FARRINGTON – Philip Eric

Service no. 1384766

[Lads going to WWII. Front L-R: Hartis Thompson and Philip Farrington.
Back: L-R Garth Johnson, George Moseley, and Warren Lightbourn.
Source: Bahamas Handbook; picture taken from www.outislandboy.com]

Serial Number: 1396487
RAF Trade: Flight Engineer
Date of Enlistment: 1939
Rank Achieved: Warrant Officer
Operational Sorties:  3 Ops with 115 Squadron, 47 ops with 156 Squadron

On 31^st August 1941, he left New Providence for England via Miami, New York and Halifax, Nova Scotia from where he sailed to England in a convoy of ships arriving at Liverpool on September 19^th 1941.  He spent several days in London and then went to Readcar to be outfitted and spent thirteen months in training and studying.  He passed out as a mechanic and later remustered to fitters course and then to aircrew as a Flight Engineer Air Gunner.   

He first served with the 115 Squadron of Bomber Command and later with Group 8 of 156 Squadron of the elite Path Finder Force, Bomber Command stationed at Warboys Airfield in South West England.

After completing thirty-six operational flights in April 1944 he was recommended and received the prestigious award of the Distinguished Flying Medal (D.F.M.). 

 His Wing Commander in the citation described him –

“He is a member of an outstanding Path Finder Force crew, and his resourcefulness and unfailing efficiency have contributed to the aircraft returning to base from raids during which the safety of the aircraft depended upon his knowledge and skill.

He is cool and unruffled under fire and his consistent skill and reliability under harassing circumstances have been inspiring to other members of the crew.

His high sense of devotion to duty made him well worth of the Award of Distinguished Flying Medal.”

[Source: http://www.156squadron.com/Crew_Johnson.html]

Read more about Mr. Johnson’s remarkable life and career at the wonderful website www.156squadron.com and here: http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/highlighting-heroes-remembrance-day

PO    Sawyers    J

Reported as KIA but no entry found on CWGC. Trinidad Guardian 12 Mar 1942 quoting 22nd List of West India Committee Circular, listed as KIA, RAF, Bahamas. Possibly POW?

207 Squadron (Sawyer, not Sawyers)

[Source: Safarikovi]

Aircrew  PO  Thomas James,  LOTHIAN
Service No: J92380  Service: RCAF
Trade/Branch:   Air Gnr Squadron(s): 622 Sqn
Station/Unit/Ship: RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk
Group: 3     Command:   Bomber
Nationality: Bahamas   Disposal:   KIA   Age  26  yrs   Date Died:    12 Feb 1945
Aircraft 3: Lancaster  GI-?
Bob Baxter’s Bomber Command has no Lancaster Raids for 10-12 Feb 1945
Buried At: Brookwood Military Cemetery
Grave/Memorial : 56.H.3
Next of Kin: Son of Albert J. Lothian and Mary H. Lothian, of Fort Charlotte Heights, Nassau, Bahamas.

[Source(s): CWGC – courtesy Jerome Lee]

UPGRADE to Thomas James Lothian J 92380, he died when he accidently fell from a window of 6th floor of Nell Gwynne House in London whilst on leave awaiting repatriation after completing a tour of operations

[Source: www.rafcommands.com accessed 05/04/2021]

[Pictures from www.veterans.gc.ca]

Aircrew  Flt Lt  Warren Maurice,  LIGHTBOURN
Service No: 119573  Service: RAFVR
Trade/Branch:   Pilot Squadron(s): 610 Sqn
Station/Unit/Ship: B.78 Eindhoven
Group: 127 Wing     Command:   2TAF
Nationality: Bahamas Disposal:   KIA   Age  25  yrs   Date Died:    14 Feb 1945
Aircraft 1: Spitfire XIV DW-?
was at Bolt Head in July 1943. He was killed on 14th February 1945 aged 25. Destroyed V2 Flying Bomb. Flew as No 2 to Freddie Crewe. Lightbourn and Freddie Crewe were Squadron representatives at wedding of Sousse Venesoen in Anglesey. Flew from Bolt Head in Tiger Moth on 1st August returning to Bolt Head on 2nd. Winds so strong that trains were overtaking the Tiger on return journey. On 14 Feb 1945, a 610 Sqn pilot downed a Me 262.

