Sergeant (2nd Pilot). McLEOD STANLEY

Discussion in 'The War In The Air' started by dan35, Feb 8, 2018.

  1. dan35

    dan35 Junior Member

    Hello,
    I am looking for information on the Sergeant (2nd Pilot). McLEOD STANLEY. He was in the Whitley Mk. V - EB297. POW February 20, 1943.
    It is currently impossible to identify this aviator in the list of prisoners.
    There is an F/O. McLEOD STANLEY JOHN KEMP, POW March 16, 1944.
     
  2. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Dan

    The only McLeod with an initial 'S' that was an RAF POW is :

    UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945
    Name: S J K McLeod
    Rank: Flight Lieutenant
    Army Number: 130628
    Regiment: Royal Air Force : Officers & Other Ranks
    POW Number: 3629
    Camp Type: Stalag Luft 1
    Camp Number: L1
    Camp Location: Barth Vogelsang, Germany
    Section: Royal Air Force : Officers & Other Ranks

    TD

    added
    He could have been promoted from Sgt to Lt during his time in POW Camp
     
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2018
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  3. alieneyes

    alieneyes Senior Member

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  4. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    The last time the Whitley operated as a front line Bomber Command aircraft was April 27/28 1942,although OTU Whitleys were called upon to make up the force for the 1000 bomber raids and on other major ops until September 1942.

    As regards Whitleys, Harris.against his will, in a disagreement with Portal, temporarily transferred Nos 51 and 77 Squadrons along with the permanent transfer of No 58 Squadron to Coastal Command.In February 1943,both Nos 51 and 77 squadrons were back with Bomber Command when No 4 Group converted Halifaxes.

    From this and given that he became a POW from a Whitley operation, it might be that F/L McLeod was a member of No 58 Squadron in Coastal Command.

    F/L McLeod must have been a P/O when captured and would progress to F/L by the time of his liberation.
     
  5. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    Wouldn't Whitley's have been used for covert ops dropping agents and supplies to Resistance groups?
    Perhaps lost on a clandestine drop?
    He doesn't appear in the "Footprints on the Sands of Time" of BOMBER COMMAND PoW's.
     
  6. AlanW

    AlanW Senior Member

    297sqdn Whitley EB297, lost on operations to Chaigny (Orleans) 19/20th Feb 43......
    F/Lt Winter 1st Pilot.
    Sgt McLeod, 2nd Pilot
    P/O Spittal, Nav.
    Sgt Hodgson, W/Op.
    Sgt Gibbs, A/G.
    You won't find them in "Footprints" as they were not Bomber Command and none for 297sqdn with these names appear in CWGC list as far as i can see, but something to go on.........
     
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  7. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

  8. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    ... that's why BOMBER COMMAND was in capitals- I was trying (and failing) to show they weren't BC crew.....
     
  9. dan35

    dan35 Junior Member

    Here is the story of the escape evasion folder of the Pilot Officer (Navigator). SPITTAL WILLIAM STRUTH and Sgt. HODGSON. Regarding the capture of F/Lt. WINTER and Sgt. McLEOD.
    SPITTAL WILLIAM STRUTH speaking good French had taken with him the Sgt. HODGSON to escape. Sergeant McLEOD speaking a little bit French also leaves with the F/Sgt. GIBBS.
    On February 26, we walked on the road to Quelaines (Mayenne) and after crossing the main road Craon/Château-Gontier, we started looking for shelter. After trying on several farms, we finally found one in Ampoigné (Mayenne) where we were welcomed. There I read in a newspaper that GIBBS and M'LEOD had been captured, the latter being mentioned by name. The newspaper article also stated that the rest of the crew was still on the run and even gave us our names and descriptions, including our approximate sizes and weights. A reward was offered for our capture and the French farmers were warned that they would be slaughtered if they helped us.
    May we think that Flight Lieutenant SJ K McLeod is the same man as Sergeant (2nd Pilot) McLEOD STANLEY ?
    That would mean that we should find an escape evasion folder in his name? Captured towards the end of February 1943 and then escaped and then paid to 72 sqdn in the Figther Command. Captured northwest of Cassino Italy.

    Whitley Mk. V - EB297
     
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  10. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    No 297 Squadron initially was designated as the Parachute Exercise Squadron.....its role was the training of parachutists by day, the squadron also performed leaflet dropping ops and clandestine drops by night.

    Apparently it also did some bombing ops in early 1943.It was incorporated from being a member of No 38 Wing,to No 38 Group when the Wing became a Group, becoming more involved in clandestine activities towards D Day.

