada. See Reggie
Richmond special section for more details. Many
thanks to Heather Kailburn for this photograph
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12
Squadron: P/O James Borland DFC
Completed a tour with 12 Squadron (June to October 1943).
Was then posted to 156 Pathfinder Squadron but tragically
killed on 1st January 1944 during an operation to Berlin
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12
Squadron: Sgt Alan Waller
Sgt Waller was the Mid Upper Gunner in P/O Borlands crew and
shared the same fate. Many thanks to James Carver
for these two photos
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100
Squadron: F/S William Caldwell (back row, centre) and crew.
William and crew tragically died on the same operation as
my Grandfather, Turin 12/13 July 1943
See Turin special section for more
details
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100
Squadron: F/Sgt William 'Bill' Caldwell
Many thanks to Emma Lester for these photographs
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100
Squadron: F/S William Caldwell (back row, centre) and crew.
William and crew tragically died on the same operation as
my Grandfather, Turin 12/13 July 1943
See Turin special section for more
details
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12
Squadron: Sgt Frederick Anderson
Frederick served as the Mid Upper Gunner in F/L Patrick Ford's
crew and tragically died in the early hours 12th June 1943.
Many thanks to David Booth for the photograph
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A
scan of one of the leaflets that Tom dropped over Lille in
March 1943 - Kindly sent to me by Wilfred Sneesby
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Please
follow this link for a Translation
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A
leaflet dropped by my Grandfather and crew over Wuppertal
probably at the end of May 1943 - Reg has noted 'Took these
to Wuppertal as well as bombs'
The
leaflet is 40 plus pages in length and the title translates
as: 'The Other Side'
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Wickenby
airfield: October 2001
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The
Wickenby Icarus Memorial: October 2001
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