ARCHER – Phillip Leslie Irving

ARCHER, PHILLIP LESLIE IRVING Initials: P L I Nationality:United Kingdom Rank: Squadron Leader Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force Age: 27 Date of Death: 17/06/1943 Service No: J/3508 Awards: D F C Additional information: Son of Frederick Leslie and Millicent Beryl Archer, of Hastings St. Michael, Barbados.

R Sc. 17 June 1943 421 RCAF Squadron.Spitfire IX LZ996 Rodeo pm. Shot down by JG26 Fw190 near St.Omer.FCL Vo.2 Franks.
[Extract courtesy CXX ww2chat.com. Source spitfires.ukf.net:] 6 enemy aircraft credited

[Source: Air Force Association of Canada:]- ARCHER, F/L Phillip Leslie Irving (J3508) – Distinguished Flying Cross – No.416 Squadron – Award effective 24 August 1942 as per London Gazette dated 11 September 1942 and AFRO 1535/42 dated 25 September 1942.

Born in Bridgetown, Barbados, 1917.
Joined RCAF in Montreal, 6 June 1940.
Trained at No.1 ITS , No.6 EFTS, and No.1 SFTS.
Posted overseas immediately;
to No.57 OTU, 17 February 1941;
to No.92 Squadron, 5 May 1941 where he destroyed three enemy aircraft and damaged one.
To No.412 Squadron, 11 November 1941;
to No.416 Squadron (“A” Flight Commander), 10 March 1942.
To Station Kenley, 1 December 1942.  Presented with award 9 February 1943.  Designated CO,
No.402 Squadron, 13 June 1943 and attached to No.421 Squadron for a few days to get back to operational standards.  On 17 June 1943 he took command of No.421 Squadron on posting of CO;
killed in action 17 June 1943.

Aerial victories as follows:
23 June 1941, one Bf.109F destroyed southeast of Boulogne;
7 July 1941, one Bf.109F destroyed and one damaged near Lille;
9 July 1941, one Bf.109F destroyed near Bethune;
18 July 1942,  one Do.217 destroyed east of Orfordness;
17 June 1943, one FW.190 destroyed (action in which he was killed).

Photo PL-7689 (with P/O Buchan); PL-7690 (in front of Spitfire); PL-11906 (portrait); PL-15375 (F/L E.H. McCaffrey, S/L P.L.I. Archer, F/L D.J. Williams after investiture).

This officer has completed sorties over enemy territory and has destroyed at least four enemy aircraft.  On one occasion, although wounded in the leg, Flight Lieutenant Archer flew his badly damaged aircraft back to the base where he executed a skilful landing.  He is a most efficient leader.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot 8. Row A. Grave 1. Cemetery: LONGUENESSE (ST. OMER) SOUVENIR CEMETERY,FRANCE
[Source: Air Force Association of Canada & cwgc; courtesy Jerome Lee]

HARRIS – Roy Braham

Name: HARRIS, ROY BRAHAM
Initials: R B
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Squadron Leader (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force
Unit Text: 149 Sqdn.
Age: 23
Date of Death: 06/06/1942
Service No: 39662
Additional information: Son of Richmond Braham Harris, and of Ethel Maude Harris, of Cross Roads, Jamaica.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 9. F. 6.
Cemetery: REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY

Stirling I – R9321 – shot down by night fighter – crashed near Wanheimerort on the eastborder of the Rhine, 6 km S of Duisburg, Germany. Crew first buried Düsseldorf (Nordriedhof). (See: Chorley’s Bomber Command Losses Vol. 3, page 119).

[Source: www.WW2chat.com]

VENEBLES – Hugh D.

106029 – Squadron Leader – Pilot – RCAF – Boston – KIA on 9 April 1943

Volunteer Trinidad ETS, trained at Piarco 1st Course; flight commander 418 Sqn. Boston Intruder W8325 took off from RAF Ford at 2200hrs on 9 Apr 1943 for an operational sortie over the Melun-Bretigny area and failed to RTB. Later established that the Boston collided in mid-air with a german twin enginned night fighter. The Two aircraft crashed near St Andre airfield, Chapigny la Futelage, Eure, France. Both crews perished. DFC

[Source CMHA]

SHORT – Walter Horace

136419 – Squadron Leader – Pilot – 181 Sqn – Typhoon – KIA

Volunteer Trinidad, trained at Piarco ETS. Shot down several times; was CO 181 Sqn, Typhoons. Killed at 1210hrs on 27 Dec 44 when his aircraft collided with another aircraft (Canadian pilot) while both were engaged in attacking ground targets during the Battle for Bastogne, in the area of St Vith. Both pilots were killed. Son of Walter Mayow Burgoyne Short, and of Clare Mary Short, of Paddington, London. Awarded DFC

[Source: CMHA]

605470 – W.H.B. Short – Trinidad – attested 28.7.42 – P/O Pilot UK 26.1.43
136419 – A/S/L – F/L (w) – DFC 24.11.44 – commissioned 4.12.42 – missing, believed killed 27.12.44

[Source: NA AIR 2/6876]

Click the link for an Archive Report with more details about Squadron Leader Walter Short DFC on Aircrew Remembered.

[Courtesy Ralph Snape]

MURRAY – Francis Neville

Squadron Leader – RCAF – Pilot – 427 Sqn – Lancaster

[Source: CMHA]

MEYER – Thomas H.