Buried At: Reichswald Forest War Cemetery
Grave/Memorial : 1.A.15
Next of Kin: Son of Maurice S. and Ida L. Lightbourn, of Nassau, Bahamas.

[Source(s): CWGC; 610squadron.com, rafcommands – courtesy Jerome Lee]

Correction: Probably not a V2 destroyed, but a V1 (June 12th, 1944)

[Source: Safarikovi]

Read more on www.outislandboy.com

Pictures below taken from  www.outislandboy.com

[Lads going to WWII. Front L-R: Hartis Thompson and Philip Farrington.
Back: L-R Garth Johnson, George Moseley, and Warren Lightbourn. Source: Bahamas Handbook]

1382324 – J. Maura – Bahamas – attested 25.11.40 – F/L Pilot
109493 – commissioned 22.10.41 – S(erious?) inj(ured?) 27.2.42

[Source: NA AIR 2/6876 – Nominal Roll of Coloured Candidates, October 1944]

Aircrew  FS  Frank Alfred Conway,  MACAULEY
Service No: R65534  Service: RCAF
Trade/Branch:   W.Op/ Air Gnr.
Nationality: Bahamas
Disposal:   KIA   Age  22  yrs   Date Died:    16 Sep 1942

Buried At: Bexhill Cemetery
Grave/Memorial : Div. Q. Sec. E. Row A. Grave 1.
Next of Kin: Son of Timothy A. Macauley, and Margaret C. Macauley, of Nassau, Bahamas.

[Source: CWGC]

George Winthrop Sargent, MOSELEY – F/L
Service No: 114927  Service: RAF Pilot, 305 (Polish) Sq
Nationality: Bahamas
Disposal:  KIA – Age 25 yrs – Date Died: 26 Nov 1944

Buried At: Reichswald Forest War Cemetery
Grave/Memorial : Joint grave 12. D. 13-14.
Next of Kin: Son of Daniel Sargent Darling Moseley and Myrtle Howard Moseley, of Nassau, Bahamas.

[Source: CWGC]

Read more on www.outislandboy.com

Pictures below taken from  www.outislandboy.com

[Lads going to WWII. Front L-R: Hartis Thompson and Philip Farrington.
Back: L-R Garth Johnson, George Moseley, and Warren Lightbourn. Source: Bahamas Handbook]

1398262 – Sergeant – 78 Sqn – KIA 12/6-1943 (at 28) – Runnymede Memorial, Surrey, UK

[Source: CG, CWGC]

[picture copyright Mrs. Olga Reid; courtesy Mrs. Angela Robinson]

Halifax JD145 Mission to Bochum

Took off at 22.57 from Linton-on Ouse. Lost in the sea off the Dutch coast. Five, including Sgt Jordan who came from Nassau in the Bahamas, are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, while Sgt Payne is buried in Vredenhof Cemetery on the island of Schiermonnikoog; Sgt Wright is buried on Terschelling in Westerschelling General Cemetery.

F/Sgt M Baxter
Sgt A McD Young
Sgt W H Jordan
Sgt J N Angus
Sgt C W Payne
Sgt E Wright
Sgt E G Westall

[source: Herkirantoor, see additions below]

Bochum Raid: Looking at the time Wilbur’s plane and crew were shot down by Major Rolf Leuchs, they probably never reached the target on that occasion, but were possibly returning home due to an mechanical problem with the aircraft. They set off from Linton on Ouse in Yorkshire at 22:57 on the 12 June 1943. The rest of the squadron dropped their bombs over the target at approx. 01:40 on the 13 June 1943, but JD145 was shot down at 01:35 near Texel in the Netherlands by Leuchs (who was flying nightfighter missions from the airbase at Leeuwarden, aka ‘Fliegerhorst Leeuwarden’)

Wilbur’s crew were not originally scheduled for the Bochum mission, as the bomb aimer, Jack Angus, was supposed to be best man at his brother (Charles) wedding that weekend, but they were required to make up the crew numbers for that mission from which he never returned.

Operations Records Book: click on pictures to enlarge

[source: Mrs Angela Robinson]