Ghost squadron 428 - Granddaughter looking for history of crew

Hi all,
Hope your keeping well. I’ve been researching the names and dates with thanks. Is their any dates or family for Fredrick Harold Bowden ..?
Thank you again

 

Hi all,
Hope your keeping well. I’ve been researching the names and dates with thanks. Is their any dates or family for Fredrick Harold Bowden ..?
Thank you again

 

Hi all,
Hope your keeping well. I’ve been researching the names and dates with thanks. Is their any dates or family for Fredrick Harold Bowden ..?
Thank you again

 

Hi,
My name is Gregory N Rowe. I am the son of the sadly now deceased (Warrant Officer) Harry Norman Frederick Rowe, the navigator in Halifax D229 NA-W referred to in these threads.
An edited narrative from my fathers record:
(On the outward flight) “Over the Dutch coast the (a) starboard engine caught fire and was put out by the extinguisher in the engine nacelle triggered off by the button in the cockpit.” (The pilot, Freddie Bowden, consulted the crew, who elected to continue to the target on 3 engines) “To make matter worse we were hassled by a Fockewulf 190 and had to take evasive action to shake it off. By the time we got to the target we were under 10,000 feet and everything except the kitchen sink was coming up at us.” (They then proceeded to drop their bombs over the marker flares and turn for home.) “meanwhile the flak was taking its toll, ripping off bits of the aircraft. From my position in the front nose under the pilots cockpit I could see all the flaming onions coming up and the whole area was lit by flares, fires and bomb explosions. It was duty as a navigator to clear the decks and release the escape hatch for the rest of the crew, except the rear gunner who exited from his turret. It took me a matter of seconds - there was no shortage of incentive I can assure you. Suddenly there was a bang and the port engine was afire - flames spreading along the wing - the pilot issued the order to abandon ship in a calm and matter of fact tone. I slipped the observer type chute on to my harness I was wearing, turned the handle of the escape hatch and kicked it out - the white face of the bomb aimer (R J Gritten) was the last I ever saw of the crew again. My body shot forward with the aircraft and then suddenly backwards and falling into the inky blackness - I pulled the ripcord and was ecstatic with relief when the pilot chute opened, followed by the main.”
Apart from Sqn Ldr Bowden - who bravely sacrificed his life battling to keep DK229 aloft to allow his crew time to make their escape - my father’s experience must have mirrored that of the rest of the crew mates on that fateful night. Subsequently, my father was on the run for 2 weeks before being captured and imprisoned. Following 2 failed attempts he managed to escape in the chaos that reigned in his prison camp towards the wars end. He hid in an abandoned air complex during the day and foraged at night until he was repatriated by the advancing Americans. He went on to live a full life, father 3 boys and a girl, and live to a good age - 92 years.

 

Marriages Sep 1941
BOWDEN, Frederick H - BURFORD - Plympton
Burford, Corona M - Bowden - Plympton



Corona May Burford
Birth 27 Aug 1916

 

Thank you so much for helping me...! I have a contact now for Bowden! Which I’m thrilled about. Would you be so kind in deleting the info above just for the family’s privacy now I have it. Totally happy to be messaged one on one.. it’s really lovely of you to help me I’m so grateful.

Sadly the last 2 men can’t get any where with Reynolds or Hurst in finding family.

Sgt: A J A Reynolds (1196437) Evaded capture

2216252 Sgt John Wingfield Nuttall Hurst (b. Birkenhead, Cheshire 24 June 1924, d. Gainsborough, Lincs in the September 1974 Qtr.) Wife's maiden name was Broughton, married Birkenhead in the December 1950 Qtr. Two children both born Barton, Lancs in the early 50s.

 

Already started to establish Sgt Hurst's connection with Gainsborough. It might be that his widow was still living in the Gainsborough area after he died....record of head of household of all residents to hand from 1975 unofficial register.

One consideration is that as regards Gainsborough, a number of ex RAF personnel settled in the area after leaving the service at RAF Hemswell. Against that is that his children are recorded as being born in Barton which is a Manchester suburb. (unless his family at the time never took up Gainsborough residency)

 

Thank you for this..

 

TrueGrit,

Could I suggest you talk to Temujin? I provided him with full details, including children, of both 1196437 Sgt Anthony John Arthur Reynolds and 2216252 Sgt John Wingfield Nuttall Hurst over the weekend.

Regards,

Dave

 

Hi Dave, its to late to wish you a happy new year isn’t it?! Oh I have been..! He’s been phenomenal thought out this journey. We are both finding these 2 very hard. Hoping someone might stumble over something which would then launch us in to cracking this..! I find you never know if you don’t ask...! Everyone on this site has been so helpful in the past. It means a lot.

 

Hello True Grit,

I saw at the start of the thread that you were hoping to find some photos of the subjects of your search. You may have seen that there is a museum image of the Squadron taken in 1943:
No. 428 (Ghost) Squadron – Bomber Command Museum of Canada
perhaps taken just before the reequipping from Wellingtons to Halifaxes. The numerical annotations suggest that names are known, so your people may be on it?

Also, the Squadron seemingly did not pick up its nickname until some time later, perhaps nudged by the following newspaper article:
Suggit mentioned as 428 W/C yet unnamed...soon to be Ghost. - Newspapers.com

Good hunting.

 

Competed the Gainsborough Registration District records as given in the Gainsborough and District Directory1975 and not found a reference to what would be a widow.

However I have found a Hurst that could be Sgt Hurst's son as a longshot. I am not aware of the names of his children.

 

I’ll send you the names by PM

 

I have Michael J Hurst living at a Gainsborough address...more later ..have an appointment.

 

Knowing the area, the address was part of an estate constructed in 1965 but by1985 a decision was made to demolish that section of the estate and replace it by private housing.

Therefore the address in 1975,I would say is invalid now and is the number of one of the replacement private houses.

(My post # 34 was in response to a post naming Sgt Hurst's son and that post has been removed.)