Squadron Leader – Pilot

Thomas Hermangild Meyer. Educated at QRC; Volunteer Trinidad ETS, Trained at Piarco 2nd Course then UK FTS Turnhill – OTU Warhawks P40. Postings to Far East 155 Sqn flying Mohawks then Hurricanes-Flt Cmdr; Flt Cmd 615 Churchill Sqn – Spitfires; became Commanding Officer of 615 on death on previous CO. CO of 30 Sqn – Thunderbolts (3 probables); Tempests II. Seconded to RIAF at the end of the war. (He was seconded to the Royal Indian Air Force having taught himself Urdu during the war; Received the Air Force Cross and details of his time in Burma appear in the book ‘Mohawks over Burma’ written by Gerry Beauchamp. Source: Catherine House, daughter). Total of 100 operational flights. aircraft named “Joe Soap”

[Source: CMHA]

ATS, Piarco, Trinidad. 2nd Course – Standing: F.W. Farfan, K. Rostant, T.H. Meyer – Sitting: I. Bourne, R. Williams (instructor), Lieut. J.F. Carroll (chief instructor), W. Brown (ground engineer), J.D. Lenagan/Lennigan? (senior cadet) [Source: CMHA]

[image: copyright: Hobby Link Japan]

LYDER – Garth

Squadron Leader – Pilot – 180 Sqn TAF – B25 – POW

Educated QRC, Volunteer UK 1939, training in UK, Canada then bahamas. OTU for B25’s; posted Flight Instructor then 180 Sqn. On the raid, the formation leader turned the wrong way and led the squadron over a flak position. The leader was immediately shot down. Lyder then took over the lead position but his a/c was hit almost immediately and disabled. One parachute was blown out of the a/c; so Lyder elected to crash land his aircraft. Was POW for rest of the war.

[Source: CMHA]

LAU – George Stanislaus

George LauSquadron Leader – OBE, MIBM, MIPM, RAF

George Lau was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad on 7 May 1921. He was educated at Naparima and St Mary’s Colleges before being selected in 1941 by the Trinidad Air Training Scheme for Pilot training.  He went on to volunteer for flying duties in the Royal Air Force in 1942, and after Elementary Flying Training in England and Canada, he graduated as an Air Navigator at the RCAF Station Edmonton, Alberta. He completed Operational Training on Hampden Torpedo bombers as well as Dakota DC 3 aircraft in early 1944, at No 32 OUT, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

After a short spell at No. 45 North Atlantic Ferry Group at RCAF Dorval, Montreal, he flew out to the far east and joined No. 117 Squadron in mid 1944 on the India/Burma border flying DC 3 aircraft in the air supply dropping role against the Japanese. After completing an Operational Tour of 165 missions he was then posted in 1945 to No. 353 Squadron engaged in short range transport activities in the India/Burma/China area.

In 1946, he returned to England and joined No. 511 Squadron at RAF Lyneham flying York and Hastings aircraft on long range transport operations over the Middle East, East Africa and Far East.  Whilst serving with No. 511 Squadron, he was specially selected and granted a Permanent Commission as a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force Flying Branch.

Also during his four(4) years tour with 511 Sqn, he flew operational sorties in the evacuation of prisoners of war from Singapore, the movement of families to and fro India and Pakistan during the Indian Independence hostilities support ops during the emergencies in Malaya and in Kenya, and the Berlin Airlift.

On the airlift, Sqn Ldr Lau flew over 200 missions between RAF Wunstorf, Hannover and RAF Gatow, Berlin, in the period July 48 to June 49.

Between 1951 and 1954, he was a Flight Commander and Instructor at No. 1 and No. 5 Air Navigation Schools. He then joined the Central Flying School, RAF Little Rissington as Adjutant and Staff Navigator.

This was followed in 1957 by courses on Night Fighters and as a Fighter Controller. His next post was in Cyprus on the Air Defence Staff and in 1958, he became Officer Commanding No. 280 Signals Unit, a Master Ground Controlled Interception Unit at RAF Akrotiri responsible for the island air defence during the Emergency. At the end of this appointment he was awarded the OBE.

In 1960, he commanded a Training Squadron at No. 2 Technical Training School. By 1962 he returned to flying duties as Seniors Operations Officer and Instructor at No. 230 Vulcan Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), after completing a series of courses on Canberra and Vulcan Bomber aircraft.

He next moved to Singapore when in 1965 he joined the Staff of the Air Officer Commanding No. 224 Group, RAF Seletar during the Indonesian/Malaysian Confrontation. On completion of this tour in 1967, he was posted back to England onto the Headquarters Staff of Bomber Command (later renamed Strike Command).

After a couple years at RAF Strike Command, Sqn Ldr Lau, at his own request, prematurely voluntarily retired from the Royal Air Force in order to pursue a second career in Industry.  He joined Tate & Lyle PLC in 1969 and retired from that company in 1992, having served in Senior management appointments in the UK, West Indies and east Africa.

He now resides in England. He is married to Elaine Chan Sing, also a Trinidadian.  They have 2 daughters – Susanne and Diane.

AIRCRAFT TYPE FLOWN

Tigermoth Anson Hampden
Dakota DC3 Beechcraft Liberator
Skymaster DC4 Wellington Sunderland
York Lancaster Oxford
Hastings Valetta Varsity
Meteor Shackleton Harvard
Vampire Brigand Marathon
Canberra Balliol Viscount
Valiant DC6 Pembroke
Vulcan Sycamore

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Graduate Air Navigator
Graduate Specialist Navigator/Instructor
Qualified Fighter Controller
Graduate Admin Staff College
HND Business Studies (MBIM)
Diploma Personnel Management (MIPM)

HONOURS/AWARDS
OBE

Resume submitted by George S Lau, 29 April 1992

[Source: CMHA]

KELSHALL – John Brian

Squadron Leader – RCAF – Pilot

Educated CIC, Volunteered in Canada July 1941. Flight Instructor and Staff Pilot RCAF Baird Rivers, Manitoba. Died April 1991

[Source: CMHA]

KEATING – L.J.

Squadron Leader – Chaplain

[Source: CMHA]

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