176376 F/O Raymond Louis STANLEY, 78 Sqn, RAFVR: 06/10/1944

I am trying to locate the service records and obtain more information about Raymond L Stanley. He was a Flight Officer with 78 Sqn and died in 1944. we don't know anything about his service or where he is buried.

Looking on behalf of my step brother whose dad was Raymonds brother.

Any help you can give gratefully recieved

Thanks

 

Flying Officer Raymond Louis Stanley | War Casualty Details | CWGC
STANLEY,RAYMOND LOUIS
Initials:R L
Nationality:United Kingdom
Rank:Flying Officer (Pilot)Regiment/Service:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text:78 Sqdn.
Age:23
Date of Death:06/10/1944
Service No:176376
Additional information:Son of George William and Jane Stanley, of Lemington, Northumberland.
Buried or commemorated at BERGEN-OP-ZOOM WAR CEMETERY
Grave reference: 20. B. 10.
Location: Netherlands
Personal Inscription IN HOUR OF UTMOST NEED, HE PROVED HIS COURAGE, ART AND SPEED. ROKEBY.III.4 R.I.P.

 

This what I found on the plane
Halifax LL588 Information
Halifax LL588 Squadron78 Coded EY-O OperationScholven-Buer Date 16th October 1944 Date 26th October 1944

LL588 was one of three 78 Sqdn Halifaxes lost on this operation. See: LW511; MZ310. LL588 was initially issued to No.78 Sqdn. Airborne 1430 6Oct44 from Breighton. Collided in the air with another Squadron Halifax (MZ310), both machines falling on, or near, the Dutch Reform Church at Oude-Tonge (Zuid-Holland) on the island of Overflakken where Sgt Lockett is buried in Den Bommel General Cemetery. The others are huried in Bergen op Zoom War Cemetery.
F/O R.L.Stanley KIA
Sgt G.E.Kemp KIA
Sgt G.W.Habgood KIA
Sgt J.A.McKillop KIA
Sgt A.Moss KIA
Sgt H.Lockett KIA
Sgt G.H.Tilburn KIA

 

Simon
Welcome to the forum hope the info helps you, one of the RAF types will probably be along and rectify any mistakes I have made

 

Hi Simon,welcome to the forum. I have the following, taken from 'Bomber Command Losses' Vol.5 - W R. Chorley.

6 October 1944

78 Squadron
Hailifax III LL588 EY-O
Op. Scholven-Buer

The aircraft took off from Breighton at 1430 hrs and collided in the air with another squadron Halifax, both machines falling on or near the Dutch Reform Church at Oude-Tonge (Zuid-Holland) on the island of Overflakken where Sgt. Lockett rest in Den Bommel General Cemetery. The others lie in Bergen op Zoom War Cemetery.

Crew.

F/O. R L. Stanley +
Sgt. G E. Kemp +
Sgt. G W. Habgood +
Sgt. J A. McKillop +
Sgt. A. Moss +
Sgt. H. Lockett +
Sgt. G H. Tilburn +

.........................................

The raid of 6 October 1944

320 aircraft - 254 Halifaxes of No 4 Group and 46 Lancasters and 20 Mosquitos of No 8 Group - attacked the synthetic oil plants at Sterkrade and Scholven/Buer. Both raids took place in clear conditions and the bombing was considered to be accurate. 9 aircraft were lost - 4 Halifaxes and 2 Lancasters at Scholven and 3 Halifaxes at Sterkrade.

'The Bomber Command War Diaries' Middlebrook / Everitt

.........................................

Inquiries from family members and other authorized persons for obtaining RAF personnel service records - Apply to the following.........

RAF Disclosures Section
Room 221b
Trenchard Hall
RAF Cranwell
Sleaford
LINCS
NG34 8HB

01400 261201
Ext 6711
Ext 8161/8159 (Officers)
Ext 8163/8168/8170 (Other ranks)

Obtaining service records for those who served in the Royal Air Force during world war 2 is more or less straightforward, but will only divulge service information to the person to whom it refers or, if he or she has died to his or her immediate next of kin. Anyone else must obtain permission from the person about whom they are enquiring or from his or her next of kin, before any information will be given to them. In some cases the PMA make a charge of £30.00 for any information they provide. Except to the person to which it refers, or the widow or widower of that person.

http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/general/23223-obtaining-raf-service-records-rules.html

 

If you want is service records apply to the following:-
RAF:
DPA Team
RAF Disclosures
Rm 15, Trenchard Hall
RAF Cranwell
Sleaford
Lincolnshire
NG34 8HB

 

Hello Simon,

I stumbled upon your request for information for R.L. Stanley. I live on the island where he crashed on that fatal day. I am secretary of a heritage foundation who want to retell there story and make sure they are not forgotten! Unfortunately our website is being refurbished so I can't let you see this way who we are.

Can you please contact me for we want to make an information panel on the crash and write out the story in one of our books and on the website. We like to get in contact with the familie of both crew to invite them over to unveil te panel as we did before. See e.g.
The last flight of the AVRO Lancaster LM459 - [1/2] - YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD-J5ocW648

I sure hope to hear from you! I will also post a reply on te forum

Kind Regards,

Kees Stoutjesdijk

 

This is the watercolour painting I made of the dramatic event with MZ310 and MZ588.
www.mckeesie.nl - Halifax

We also have found eye-withnesses....

 

The other of the two aircraft who collided had an Australian on board with details set out below.

RAAF FATALITIES IN SECOND WORLD WAR AMONG
RAAF PERSONNEL SERVING ON ATTACHMENT
IN ROYAL AIR FORCE SQUADRONS AND SUPPORT UNITS

424912 Flight Sergeant CHARLEY, John Ross

Source:

AWM 237 (65) NAA : A705, 166/7/659 Micro Film No463 OAFH,
Commonwealth War Graves records, W R Chorley : RAF Bomber Command Losses
of the Second World War, Page, 442, Volume 1944.
Aircraft Type: Halifax
Serial number: MZ310
Radio call sign: EY – U
Unit: ATTD 78 SQN RAF

Summary:

Halifax MZ310 took off from RAF Breighton at 1432 hours on the 6th October 1944,
detailed to bomb Scholven-Buer. MZ310 collided in the air with Halifax LL588 of 78
Sqn, both machines falling at Oude-Tonge (Zuid-Holland) on the island of Overflakken,
The crews in both the aircraft were killed.

Crew:

RAF FO Crawford, C W Captain (Pilot)
RCAF FO MacGregor, D S (2nd Pilot)
RAF Sgt A Reilly, (Flight Engineer)
RAF Sgt J B Anderton, (Navigator)
RAF Flt Sgt C R Clement, (Air Bomber)
RAAF 424912 Flt Sgt J R Charley, (Wireless Operator Air)
RAF Sgt J Divens, (Mid Upper Gunner)
RAF Sgt R Heugh, (Rear Gunner)

Seven of the crew in MZ310 are buried in the Bergen-Op-Zoom War Cemetery, Locality
Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. Bergen-op-Zoom is a town in the Dutch province of
Noordr-Brabant, 40kms north-west of Antwerp (Belgium.

Sgt Heugh has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Memorial to the
Missing, Runnymede, Surrey, UK.

Cheers

Geoff

 

Hi.

Raymond Louis Stanley was my father's (still living) first cousin. I take it you are in some way related to Maurice?

Would welcome discussing Raymond further.

Best,

Simon

 

Welcome to the forum
the original poster has not been on the forum since 2012
I have sent a private message on your behalf to him

regards
Clive

 

Thank you, Clive. Much obliged. Best wishes.