Military Chat

I have an interest in 9 squadron based at Waddington in 1942, and am seeking information about crew members of one particular aircraft Lancaster ED347. ED347 was lost in Dec 1942 with all her crew. I have located four members family, which leaves three unaccounted for so to speak. They are Sgt J Sykes, Sgt Harold Stokes and Sgt J Hill . Any help to locate these three family's would be gratefully received.

Have you located them on the CWGC web site?

Is this the missing Sgt Harold Stokes? It gives details of family

STOKES, HAROLD BURROWS
Rank:SergeantTrade:Bomb AimerService No:1377473Date of Death:20/12/1942Age:34Regiment/Service:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 9 Sqdn. Grave ReferenceGrave 94.CemeteryOOSTERHOUT PROTESTANT CEMETERY
Additional Information:

Son of Samuel and Polly Stokes; husband of Dorothy Helena Elsie Stokes, of Rochester, Kent

http://www.cwgc.org/

Also see this forum http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/30834-avro-lancaster-ed347/


Roy

SYKES, JOHN
Rank:SergeantTrade:Flt. Engr.Service No:1014079Date of Death:20/12/1942Age:30Regiment/Service:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 9 Sqdn. Grave ReferenceGrave 92.CemeteryOOSTERHOUT PROTESTANT CEMETERY
Additional Information:

Son of George Bertram and Mary Elizabeth Sykes, of Heaton, Bradford, Yorkshire

and

HILL, JAMES
Rank:SergeantTrade:Air Gnr.Service No:1326399Date of Death:20/12/1942Age:30Regiment/Service:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 9 Sqdn. Grave ReferenceGrave 95.CemeteryOOSTERHOUT PROTESTANT CEMETERY
Additional Information:

Son of John and Mary Hill, of Manchester; husband of Norah Hill, of Higher Blackley, Manchester


Roy

I think they got his age wrong on the CWGC web site

Births Mar 1912
Stokes Harold B Burrows Hastings 2b 27

parents marriage
Marriages Sep 1896
Burrows Polly Kingston 2a 654
Stokes Samuel Kingston 2a 654

Harold's marriage
Marriages Sep 1939
Fletcher Dorothy H E Stokes Medway 2a 4491
Stokes Harold B Fletcher Medway 2a 4491

Use http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl to look for their birth and marriage details and also to see if they had children

Roy

Edit, looks like no children born to Dorothy and Harold

Thank you so much Porkie Pie, this is really helpful. The reason I am trying to locate these family members is, that I am in touch with a Dutch Archivist who is writing a book about the planes that were shot down in the Oosterhout area one of which is ED347, As I said we have located four families one of which is mine,(my father was a crew member) and it would be really great if we could find the others and see if they are willing to share any memorabilia. photos etc. I have been onto another WW11 site where I ran to earth one family, and on the site Twelve o'clock high, another, the third one my Dutch friend had located, the fourth was me! which just leaves the remaining three. Thank you again for your help.

Their is a possible re-marriage for Dorothy to a Mr Blount at Chatham in 1951 but her recorded name is Stoker and not Stokes on the index

No children to that marriage either,

You may need to check for siblings of Harold's and follow that line in the hope of finding a living relative

Roy

Yes that's an idea, I might well find family members there. Tomorrow I'll delve around and see what I come up with. Keep you posted if I do!! Thanks for your interest.

You could also try the search trees function on GR to see if anyone has them in their tree? you can then "Try" to contact them to see if they can help,

Be aware that even if you get a match it's no guarantee contact will be made, people for lots of reasons have trees on GR but move on wether they die loose interest or what ever reason don't use GR anymore, Trees stay on GR unless the tree owner deletes it.

Looks like Alun Rees (Member No. 1540397) has got Harold Stokes in his tree.

looks like Dorothy Helena E Blount died 2004 in kent

Roy

Marriages Dec 1908
SYKES George Bertram Bradford 9b 77
SHAW Mary Elizabeth Bradford 9b 77

John Sykes may have had siblings

Loads of Sykes births in Bradford between their marriage and the1911 census so a check on the 1911 census should confirm if any are siblings plus it looks as though parents possibly had another child Jenny born in 1916

Roy

Marriages Jun 1937?
Hill James O'Connell Manchester N. 8d 1079
O'Connell Norah Hill Manchester N. 8d 1079

Not seeing any children to this marriage

The name is very common so hard to find his birth or his parents marriage

Roy

You are a star , and thank you so much. I'm off out this morning for a few essentials bearing in mind the weather!!! but will get to grips with your suggestions this pm. I know people will have moved on or just not be interested, it was all so long ago, but it's worth a try, particularly investigating that tree - who knows! will keep you posted on progress!!

My great-uncle Harold Stokes was killed in Bomber Command. I suspect he's the same man, although I don't know many details. Are you still interested?

Welcome to the boards Alan

Unfortunately it looks as if Magpie has deleted his account.
You never know he may revist this site at some point and pick up your post. :-0

Hi Alan, I have sent you a pm and would be delighted if you would get in touch with me. I am almost sure that your G.Uncle is the chap we are looking for and it would be brilliant if we could make the connection. I am back on this site for a month and hope to hear from you.

(For those following along: magpie and I are in touch. And both our relatives were indeed on ED347 on its final flight.)

Brilliant news Alan.

If any relations spot this thread in the future, please contact Magpie.
Click on magpie's name - the one against his post on 6 Nov 2014 with a joining date of November 2014.
Even if he lets his current subscription lapse, he will still be able to receive messages and reply to them :-)

Related
http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards/board/living_relatives/thread/1346619?jump=1346619