Unknown Navigator, D.F.M. West Bromwich connection.

I post this photograph of an unknown Navigator in the vain hope that it might just trigger a response from someone. The little that I know is that the photograph was taken in a studio in West Bromwich in the Midlands. This may have been his home town or the nearest town to where he was stationed. I have a separate album with other photographs of him taken in Durban, South Africa; presumably he was en route to either the Middle East or India.

Any thoughts as to who he is would be welcome.

 

Is there any indication in the photograph that the gallantry award might be the Distinguished Flying Cross and the officer a member of the RAAF?

The reason that I ask is that the photographs came from a house clearance along with a post WW2 AB64 for a soldier with the surname Murtha. By coincidence there was an Australian Pilot Officer, James Dewar Murtha (AUS 23409) who was awarded the DFC whilst serving with 10 Squadron RAF. (London Gazette: 17th November 1944). A long shot but it would be good to rule him in or out.

 

In the Durban photograph album there is a photograph of the same man with a colleague called Jack, sitting in a rickshaw. The caption reads. "Jack and Ossie", which may strengthen the Australian connection if Ossie was a nickname.

 

I have now found that James Dewar Murtha was a second pilot with the Australian airline QAL and was killed in the crash of a Lockheed Lodestar in 1949. A notice in a newspaper memorial column gives his wife's name as Queenie. A further connection with the U.K. is confirmed when I checked FreeBMD and found this 1944 marriage:

Marriages Sep 1944

BUSH Queenie M (Murtha) Bristol 6a 495

MURTHA James D (Bush) Bristol 6a 495

 

MURTHA JAMES DEWAR : Service Number - 23409 : Date of birth - 18 Sep 1920 : Place of birth - BRISBANE QLD : Place of enlistment - BRISBANE : Next of Kin - MURTHA QUEENIE

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/Sea...eports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=5251452&isAv=N
Records are not yet digitised, unfortunately

TD

Australia Death Index, 1787-1985
Name James Dewar Murtha
Death Date 10 Mar 1949
Death Place Queensland
Father's Name John Henry
Mother's Name Mabel Shaw
Registration Year 1949
Registration Place Queensland
Registration Number B021013
Page number 1627

England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005
Name: James D Murtha
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1944
Registration district: Bristol
Inferred County: Gloucestershire, Somerset
Spouse: Queenie M Bush
Volume Number: 6a
Page Number: 495


Australian Electoral Rolls, 1901-1954
Name James Dewar Murtha
Gender Male
Electoral Year 1943
Subdistrict Nambour
State Queensland
District Wide Bay
Country Australia

 

TD,

many thanks for the extra information. I need to stress at this stage that I have no direct evidence that the officer in the photographs is James Dewar Murtha, RAAF.

Simon.

 

I understand that - just posting what I can find. Also we now know the limit of info available for him, and that if more is needed then we need to pay for his file to be opened - its all for future reference.
Sometimes something will be thrown up that will help connect some dots and hey presto it starts falling into place


Looks as though they had 1 daughter
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007
Name: Dorothy J Murtha
Registration Date: 1945
Registration district: Bristol
Inferred County: Avon
Re-registration Year: 1945
Mother's Maiden Name: Bush
Volume Number: 6a
Page Number: 327

and that she may have emigrated to USA
U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
Dorothy Jean Murtha

TD

 

I have cracked it and by the simplest method possible, i.e. by going back to the house clearance dealer and asking if he had anything from the same clearance, luckily he had. I bought a bundle of wedding photographs with the same man in them and an invitation to a dance. One, just one of the wedding photographs had the name Shipley on the reverse. The invitation invites a Mrs J.J Shipley to a dance, to be held in the Officer's Mess at the RAF station, Market Harborough on 8th November 1944.

Clearly getting the Murtha pay book from the same dealer was a red herring, the other Murtha with the DFC was just a coincidence.

 

London Gazette 1st August 1944. Page 3572

Distinguished Flying Cross.

Pilot Officer William Robert HORNE (174626), R.A.F.V.R., 9 Squadron.

Distinguished Flying Medal.

1204986 Flight Sergeant John Joseph SHIPLEY, R.A.F.V.R., 9 Squadron.

This officer and airman were pilot and navigator respectively of an aircraft detailed to attack a target in Western Germany. When approaching the target the aircraft was struck by shrapnel and went into a steep dive. Considerable height was lost before. Pilot Officer Home regained control. The starboard engine and the rear turret had caught fire, whilst the mid-upper turret was badly damaged. Both gunners were wounded. Nevertheless the fire in the turret was brought under control and, when Pilot Officer Horne feathered the defective engine, the flames died away. Course was set for home and finally Pilot-Officer Horne flew the badly damaged and defenceless aircraft to an airfield. Throughout the homeward flight Flight Sergeant Shipley proved a tower of strength. Although deprived of the full use of his instruments he guided his pilot home with unerring skill. This officer and airman displayed skill, courage and devotion to duty of a high order.







London Gazette 29th August 1944. Page 3997

Flight Sergeants

18th June 1944.

1204986 John Joseph SHIPLEY (179378).

 

England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: John Joseph Shipley
Death Age: 88
Birth Date: 13 Dec 1914
Registration Date: Mar 2003
Registration district: Sandwell
Inferred County: West Midlands
Register Number: C68
District and Subdistrict: 070/1C

TD

 

Looking through 9th Squadron's Operation Record Book, (AIR 27/128), for 1944, I may have identified the incident.

24th March 1944. Target Berlin. Lancaster W4964. Time up: 19:04 Time down 02:21.
F/Sgt W R Horne, Sgt T W Powell, F/Sgt J J Shipley, Sgt T J Johnson, Sgt J H McReery, Sgt R A Morton, Sgt J S Parkes.

Primary attacked 22:53 hours, 23,000ft. Red T.I.s in sights. fires scattered over wide area. Aircraft hit by Flak over Ruhr area. Damage to fuselage, main plane, turrets and starboard outer engine. Captain and Rear Gunner injured.

 

For Information

1939 England and Wales Register
Name: John J Shipley
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Single
Birth Date: 13 Dec 1914
Residence Year: 1939
Address: 147
Residence Place: West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England
Occupation: School Teacher
Schedule Number: 389
Sub Schedule Number: 2
Enumeration District: OPBU
Registration district: 371/1
Household Members:
Name
Rose N Shipley
John J Shipley

TD

Rose was born 1885 so I assume she is his mother

 

Florence L Jordan and John Joseph Shipley at their wedding in 1942.

 

Mrs J.J. Shipley's dance invitation.

 

England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005
Name: John J Shipley
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1942
Registration district: West Bromwich
Inferred County: Staffordshire
Spouse: Florence L Jordan
Volume Number: 6b
Page Number: 2019

TD

 

Hi,

I know this is an old post, but we seem to be the remaining family of James Dewar Murtha, a cousin of my mother. Are these photos still around? thank you

 

Yes, indeed they are still around.

 

He is my mother's cousin...so would be very interested in having the photos returned to Australia. Email address:

genealogy@cavaney.com

 

Hi Cathryn

As this is a public forum to view - (you need to be a member to post) can I suggest you use the edit function of your last post and change the @ in your email address for the word AT as this will stop bots and unfriendlies from harvesting email address's for who knows what

TD

 

There are no photographs of your cousin, they are of John Joseph Shipley. The Murtha connection was spurious. A post World War 2 pay book named to a soldier called Murtha came from the same house clearance dealer. He puts all the military photographs, paper work, etc, that he find in a bin bag for me and I buy it as a lot. The contents are often from more than one house clearance and I spend hours sorting out what I have bought and researching it.