Searching for relatives of Airman Reginald Joyce, 102 squadron.

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by Oldleg, May 12, 2017.

  1. Oldleg

    Oldleg Well-Known Member

    June 28th 1944 was the date when Handley Paige Halifax LW143 DY-O was shot down during a mission to bomb a railway sidings in France. The crash resulted in 3 of the crew losing their lives. The other four managed to get away, were hidden by Huguette Verhague (in the Abbaye de Mortemer) a local resistant in the area of Lisors, Normandy. They were captured later by Jacques Desoubre and handed over to the enemy only to be liberated later towards the end of the war.

    The very same night, a young lady sat with her mother in the village of Lyons La Forêt watching as the plane came down. Little did she realise that her future husband was in that plane. Reginald Joyce was one of the crew members who survived. He later returned in 1949 to marry miss Janine Colzy whose father was in the local resistance group. Janine and Reginald later moved to England where, in 2010 Reginald passed away.

    I am trying to his wife (if she is still alive) and daughter who I believe may now live in Withenhall, England. Can anyone please help me locate his daughter at least as I would like to talk to her about a project that I am involved in to have a memorial erected at the crash site in honour of her father's crew. I unfortunately do not know her surname now but have been reliably informed she lives in the UK.

    I would also like to invite her to a ceremony of remembrance that we hold in honour of madame Huguette Verhgue and other resistants.

    Any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated.
     
  2. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Reginald Joyce - died 2010 - which one??

    Mr Reginald Gordon Joyce
    22 Nov 1913 26 Aug 2010 Basingstoke, Hampshire, England

    Mr Reginald Charles Joyce
    27 May 1923 17 Jan 2010 Winchester, Hampshire, England

    TD
     
  3. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Births of Joyce with mothers maiden name Colzy

    Doninigue A E Joyce
    Jan-Feb-Mar 1955 Essex South Western Hertfordshire

    George G T Joyce
    Apr-May-Jun 1952 Essex South Western Greater London, Middlesex

    TD
     
  4. alieneyes

    alieneyes Senior Member

    The Reginald Joyce associated with this loss was 1850911 Sgt. Reginald William Joyce.

    Confirmation can be found RAFCommands and AIR78 at Kew.

    EDIT:

    According to his daughter, Dominique, he died 29 December 2014, aged 89. You can contact Kelvin Youngs, the webmaster of the site. He's also a member here. Aircrew Remembered Help Desk and FAQ

    AIRCREW REMEMBERED GUESTBOOK

    Name:
    Dominique Joyce
    Your E-Mail:
    Comments:
    28/29.06.1944 No. 102 Squadron Halifax LW143
    Halifax crash Operation: Railway yards, Blainville, France,
    Date: 28/29th June 1944 (Wednesday/Thursday)Unit:
    No. 102 Squadron
    Type: Halifax III
    Serial: LW143
    Coded: DY-O
    Location: Gisors-Gournay area, France
    Air/Gnr: Sgt. Reg W.I. Joyce PoW No: 8100 Camp: Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria

    I was absolutely overwhelmed with pride when I came upon the Air Crew Remembered site - 28/29.06.1944 No. 102 Squadron Halifax LW143. My father is Reginald William Joyce, air gunner on the Halifax 111 LW143. He died peacefully on Monday, 29th December 2014 aged 89 years. Seeing the photographs of him and his crew was incredibly moving. He often talked of his crew with great respect and never ever forgot them. After the war my father went back to Lyons-la-Forest to give his thanks and gratitude to Huguette Verhague for the bravery and kindness she gave to him and his crew. It was there that he met, fell in love and married a local French girl, my mother Janine Colzy who actually watched LW143 being shot down. Little did she know her future husband was in that aircraft. My grandfather was Gustave Colzy (code name ‘Olaf’) a much respected member of the French Résistance. I have my father’s leather helmet and attachments which he wore when he was shot down, a great piece of history. What a story!
    In memory to all those great men and women who fought and gave their lives for the peace we have today Amen.
    Thursday, January 01 2015 - 01:38 PM
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2017
  5. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Thanks alieneyes - that has saved me some time today and therefore gain me some brownie points :rolleyes:

    TD
     
  6. Oldleg

    Oldleg Well-Known Member

    Tricky, I did contact Kelvin, he very kindly tried to contact her but this came to no avail. Dominique Joyce is who I wish to contact. If there is any way we could find this lady that would be great. The problem being is that I don't know her married name, that is if she is married.
     
  7. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    Tricky Dicky and alieneyes like this.
  8. Oldleg

    Oldleg Well-Known Member

    Tried the telephone number in Ipswich from the BT phone book and it is definately not her as I think BT mispelt the first name as it is a Dominic Joyce that lived at that address and they are in their 20's. Do we know where the Dominique A Joyce on the 192.com site lives?
     
  9. alieneyes

    alieneyes Senior Member

    If you google Dominique Joyce Suffolk you will find the email address of someone with that name who works for the Suffolk constabulary.
     
    Tricky Dicky likes this.
  10. Oldleg

    Oldleg Well-Known Member

    Is withenhall Suffolk?
     
  11. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    Previously looking for Withernhall,I could not trace the location on any map.

    Perhaps it could be Willenhall which lies between Wolverhampton and Walsall or the Willenhall, a few miles out of Coventry to the south east of the city.

    Looking at the BT Telephone Book,there are a numbers of Joyces living in the West Midlands although it is doubtful if Janice would be found living alone at her present age if she is still living

    Dominique Joyce,I would have thought,would be recorded in the Deaths,Births and Marriages index of a British Registration District if she got married in the UK.Find my Past would be the source of such information,as it would in the FMP electoral roll index if she was not married.

    There is also a chance that if Janice has died in the UK ,her death would also be recorded.
     
  12. kelvin

    kelvin Junior Member

    Funeral directors for Reginald Joyce: Moore Bros, Independent Funeral Directors, No 5 Woodbridge Road, Framlingham, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP13 9LL Tel: 01728 723448 email i773moore@btinternet.com
    Hope this helps?
     
    alieneyes likes this.
  13. Oldleg

    Oldleg Well-Known Member

    Kelvin, I hope so cheers mate!!!!
     
  14. Oldleg

    Oldleg Well-Known Member


    Going to Kew next week, what is AIR78 exactly?
     
  15. RAFCommands

    RAFCommands Senior Member

    A reference source you do not need to go to Kew to access.

    AIR 78 and finding RAF Other Ranks Service Number

    Contains the index cards for all RAF Other Ranks (1918 to circa 1970s) giving full name and service number along with a few other bits of info.

    Read my detail post on the link above for examples and some "watch it" items.

    Ross
     
  16. Oldleg

    Oldleg Well-Known Member

    Kelvin, finally got a chance to email them. I hope to have a reply soon.
     
  17. Oldleg

    Oldleg Well-Known Member

    Just got a reply from Moore Bros saying they have no records for Reginald Joyce.
     
  18. Oldleg

    Oldleg Well-Known Member

    Kelvin, I received a reply saying they have no records in their file about a Reginald Joyce.
     

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