FighterControl

Hi folks

Not sure if anybody can help with this one. I'm helping research the history of a friend who's relative sadly lost his life while on a mission over France during WW2.

His name was Anthony Shipton and he was a Flight Engineer on Stirlings with no. 299 squadron from RAF Keevil. I don't suppose anyone would have any photos or information to further my research?

The only details I have are...

Stirling LJ940
Crash Location - Bourges, France
Date - 15 August 1944
Unit: 299 Squadron

Any help would be gratefully received

Cheers

Read the links below the photograph , not your man but all add to the story of the crew ;
https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/511371 .

Oh that's a great start thanks very much

The squadron Operations Record Book is at
[https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov. ... r/D8399613]
And there should be a summary and appendices for the same month.
There are many more RAF documents available but the plane doesn't seem to have been operating with Bomber Command. I say that because it does not appear in the authoritative
https://amzn.eu/d/46qnYoQ
Or the online database of the IBCC.
In fact I have just looked at the ORB and you have the serial wrong but you will be interested when you find who they were operating for.
You should also be able to get the plane's Movement Card and Loss Card from the RAF Museum.

Fabulous! Oh yes the serial is different... perhaps that's an error on the records as there seems to be some confusion if the aircraft was LK124 or LJ940. SOE ops though....very very interesting indeed! Can't thank you enough for these initial pointers

Thanks to
www.thegenealogist.co.uk
I have found that he had been on the squadron since at least June. That means finding several more ORBs. I presume there are plenty of SOE docs at TNA too but I doubt that they will be easy downloads. There will be quite a few docs in the immediate hierarchy around the squadron as well.

I've found when looking through squadron ORB's the details of SOE ops have turned up in the appendices. From the ones I've got on 296 & 297 squadrons they have 'parachute raid reports' attached which outline the crew, route and the DZ which is the name of the SOE section 'BUTLER' for example. The report would also outline the signs that were seen to indicate the drop location.

Taken from 'the Bomber Command War Diaries' reference book:
14/15 August 1944
Minor operations
32 Mosquitoes to Berlin, 2 to Sterkrade oil plant and 2 to St-Trond airfield, 1 R.C.M. sortie, 8 Halifaxes and 6 Lancasters minelaying off Biscay ports, 4 aircraft on Resistance operations, 7 O.T.U sorties. No Losses.

Hope this of some use.

Unfortunatly my WW2 research of late has involved Whitley / Halifax / Lancaster so that is what my bookshelf is mainly comprised of. If I stumble across anything else I'll keep you posted.

Stu

you can check the aircraft record cards on this web site

https://www.lancasterbombers.net/form-7 ... ent-cards/

it mainly a Lancaster site but has the record cards for all heavy bombers

Thanks for all your help so far guys much appreciated

just looked at site again & it covers all of Bomber Command and not just Lancasters