Genealogy Chat

Luckily every bullet missed. I will explain....

I was always fascinated about a story my mother had told me about her childhood in the war. Her family had moved in with relatives at Richings Park, near Iver, Buckinghamshire from their London home to avoid the bombing. Not the best choice as it turned out, as the Hawker Hurricane factory was based there, and the Germans knew it. The family home was part of an estate built in the 1920's around a triangular green with a cricket pitch in the middle. The walk home from school took my mother and her cousin Brenda across the grass to the back of their home. A vehicle attached to a barrage balloon had been set up there as part of the defences around the Hurricane factory. One day as the girls were pushing their bicycles across the grass, wearing wellington boots, a German plane dived to attack the ballooon vehicle and the two girls ended up in a hail of bullets. Today we took a trip to Richings Park, found the home still standing and then went round the back to see the green. At last I could visualise the scene of this incident and imagine the terrified dash to home. My next quest is to find out the story of something else connected with this barrage balloon, witnessed by my mother. A returning Wellington bomber limping home from a raid clipped the cable with its wing and crashed into a nearby field, killing all the crew. It obviously shocked her and her family. Now where do I start to research this particular story?

Hi Paul, I heard about that at school, It was part of a history lesson, not sure if any thing would be in parish records. But there is a lot of war stories about Richings Park and Iver, also Iver Heath, my school pay ground had a crater in the centre where a bomb had been droped, now a large housing estate. Phyllis

HI Paul, Just thought there used to be an air field in Iver, on Langley Road It is now fields used to be owned by George Sparrow and his family of Love Lane. When I stayed there Horses used to be kept there. Some of the runways can still be seen, and part of the concrete sheds as well. Phyllis

My family went from London to High Wycombe in Bucks during the war because it was considered safer. Ive never really understood why....considering theres an American airbase there lol

Hi Paul. Had a search on Google & found this site........ www*isle-of-wight-memorials*org*uk/war-graves/cmj/mountjoyelliott It gives a brief story & names the crew of the aircraft. Hope this will start you off. Malcolm.

Malcolm, I've checked with my mother and she confirms that this is the correct incident - the date matches perfectly. Now I think I should see if I can find the families of these brave young men. I've identified some possible matches on GR and sent messages. Squadron : 115 Sqn Aircraft : Vickers Wellington Mk.Ic T2613 KO-R Crew : Pilot : Pilot Officer A J R Pate, D.F.C. 2nd Pilot / Observer : Sgt W V Jaggs Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Flt/Sgt W E Elliott Air Gunner : Sgt E Fisher Air Gunner : Sgt K R Draper The aircraft was being ferried to Malta when it crashed into barrage balloon cables at about 01.00 hrs, near Iver in Buckinghamshire. All the bodies of the crew were returned to their families for burial. Name: PATE, ALEXANDER JOHN ROBERTS Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Pilot Officer (Pilot) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit Text: 115 Sqdn. Date of Death: 30/10/1940 Service No: 79171 Awards: D F C Son of John Roberts Pate and Mary Henderson Pate. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Sec. C.1. Grave 213. Cemetery: OXFORD (WOLVERCOTE) CEMETERY Name: JAGGS, WALTER VINCENT Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Sergeant (Pilot) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit Text: 115 Sqdn. Age: 21 Date of Death: 30/10/1940 Service No: 745515 Son of Walter Frederick and Mabel Eileen Jaggs, of Sutton, Surrey; husband of Mabel Gladys Grace Jaggs. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: 20. A. 7. Cemetery: BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERY Name: ELLIOTT, WILLIAM ERNEST Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Sergeant (Obs.) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit Text: 115 Sqdn. Age: 21 Date of Death: 30/10/1940 Service No: 755784 Son of Ernest Alfred and Annie Elizabeth Elliott, of Newport. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Sec. F. Grave 15. Cemetery: CARISBROOKE CEMETERY Name: FISHER, EDWARD Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Unit Text: 115 Sqdn. Age: 23 Date of Death: 30/10/1940 Service No: 618704 Son of Willie and Louisa Fisher, of Hemsworth. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Cons. Grave 1250. Cemetery: HEMSWORTH CEMETERY Name: DRAPER, KENNETH RAYMOND Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit Text: 115 Sqdn. Age: 21 Date of Death: 30/10/1940 Service No: 751327 Son of Leonard and Ethel May Draper; nephew of Mr. F. C. Verity of Islington, London. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Row N.D. Grave 23. Cemetery: HILLINGDON AND UXBRIDGE CEMETERY

thank you for the story about your Mum, it is these 'personal' interest stories that make our hobby come to life isn't it? Ann Glos

Hi Paul. There is also some refs. on www*bbc*co*uk about people lives in WW2. Malcolm.

I've now been contacted by the niece of one of the bomber's crew members. Her mother, his sister, is still alive.

Wow, Paul. Special Agent Extraordinaire! Ozi.

Hello Paul, It's nice to see the pieces falling into place for you and you are having answers. Well done to all those helpers. Paul

Thanks Paul - none of this matches what you've done lately... wow!

thats a great story and glad that you got somem new info. your poor mum must have been scared for her life. tales like this really does put meat on the bones of our rellies. linda

There could be a mention in the local paper about it,

I've now made contact with the nieces of two of the crewmembers of the doomed plane, William Elliott and Kenneth Draper.

Hi Paul,
Well that has made a local history lesson come to life, I wonnder if there are any teachers on here from the old schools in Iver that could tell the pupils all about that day.
Phyllis

Paul

I go to Church in Iver and have been involved in transcribing their parish records. I'll have a look in the archives and talk to some of the local historians to see if they have any sources of information that would be of use.

Karen