Hi, I am doing some research on Sgt HE Witham 158 Sqn who was KIA 11th March 1943, I believe he was posted along with his crew to 158 on the 4th Jan 1943. I would be interested to find out which Op he was killed on and any previous Ops his crew had completed. Thanks in advance, Rick
With the new viewer on the TNA you can check for yourself, here is the January 1943 Summary, Form 540 Squadron Number: 158 | The National Archives No mention of him being posted in there on the last page. Here are all the 158 SQn links Search results: "Squadron number: 158" | The National Archives Sort links ascending for each month, scroll to Preview an image of this record. and view on a laptop or PC screen.
25th Feb seems to be first mission i can find Squadron Number: 158 Records of Events: Y | The National Archives
Recherche de France-Crashes 39-45 http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=witham+h+e+ TD
Also, looking at the ORB, you will notice that most of the postings information relates to Officers and not NCO aircrew, and since P G Lyon was the only Officer in the crew...
No 158 Squadron have an active association who might be able to help.At this time in 1943,the squadron was based at Lissett,just south of Bridlington and quite close to the Bomber Command emergency landing airfield at Carnaby. http://www.158squadron.co.uk Lissett was a one squadron airfield and I think it was the only wartime bomber squadron to be based there from February 1943 to the end of the war.The airfield is now a windpower farm with the individual generators named after aircraft and one dedicated to 6 groundcrew who lost their lives in a bomb dump explosion in 1943. http://www.158squadron.co.uk/memorial
It would appear that Sgt H E Witham was posted to No 158 Squadron on 4 January 1943 after his HCU course with No 1658 HCU at RAF Riccall a few miles north of Selby on the A19. I would think as normal practice,his crew would have been with him for HCU training.