Captain AGC Stainforth RAF Photo Reconnaissance Pilot

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by Tom Wallace, Apr 2, 2015.

  1. Tom Wallace

    Tom Wallace Junior Member

    Offiicially named by the IWM as having taken these photos, how can I find more information about Captain Stainforth? Service records, pilot's log, wartime address etc.

    Tom
     
  2. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Hi Tom,

    I can tell you that in 1931 he was living in Swallowfield, Berks - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swallowfield this comes from the 1931 Telephone directory. he is also shown there in 1929 and has the title of Capt in both of them.

    In WW1 he was in the East Buffs, first as a lt then as a Capt, and that he appears to have an MC

    He seems to have travelled several times to Nigeria in the 1930's - in 1935 his address was 11A Grovenor Rd, Tunbridge Wells and he was noted as Admin Service under occupation

    There is a picture of him here - http://www.stainforth-history.co.uk/galleries/beforeafter/pages/4archie29bef.html - and there are quite a few hits on Google for him

    TD
     
  3. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

  4. Tom Wallace

    Tom Wallace Junior Member

    Thanks for the speedy posts. I'm a bit confused here. The IWM states the photos are part of a collection from this man so I assumed he took them and managed to get hold of copies from the RAF. Coincidentally his brother George was in the RAF but was killed before the photos were taken, and his son Peter was an RE officer at Arnhem. Somehow, the IWM has an AGC Stainforth associated with those photos.

    I'm after details of the pilot that took the Arnhem photos. They were taken from a Spitfire PR Mk XI from 16 Squadron RAF, so perhaps I need records about that squadron.

    Tom
     
  5. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Hi Tom

    I was becoming confused as well, I was trying to work out how a Capt from WW1 infantry ended up being a photo recon in WW2 ??

    Perhaps editing your first post and adding some more tags (RAF etc) will pull in the RAF experts from the forum. Also applying for his service records will hopefully fully identify which Stainforth you are researching.

    TD
     
  6. snailer

    snailer Country Member

    Hello,
    A shot in the dark,
    Arthur Granville Stainforth (1163022). b 1920 Notts, d 2010 New Brunswick Canada.
    I can’t find him in the London Gazette so may not have been commissioned as an officer, “Capt” could refer to Captain of the aircraft rather than his rank.
    Or I could be barking up the wrong tree…
    Rgds
    Pete
     
  7. Tom Wallace

    Tom Wallace Junior Member

    Thanks for the advice and info lads. I've edited the tags and have located the squadron ORB at the NA.

    Tom
     
  8. Gordon Stainforth

    Gordon Stainforth New Member

    That is all correct. Captain A (Archie) G C Stainforth was my grandfather (b.1896, d.1965). He was never a pilot, but was in the Buffs in WWI where he was awarded the MC. After the Great War he worked in the colonial service, first in India, then Aden and then, for many years, in Nigeria. The famous pilot, George Stainforth - broke the world speed record in 1931 (b.1899, killed in Egypt 1942) was his younger brother. There was a third brother, Moxon, who was younger still. He spent most of his life working in the Bank of India in Bombay. Peter Stainforth, also mentioned on this thread, was Archie's only son, and my father. He died in December last year at the age of 96.
     
    Tricky Dicky likes this.

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