207 SQUADRON ROYAL AIR FORCE HISTORY

207 Squadron (RAF) Association Newsletters 2006
Content Index

Summer 2006 - Our 90th Anniversary Year

1 President's page - Ken Marwood: Recalls 7Sqn RNAS veterans at Dining-In Night in the Mess at Marham in 1960; Kevin Mapley thanked for taking Dorothy Ware to 1279 (Melton Mowbray) Squadron ATC to present the Thomas Skelton ATC Trophy on behalf of the Association
3 News from the Squadron at RAF Linton on Ouse - Flt Lt Shaun Kimberley
4 Deaths of ex-Squadron members: Ken Bate DFM, Air Bomber 3/43-9/43; Frank Belfitt DFM, Observer 2/41-3/42; Graham Douglass OBE AFC, Pilot 7/47-7/49; Fred Elcock, General Armourer 11/40-4/43 d2000; Mrs Eleanor Fomison, Friend, widow of George Fomison; Alan van Geersdaele, Master Signaller 6/56-2/60; Bob Holmes AE, Service Police 5/43-7/45; Peter J Hornfeck, Friend Member; Bob Jack, Wireless Operator 44-45 d1986; Eric King, Wireless Operator 9/44-7/46; John Mace, Bomb Aimer 2/45-3/46; Ralph Peto, Valiant Crew Chief; JIM Salisbury, Valiant Crew Chief 56-64; Ken Smith, Armourer 9/43-5/45
4 Obituary: Sqn Ldr Leslie Lez Tom Arthur RAF(Retd) Pilot, OC 207 Squadron 1/72-3/73 - 'Fay' Arthur, Gerry Herd
6 Obituary: WO Kenneth (Ken) A Bate DFM, Observer 3/43-9/43 - Ken Bate jr, Nat Bury, Jack Pegrum, Jack Stephens, Arthur Barfoot
7 Obituary: Frank J Belfitt DFM, Observer 2/41-3/42 - Michael Belfitt, Bob Storey
9 Obituary: Alan EJ Van Geersdale, Master Signaller 1956-60 - Julian Van Geersdale
9 Obituary: Bob Holmes, Service Police 5/43-7/45 - daughter, Joan Osborne
9 Obituary: Peter J Hornfeck, son of the late Peter W Hornfeck, POW Henderson crew 6 Dec 1944 EM-C PD322 - Ruth Hornfeck
9 Obituary: Eric King, Wireless Operator 9/44-7/46, Mathieson crew
9 Obituary: John Mace, Bomb Aimer 2/45-3/46, Ken Marten crew - Jean Mace
9 Obituary: Ken Smith, Armourer 9/43-5/45 - Barbara Smith, John Pearl, Raymond Glynne-Owen
11 Obituary: Ralph Peto, Valiant Crew Chief - John Peto, Keith Ellis, Eddie Crook, Jim Kearney
12 More on Dinty Moore AEO 12/60-10/64 - Ken Marwood, Ken Hunter
13 Note on death of Nora Alkins, sister of Bruce Somers, Bomb Aimer in the Corless crew - Kevin Mapley
13 Thomas Skelton ATC Trophy - Kevin Mapley
13 News of 207 Memorials - Langar; 14 Brigstock, Spilsby; new Watchtower at Bottesford - Kevin Mapley
15 ATC News: 1279 (Melton Mowbray) Squadron ATC - Flt Lt Lana Willson RAFVR(T); 207 (Cranfield) Squadron ATC - Matt Dolton
16 [Notice of] Sun 27 Aug 2006 3pm Lincoln Cathedral – Dedication of a Bomber Command Memorial [Ledger Stone] - Bill Green, Friend Member
16 Some Memories of RAF Marham 1959-63 part 2: 3526653 SAC John Ockenden
17 Editor's Corner - Frank Haslam: Researching 207 Sqn Marham and Northolt postings; When someone dies; 18 BBC documentary on the Suez crisis; 18 Ivan Halstead, Nav Systems 1/56-1/59 on Suez; 18 Wg Cdr John ‘Dim’ De Lacey Wooldridge DFC* DFM (Pilot, 207 Sqn 1942) - Hugh Wooldridge; 19 Dim's widow, Margaretta Scott; 19 MoD cuts funding to the RAF Museum; 20 A 207 car? - Bert Irwin, son of AK (Bert) Irwin DFC, Nav 9/43-2/44; Spilsby Memories - Raymond Glynne-Owen; 21 Near a 207 [cemetery] or passing by? - Frank Haslam;
21 Toying with a Tornado - Lesley Hayward, widow of Dick Hayward, Pilot 10/69-6/72
22 Sgt Jack Culley kia 6 Aug 1942, Ings crew (Lancaster EM-T R5761). Helen Deakin seeks a photo of him or this crew
22 Found at last, the family Charles J Mike Solly kia 22/6/44 EM-M LL973 - Frank Haslam
22 Ex 207 Devon WB531 in Germany
23 1st May 2006 - 50,000th visit recorded on our website
23 Veterans’ Badge – now for more than WW2 servicemen and women
23 Claiming For Campaign Medals: Replacing Campaign Medals
23 WAAF Association to lay up their Standard: St Clement Danes at 11am on Sunday 3rd Sep 2006.
24 New listed status for historic airfields - including East Kirkby and Northolt
24 RAF Museum Cosford's landmark National 'Cold War' Exhibition hall is beginning to take shape
24 Andrew & Ruth Armstrongs’ Joyce Brotherton project - appeal for information about her life and family
25 New page on our website - References to No.207 Squadron RAF or No.7 Squadron RNAS in books (other than those in the bibliography) or on film/video/DVD.
25 Mrs Mary Inglis, wife of Graham Inglis Pilot 3/45-8/46 is in contact
25 Land-Rover honours RAF Gaydon
25 Douglas Cottier (12 Aug 42-Aug 43) : Christopher Cottier seeks contact with anyone who knew his father

