I am trying to source information on my uncle, Fred Moran, who was an Australian but chose to serve with the RAF during WWII. He was a navigator on the Lancaster planes. I remember, as a little girl, he told me he had many crash landings and one in Egypt. I have no idea what regiment he was in. I have a photo of him in uniform.
Hi Annette - happy to help but do you have his real / complete name. Was he actually christened as Fred? Any info helps to find him - full name, date of birth, where he was born etc Personally I reckon this is him - but I don't want to waste time providing information on the wrong guy based off a guess
Oh yes this is my uncle What do the numbers mean Do you have any more information please He was born near Bathurst NSW Australia around 1914. He was christened Frederick Moran
412617 is his service number. Service Records here . View digital copy Thought I'd post as DaveB not online at the moment.
I certainly will I had no idea where to look for this information. After the war he opened a gymnasium and managed the Australian Weight Lifting team in the 1954 Commonwealth Games
Those photographs appear to show Fred as an Aircrew Cadet,ie forage cap with white flash with no aircrew brevet on his chest.From the presence of his mother it would appear that he did aircrew training in Australia. As regards service in the RAF,he may have been with one of a number of Lancaster squadrons which postwar went on detachment to the Canal Zone....usually it as to RAF Shalluffa.......detachments were conducted here until the mid 1950s until shortly before the Canal was nationalised and the British withdrew but by this time the aircraft were Llncolns.
I have just finished reading the 36 pages of his service records. There is no mention of a Lancaster plane. There is mention of a Wellington, Anson and Moth. He was trained in Sydney Australia and trained in Canada as well. He was on missions in Africa, Italy and Egypt. Also in UK.
It would be wonderful if there were more photos of him. It says on his records he was a Navigator Expert and was training. I remember he was very good at Mathematics.
Conducting operations in Africa,Italy and Egypt suggests Fred served at one time with the MEAF..... Middle East Air Force.The Wellington was used extensively in this theatre of operations and also equipped UK based Bomber Command squadrons until withdrawn on the re-equipping of squadrons with the Halifax and Lancaster. Anson aircraft would be used for navigator training and there should be some comprehensive detail of his navigator training,I am assuming,in Canada. Tiger Moth aircraft had various roles in flying training such as the Elementary Flying Training Schools. His service records should reveal comprehensive detail of his training along with the various squadron postings and movements to which he was subject to. If Fred's service record could be posted it should be able to extract further interesting information on his involvement as aircrew.
I would be happy to post his service record. Halifax was mentioned in the records. His squadron was 36
Owen,obviously finger trouble by me. As it is, an abundance of information available to plot Fred's aircrew career.
You could try and see if the 36 Squadron Association is still active. Some details on this page- Sqn Histories 36-40_U Scott