GREAVES – William George Julian

William George Julian Greaves (1393795) of Grenada

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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]

ABBOTT – Randolph T.

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]

 

COOK – Francis Stewart Crichton

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

INNISS – Ronald Norman

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]

RN Inniss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Photograph from Findagrave.com]

 

DAVIES – Derek

1809290 – Derek Sewell Blackburn Davies – Barbados – Flight Sergeant  – 224 Sqn – Liberators – Specialist Air Gunner

Joined the RAF on 3rd September 1942, serving for nine months in the RAF regiment.
Received aircrew training as an air gunner receiving his wing in April 1944.
Posted to 224 Squadron joining the crew of Flight Lieutenant Merrington flying in B24 Liberators.
Flew 33 operational sorties which included the covering of the D-Day landings with the B24s along with other aircraft thus preventing other U-boats and other units of the German navy from penetrating the main landing sites.
Seconded in November 1945 to the Colonial Office in London to assist with the repatriation of other West Indians to their homelands serving F/Lt Arthur Wint, F/Lt Peter Bynoe, Squadron Leader Ulric Cross
Repatriated to Barbados arriving there on 24th December 1946.
Later received the Barbados Service Medal.

[Source: Derek Davies]

SQUARE – J.H

605596 – J.H. Square – attested 19.5.43 – Sgt. Pilot UK 29.8.44
(Possibly not Caribbean)

[Source: NA AIR 2/6876]

KEARSLEY – H.

605592 – H. Kearsley – attested 7.5.43 – Sgt. Pilot UK 24.11.44
(Possibly not Caribbean)

[Source: NA AIR 2/6876]

LEES – P.F.

605572 – P.F. Lees – attested 21.4.43 – Sgt. Wireless Operator/Air Gunner – 3.5.44
(Possibly not Caribbean)

[Source: NA AIR 2/6876]

HANNA – Charles Murray

605539 – C.M. Hanna – attested 29.1.43 – Sgt Wireless Operator/Air Gunner UK 20.1.44
Missing 12.12.44
(Possibly not Caribbean)

[Source: NA AIR 2/6876]

SANDIFER – H.M

605534 – H.M. Sandifer – Sgt – Pilot – UK 16.1.43
(Possibly not Caribbean)

[Source: NA AIR 2/6876]

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