Winter 2006/Spring 2007 - Russ Jeffs, the last of our wartime Commanding Officers

1 President's page - Ken Marwood: Deaths of Russ Jeffs and Bob Hodges; Squadron 90th Anniversary commemorated by a flyover by three 207 Tucanos of most of 207’s UK bases
2 News from the Squadron - Flt Lt Shaun Kimberley
2 Visit by Colin Denwood, Wireless Operator 6/44-12/44 to RAF Linton-on-Ouse - Alan Mawby
3 Squadron celebrates many happy returns - flovers of many former bases by three 207 Tucanos - York Press article, Nov 2006
4 Deaths: Dick Burnet, Pilot 11/43-1/44; Reg Burton, Wireless Operator 9/43-10/43; Russ Jeffs AFC RAF(Retd) Pilot & CO 5/42-12/42; Ron Hart, Navigator 11/44-5/45; Gilbert Haworth DFC DFM Navigator/Bomb Aimer 12/42-6/43; John Howard, Pilot 12/44-7/45; VH Hudson, Navigator (seen in Intercom Autumn 2006, member of Albrighton ACA); MA Mawbie Hughes – died about 1991? AEO 2/59-6/63; Bill Martin DFC AFC Pilot & CO 6/61-5/63; Kenneth V Kiwi O'Rourke, Pilot 3/54-11/55 & 2/58-4/60; Charlie Smith DFM ISM Wireless Operator 5/41-5/42; Charles Stenner DSO DFC Pilot 4/41-6/41; Clive Suttor DFC Pilot 8/42-6/43
4 Obituary: Wg Cdr Russ Jeffs AFC RAF(Retd) Pilot & CO 5/42-12/42 - Brian Jeffs
7 Obituary: Clive Suttor DFC Pilot 8/42-6/43 - Bob Russell
7 Obituary: Ron Hart, Navigator 11/44-5/45 - Ralph Tyrell, Frank Haslam
8 Obituary: C Charles Smudge Smith DFM ISM Wireless Operator 5/41-5/42 - Address at his funeral
8 Obituary: AB Beck Parsons Electrician 3/41-3/43 - eulogy by Dr Norman Barfield
10 Obituary: Gilbert Haworth DFC DFM Navigator/Bomb Aimer 12/42-6/43
11 Obituary: Reg Burton, Wireless Operator 9/43-10/43 - Bill Green, Len Sheldon, Frank Haslam
11 Obituary: Richardson Dick Burnet, Pilot 11/43-1/44 - Ken Brown
11 Obituary: Charles Darwen Stenner DSO DFC Pilot 4/41-6/41 - Lester Stenner
11 More on Ken Smith - Wallace McIntosh
12 ACM Sir Lewis Hodges KCB CBE DSO* DFC* DL (Station Commander at Marham 1956-59) - MRAF Sir Michael Beetham GCB, CBE, DFC, AFC, DL,
12 ACM Sir Lewis Hodges - from obituaries in The Times, Daily Telegraph and The Independent
13 ATC News; 207 (Cranfield) Squadron ATC - OC Flt Lt P S Sucksmith RAFVR(T); 1279 (Melton Mowbray) Squadron ATC - OC Flt Lt Lana Willson, RAFVR(T)
15 Lincoln Cathedral - Dedication of a Bomber Command Memorial [Ledger Stone] Sunday 27 August 2006 - Frank Haslam
16 Some Memories of RAF Marham 1959-63 part 3: 3526653 SAC John Ockenden
16 I mind as if it were yesterday … - Winton McNab, Ground crew 5/56-1/57
17 A Sentimental Journey - Friend member Valerie Hollingshurst, daughter of Sgt Richard Gaut kia 16/7/44 (via Kevin Mapley)
17 Canadian Clips [visit to Canada and about the Corless crew by the Mapleys] - Kevin Mapley
18 Dedication of the New Zealand War Memorial [in Green Park, London] 11 November 2006 - Jack Briggs DFC RNZAF Navigator 3/44 -5/44
19 In Grandad's Footsteps - Joe Blaha, son in law of Wallace McIntosh
20 The Jack family say thank you - Stuart Jack, Friend Member, son of Bob Jack, WOp in the Grey crew at Spilsby
20 Lez Arthur Low Down in a Javelin - Alan Mudge
20 Another Memorial to a 207 crew [near Jisp, Netherlands, to Harold Healey's crew Lancaster EM-Q ED554] - Frank Haslam
21 The Red Lion at Great Steeping - Raymond Glynne-Owen
22 Editor's Corner - Frank Haslam: Mike Solly’s family found at last; postwar 207 Rum & Coke photo; 207 crew Valiant crash at Market Rasen - Noble and Mills families in contact