[Images courtesy Carl Ryan; click on images to enlarge]

VEIRA, F/O Basil Vernon Lancelot (J10677) – Distinguished Flying Cross – No.12 Squadron – KIA 28 april 1943.

Award effective 27 April 1943 as per London Gazette dated 20 June 1944 and AFRO 1660/44 dated 4 August 1944.  Born 4 April 1914 in Basseterre, St.Kitts, British West Indies; home in Montreal; enlisted there 25 June 1941.
Attended No.3 Initial Training School (graduated 6th in a class of 18 observer candidates, 13 September 1941), No.9 Air Observer School (graduated 7th in a class of 22, air and ground subjects, 3 January 1942), No.6 Bombing and Gunnery School (graduated 9th in a class of 27 on 14 February 1942, received Air Observer Badge that date), and No.2 Air Navigation School (graduated 16 March 1942 in a class of 89, having stood 3rd in ground subjects and first in air subjects).  Further trained at No.31 General Reconnaissance School, Charlottetown, 10 April to 14 June 1942 (graduated 14th in a class of 26; his performance described as “disappointing”).
Embarked for overseas, 16 June 1942; taken on strength of No.3 Personnel Reception Centre, Britain, 25 June 1942.  Posted to No.20 Operational Training Unit, 13 July 1942; posted to No.12 Squadron, 21 October 1942.
Ranks: Aircraftman, Second Class on enlistment, 25 June 1941; promoted to Leading Aircraftman, 28 September 1941; promoted to Sergeant, 14 February 1942; commissioned as Pilot Officer, 16 March 1942; promoted to Flying Officer, 1 October 1942.

[Images courtesy Carl Ryan; click on images to enlarge]

Killed in action 28/29 April 1943 on Lancaster GB408.  Particulars of Death Aircraft was shot down by a German night fighter, 29 April 1943 in vicinity of Leba (near Lauenburg, Germany).  Body washed ashore and buried in Leba.  Lancaster ED408; Crew were 1315743 Sergeant G. Elsworthy (pilot), J10677 F/O B.V.L. Veira (navigator), 1311073 FS W.E. Freeman (WAG), 143857 P/O J.J.L. Haddow (bomb aimer), 621910 Sergeant E.A. Pye (flight engineer), 989136 Sergeant C.W.S. Downes (mid-upper gunner) and 930059 Sergeant R.C. Grant (rear gunner).  No.12 Squadron.
Aircraft carrying four 1,500 pound sea mines when it took off.  On 12 December 1944 his widow attended an investiture at Government House, Ottawa, to receive her husband’s Distinguished Flying Cross.  The Department of National Defence provided her with a rail ticket and $ 10.00 expenses.  It is interesting to note that this investiture was attended by 28 other next-of-kin receiving awards on behalf of deceased family; the list of those attending includes not only Mrs. B.V.L. Veira but also Mrs. D.E. Hornell (picking up her husband’s posthumous Victoria Cross).  This information is not on his personal file but is found in RCAF file 305-4-3 “Honours and Awards – Fifth Investiture at Government House”, National Archives of Canada, RG.24 E.1, Volume 3350.Award presented to next of kin, 12 December 1944.

“This officer has participated in numerous operational sorties which have included missions to Hamburg, Berlin, the Ruhr, Stettin and Spezia. His navigation has always been of a very high standard and he has a fine record of achievement.  His determination and confidence while on operations has always been an inspiration to the squadron while his gallantry and devotion to duty has done much to create a high morale among his fellow navigators.”
[Source: Air Force Association of Canada; courtesy Jerome Lee]

Below: copies from Basil Veira’s log book










Below: Yearly reunion at what was RAF Base Wickenby where #12 Squadron was stationed.

[Images courtesy Carl Ryan; click on images to enlarge]

67642 – Thomas Reader Russel Wood – F/O – Pilot – 115 sqn – Welington – KIA 3.6.1942

WOOD Initials: T R Nationality: British Guiana Rank: Pilot Officer Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force

Sunday Guardian 14 June 1942:- PO T R Wood, son of the Hon’ble B R Wood of British Guiana, reported missing after Bremen raid on night June 4/5 1942. Sometime during Oct/Nov last year (1941), he injured his shoulder when forced to bail out after petrol supply ran out.