    I think the Whitley may well have been involved in leaflet dropping.
     
  11. alieneyes

    alieneyes Senior Member

    Oliver Clutton-Brock in his "RAF Evaders" entry for Spittal states that No. 297 was an Army Cooperation Squadron.

    He also notes that 1356440 Sgt Charles Leslie Hodgson was commissioned Pilot Officer (178766) 18 June 1944. MiD awarded.
     
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  12. AlanW

    AlanW Senior Member

     
  13. dan35

    dan35 Junior Member

    The first mission with Pilot Officer WINTER and Pilot Officer SPITTAL, Sergeant HODGSON and Sergeant GIBBS. October 31, 1942. Sergeant McLEOD STANLEY is not in this crew, it is Pilot Officer Coates.
    We find the crew less one person in two other missions. On 29 January l943 the Pilot Officer WINTER participates in a pamplet dropping mission on Rouen.
    In the end the name of Sergeant McLEOD STANLEY does not appear anywhere in ORB AIR 27_1648, I also ORB with 297 squadron Appendices of the month of February, 6 pages his name is missing ???
    The mission of February 20, 1943, the target was the electrical transformer station Chaingny (Orleans).
     
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  14. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    Born 1922 St. Machar, Aberdeenshire.

    (Possible Marriage) 1946 Aberdeen Eastern District to Olive Annie Duguid.

    Death: 2009 New Kilpatrick District, Age 86, Mother's Maiden Name: Kemp.
     
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  15. dan35

    dan35 Junior Member

    thank you.
    There is a McLEOD STANLEY, Born 1922 St. Machar, Aberdeenshire ?
     
  16. AlanW

    AlanW Senior Member

    Not failing at all, it's just that i don't read your posts......
     
  17. snailer

    snailer Country Member

    My guess is that he was at an OTU or other training establishment and was attached to the squadron for one or two trips to gain operational experience. Had he not been shot down he would most likely have returned to his unit to be posted out again with a crew, either to 297 Squadron or another similar.

    It is something you see a lot of with Heavy Conversion Units, a pilot attached to a squadron for one or two Ops, no record in the Squadron ORB of him joining, only a line in the HCU ORB saying SGT XYZ missing on air operations while attached to Squadron ABC for 2nd Pilot Duties.
     
  18. AlanW

    AlanW Senior Member

    Snailer, from the 297 ORB, it would seem that he was possibly attached from 298sqdn with a number of other personnel.
     
  19. snailer

    snailer Country Member

    Cheers Alan, I had presumed that he wasn’t mentioned in the ORB as per Dan’s post #13. You don’t have 298’s ORB as well do you? I’m a bit confused as to where the Sgt reference comes from seeing as he was commissioned from LAC.
     
  20. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    Dave...Alien Eyes made the point that No 297 Squadron was within the Army Co-operation Command which is correct and with No 296 Squadron formed No 38 Wing of the ACC equipped with Whitleys designated as the Airborne Division,initially based at Netherhaven.......regarding No 297 Squadron,it carried the designation on being reformed as the Parachute Exercise Squadron.....the squadron was posted to Hurn then arrived at Thruxton on 24 October 1942.

    Meanwhile No 298 Squadron was formed at Thruxton on 24 August 1942 from elements of No 297 Squadron but for some unknown reason the new squadron was disbanded in October 1942 which probably is the reason why its personnel then rejoined No 297 Squadron and featured as in post #18.It would be a year later in November 1943 that No 298 Squadron would be reformed at Tarrant Rushton using elements from No 295 Squadron to work up training for D Day.

    The ACC was a short term Command being in existence from 1 December 1940 to 1 June 1943.It was part of Fighter Command but No 72 Group was responsible for operations.Its structure seemed to not be suitable for the invasion of Europe. Alanbrooke did not endorse it to the extent that the Command was disbanded and it became part of the ADGB which later was split and some transferred to the new Tactical Air Force which later became designated as the the 2nd TAF with No 38 Wing elevated to command status as No 38 Group.

    The reference to Sergeant McCleod's rank of LAC would be a transitional rank in his pilot training....in the latter stages of pilot training he would be designated as LAC U/T Pilot.On attaining his wings he would pass out with the minimum rank of Sergeant but as many who went into the bag, if he had passed a commissioning interview,his commissioning would have been confirmed while he was in captivity.

    Some aircrew who were destined to be commissioned would pass out as P/O.....such as some pilots,navigators and bomb aimers and before that some of those who were trained under the Observer designation.
     
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