PEREIRA – Charles Vernon

Flight Lieutenant – Pilot – 139 Sqn, 105 Sqn – Mosquito – Born 1913

[Source: CMHA]

Flt. Lt. Charles Vernon Pereira DFC and Bar
Service number: 1372391 on enlistment  /  106233 after commission

[Courtesy AD]

My dad was on the Jena Raid and his faithful “N for Nuts” lost an engine just before the target. He also witnessed the two aircraft to his side collide and roll down the hillside in a ball of flames. The BBC made a recording of that raid and broadcast it on “Target for tonight”.
He returned safely (460 miles) on one engine at low level in spite of a narrow escape flying slap over a German airfield with FW 190s in the circuit; for some reason they did not intercept him (his mother’s constant prayers no doubt)!
The previous Operation was a high level night attack on Berlin which according to his log book was “a good trip”.
Jena was his last Op’ with 139 and he was posted to 105 Squadron with the Assessment of Ability as a pilot as “Exceptional”.
I know that the RAF did not give that assessment easily.

Brother of Roderick Neville Pereira.

[Source: Peter Pereira]

C. Vernon Pereira and his navigator “Taffy” G.H. Gilbert of Cardiff, before the raid on Jena and afterwards getting out of the aircraft.

[Photo’s copyright Imperial War Museum]

Letter GH Gilbert aka Taffy 1

Letter GH Gilbert aka Taffy 2

Letter by G.H. Gilbert a.k.a. ‘Taffy’, Mr. Pereira’s navigator, describing his time with the RAF during WW2. More details about this letter in the 3rd comment below. (Click on images to enlarge)

[Courtesy Mr. Richard Batley]

4 additions to “PEREIRA – Charles Vernon”

  1. Peter Pereira adds:

    C. Vernon Pereira D.F.C. and Bar, flew 80 ops on Mosquito’s with 139 and 105 Squadrons.
    Daylight low-level and then Pathfinder force.

  2. Andrew Pereira adds:

    Vernon was born on 13 September 1918.

  3. Richard Batley adds:

    Hi -One of the strange passing of paths in life here! I have today found a beautiful copy of “Low Level Attack” by John Wooldridge in a local charity shop.I was surprised to find lying loose inside the book an A4 typewritten page by G.H.Gilbert (apparently known as Taffy) who was your father’s navigator. He gives sketchy details of his time with 105 Squadron (with nice detail on the Jena raid) and some concerning his time with Pathfinders. There are one or two nice personal nuggets of info – one concerns the D-Day ops which saw your father laid low with a minor ailment. Probably not too pleased to miss the big day.
    Anyway, the point of this mail is to see whether you would like to have the original of the note from the book. Please be assured this is NOT a prelude to a scam. I do not want payment of any sort. It just seems a shame that it is sculling around without a home. If of interest I would be very pleased to hear from you. (telephone number erased by admin for reasons of privacy) will find me at home virtually every evening. I’ll take a guess that we are very much of the same generation by judging from your father’s birth date to be close to that of my father.
    Kind Regards
    Richard Batley
    Suffolk

  4. Al (Alfred) Shultz adds:

    Fascinating piece! I am just starting to do some genealogy research on my family from Trinidad (where I was born). My mother had an “Uncle Charlie Periera” who I believe lived in Trinidad in the 1940’s. I am taking a long shot to see if your family might be relatives. My grandfather’s name was Otto Bosse and grandmother’s maiden name was Agnes Donohoe. Her parents were Alfred Tardieu and Estele Rochard, all of Trinidad.

    Thanks for any light you might be able to shed!

    Al (Alfred) Shultz
    Now living in U.S.

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