Possibly this Officer: WOOD, THOMAS READER RUSSELL Initials: T R R Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Flying Officer (Pilot) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit Text: 115 Sqdn.Date of Death: 03/06/1942 Service No: 67642 Additional information: Wellington X3635 Airborne 2300 3 Jun 42 from Marham. Cause of loss and crash-site are not established. Four of those killed are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, but F/O Wood is buried in Becklingen War Cemetery. F/O T.R.R.Wood KIA Sgt J.W.Chapman RNZAF KIA Sgt L.J.Howe KIA Sgt M.J.M.Davies KIA P/O H.B.Pearce PoW Sgt B.F.Wischusen KIA P/O H.B.Pearce was interned in Camp L3, PoW No.556.Notice of award of DFC Gazetted London Gazeette 36108_3383/4 on 23 Jul 1943. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: 26. G. 12.Cemetery: BECKLINGEN WAR CEMETERY

1386903 – Geoffrey A. Welch – F/S – Pilot – 38 sqn – Wellington – KIA 12.01.1943

WELCH, GEOFFREY A. Initials: G A Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Sergeant (Pilot) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit Text: 38 Sqdn.Date of Death: 12/01/1943 Service No: 1386903 Additional information: Reported as Died on Active Service West India Circular issue May 1943 – from Bermuda. RAFCommands: Coastal Command, Wellington Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: 7. E. 28.Cemetery: BENGHAZI WAR CEMETERY,LIBYA.

1389078 – Kenneth Andrew Way – F/S -Pilot – 149 Sqn – Stirling III – KIA 4.4.1943

WAY, KENNETH ANDREW Initials: K A  Rank: Sergeant (Pilot) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit Text: 149 Sqdn. Date of Death: 04/04/1943 Service No: 1389078 Additional information: Of British Guiana. Stirling III R9327 OJ-M Op. Kiel Airborne 2039 4 Apr 43 from Lakenheath. Cause of loss not established. Crashed 2257 at Obbekaer, 7 km ENE of Ribe, Denmark. All are buried in Esbjerg (Fourfelt) Cemetery.Sgt K.A.Way KIA Sgt N.MacLeod KIA Sgt J.Palmer KIA Sgt R.G.Woodfield KIA Sgt R.P.Bilham KIA Sgt E.G.King KIA Sgt W.E.Norman KIA Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: AIII. 7. 8. Cemetery: ESBJERG (FOURFELT) CEMETERY,DENMARK

Sgt Hugh A A Gobin, Navigator, RAFVR. From Trinidad. Enlisted 1942, qualified/promoted to Sgt in April 1944.

Trinidad Guardian, circa 5 October 1944.

[Courtesy J.A. Lee]

1810415. Hugh Gobin settled in London after the war. He died in 1961, aged 49.

[Source: AD]

 Trinidad Sunday Guardian, 18 March 1945

1393795 – William George Julian Greaves – Grenada – Sergeant – 142 Squadron

Prisoner of War

First Name:                William George Julian
Surname:                    Greaves
DOB:                            17/09/1917
Birthplace:                  Grenada, West Indies
Date of Capture:        15/01/1943
Rank:                           Sergeant
POW Camp:               Stalag Luft 1 Barth
Service Number:       1393795
POW Number:            1311
Theatre Of Capture:  France
Service:                        Royal Air Force
Archive Reference:    WO 416/150/303

Comet Line was a Belgian and French organisation that helped allied airmen who were shot down to return to Great Britain. Their website gives a very detailed account of what happened to Sgt. Greaves in the French language. With various photo’s and documents.
See:  https://www.cometeline.org/ficheC008.html

A very brief summary of the report Sgt. Greaves gave after his liberation of October 19, 1945: He was bomb-aimer on Wellington Mk III, BK536, QT-C of 142 Squadron. On November 20, 1942 they flew from Newmarket UK on a mission to bomb Turin in Germany. Returning they ran out of fuel and all crew were ordered to jump from the plane. Sgt. Greaves was found by the Comet Line organisation about 30 km east of Paris. He was arrested on Januari 15, 1943 while trying to cross the Pyrenees to Spain, in the company of Andrée de Jongh, the 26 year old female leader of the organisation, and two other airmen. After being held at various locations in France he was imprisoned in Stalag Luft I (Aug – Nov 1943), Stalag Luft IV (Nov 1943 – Jul 1944) and Stalag Luft VI (Jul 1944 – Jan 1945). He was liberated by Americans on May 2nd 1945 during a march to a labour camp.

[Courtesy AD]

1393795 – William George T. Greaves, Sgt from Grenada.

He could be the W G Greaves mentioned in RAF Commands website as: , POW in L6, POW# 1311

[Courtesy Jerome Lee, CMHA]

[Trinidad Guardian 18 January 1944 – Courtesy Jerome Lee, CMHA]

1382581 – Randolph T.  ABBOTT – St. Vincent
F/S – 429 Sq RAF Halifax LK995  AL-C

From St Vincent, but parents & 2 sisters live in Trinidad(Mr & Mrs C Abbott of Eastern Main Road, Barataria, Trinidad). He worked in Aruba but left on his own to England to join the RAF. Enlisted at Euston on or after Aug 1940.
429 Sqn Halifax LK995  AL-C , RAF Leeming Airborne 2327hrs 25 Nov 43 from Leeming. Shot down by a night-fighter from 17,500 feet S of Namur, Belgium. A fire broke out in the bomb bay and the order to abandon was given. It is believed that F/S Davis had been killed in the original attack. He is buried in Hotton War Cemetery, possibly being brought here from Florennes.
WO2 Smith’s DFM was Gazetted 27Jul43. WO2 D.McM.Smith DFM RCAF PoW Sgt J.A.Renton PoW F/O J.J.Thurmeier RCAF Evd WO2 D.R.Nelson RCAF PoW F/S R.T.Abbott PoW F/O M.Rabinovich RCAF PoW F/S R.H.Davis RCAF KIA F/S Abbott was interned in Camps L6/L4, PoW No.2981 with WO2 D.R.Nelson, PoW No.2977 and WO2 D.M.Smith, PoW No.2982. DFM Gazetted 27Jul43. F/O M.Rabinovitch initially evaded untilcaptured in Brussels 10Feb44. Spent time in St.Gilles Prison before internment in Camp L3, PoW No.3614. Sgt J.A.Renton in Camps L6/357, PoW No.43185.

[Courtesy Jerome Lee, CMHA]

[Source: Caribbean Roll of Honour]

[Source: the Guardian, obituary]

RAF Pilot from Guyana

[Source: Wikipedia]

E. R. Braithwaite, the author of “To Sir With with Love” (a book remembered for its film and theme song) was a pilot with the RAF

[Source: forum.keypublishing.com]

A group of colored RAF-officers. Front row, from left: [1] unknown, from Jamaica or Belize; [2] Dusty Miller, from Guyana; [3] S/L Corbett (liason); [4] Ulric Cross, from Trinidad; [5] Johnny Smythe, from Sierra Leone; [6] Vivian Rivero, from Trinidad; (previously erroneously identified as: Mark Walker, from Trinidad);
Second row from left: [1] E.A. Gordon from Jamaica; [4] Percy Massiah, from Trinidad; [5] possibly his brother C.A. Massiah from Trinidad; [6] Vivian Thomas from Manchester, Jamaica; [7] Jellicoe Scoon from Grenada. Third row from left: [1] E.R Braithwaite from Guyana? The rest are as yet unknown to us. We invite our visitors to share the names of any person they recognise. [Names courtesy P.L.U. Cross a.o.; Photograph courtesy Audrey Elcombe, copyright unknown – click to enlarge]  

COOK, FRANCIS STEWART CRICHTON Initials: F S C Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Sergeant (Pilot) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit Text: 103 Sqdn. Date of Death: 26/02/1943 Service No: 1382496 Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 4. C. 2-20. Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY.

Reported as F S G Cook from Jamaica, MIA in one-liner carried in Trinidad Guardian 2 July 1943, info from West India Circular of May 1943

1811612 Ronald Norman Inniss joined RAF November 13  1942, received flight training Mesa, Arizona by pilots of Southwest Airways, Received WINGS March 31 1945. Returned UK and joined an OTU. Reached Rank Flight Sargeant. Littlle else known of further RAF career. Was repatriated to Barbados and discharged February 26 1947. Awarded Victory and War Medals. Died October 28  2000

[Source: Derek Davies]

[Photograph from Findagrave.com]