Obituaries (2 Viewers)
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fubar57
General
imalko
Chief Master Sergeant
Nikolay Belayev (Николай Беляев) last living participant of the storming of the Reichstag during battle of Berlin died at the age of 93.
fubar57
General
Group Captain Ray Price Coastal Command navigator who led 36 Mosquitos on a perilous operation up a Norwegian fjord.
Group Captain Ray Price, who has died aged 93, was an RAF navigator who flew many low-level anti-shipping strikes; with his New Zealand pilot, Wing Commander Bill Sise, he formed one of Coastal Command's most formidable partnerships.
In April 1944 Price and the highly decorated Sise teamed up and joined No 235 Squadron at Portreath in Cornwall, initially flying the Beaufighter then the Mosquito. They led many strikes against shipping in the Bay of Biscay and in the entrances to French ports. They led a devastating attack from mast-height against minesweepers in the Gironde estuary, during which the canopy of their Mosquito was shattered by anti-aircraft fire. After a difficult return flight, they landed safely in Cornwall.
On June 6, as the Allied forces landed in Normandy, Price and his pilot flew on patrols off Brest during an operation to prevent German Navy surface forces harassing the huge Allied armada approaching Normandy.
Once German forces had been swept from France, the squadron moved to Banff in northern Scotland to begin concentrated attacks against the convoys using the Norwegian fjords for shelter. Sise had been appointed to command No 248 Squadron. As the most experienced pilot in the Banff Wing, he led many attacks often involving three squadrons. This placed great responsibility on Price whose navigation across the North Sea had to be perfect. On one occasion they led 87 Beaufighters and Mosquitos on a strike to Alesund, a complex operation requiring pinpoint navigation to succeed.
Leading an attack against a convoy in Florø harbour, an engine of their Mosquito was set on fire by flak but they pressed home their attack before returning 400 miles across the North Sea. Soon after this operation, Price was awarded the DFC and Sise received a Bar to an earlier DFC.
Throughout the winter of 1944-45, the two men continued to lead attacks against shipping sheltering in the lee of high mountains. These had to be made in a steep dive down the sides of precipitous cliffs in the face of intense opposition. They led 36 Mosquitos into Nordgulen Fjord to attack a convoy when almost all the ships were hit by rockets and cannon fire leaving two ships burning furiously. The anti-aircraft fire from heavily armed minesweeper escorts was intense and losses on these sorties were high.
The Banff Wing took a considerable toll of shipping destined for Germany in what has since been described as "The Forgotten Offensive." At the end of February, Price and his pilot were finally rested. The citation for the Bar to his DFC mentioned Price's faultless navigation in difficult circumstances and described him as "a courageous member of crew". Sise was awarded a Bar to an earlier DSO.
Raymond George Price was born on January 9 1922 in Gloucester and was educated at the local Central School and Technical College. He joined the RAF as a boy entrant in February 1939 and trained as a ground wireless operator. In 1941 he volunteered for aircrew duties and trained as an observer.
He joined No 254 Squadron flying the Blenheim on convoy patrols from airfields in Northern Ireland. After re-equipping with the Beaufighter late in 1942, the squadron joined the North Coates Strike Wing. It specialised in low-level torpedo attacks along the Dutch coast and Frisian Islands against convoys carrying raw materials from Scandinavia to Rotterdam.
After an intense period of training, the wing conducted its first major operation on April 18 1943 when its three squadrons attacked a convoy off the island of Texel. Flying at 50 ft into intense anti-aircraft fire, Price and his pilot lined up on the major ship the Norwegian Höegh Carrier. They released their torpedo at close range and theirs was one of three that struck the ship, which eventually sank.
Throughout the summer of 1943, Price carried out many other successful strikes off the Dutch coast, but losses were high. In the autumn, he was rested and became a navigation instructor until he returned to operations after teaming up with Sise.
Price remained in the RAF after the war becoming a specialist navigator. He was the chief instructor at a training school for navigators before serving in Aden. In February 1956 he was given command of No 35 Squadron, a Canberra jet bomber squadron, making him one of the very first navigators to command such a unit. As a wing commander he was in charge of administration on the Coastal Command base at St Mawgan before filling a number of specialist navigation appointments. He served at HQ Flying Training Command and in January 1969 took command of RAF Stradishall in Suffolk, home of one of the RAF's two air navigation schools.
His final appointment was at Biggin Hill where he was responsible for selecting future officers and aircrew for the RAF. He retired in April 1973.
For many years he was the assistant secretary to the Diocesan Board of Finance at Gloucester Cathedral until he retired in 1987.
A keen fisherman and ardent rugby fan, he and his wife moved to Marlow. Throughout his life he maintained a close friendship with Bill Sise and visited him in New Zealand.
Ray Price married Joan Edgington in January 1947. She died in 2006 and their daughter survives him.
Group Captain Ray Price, born January 9 1922, died October 10 2015
source: The Telegraph
Group Captain Ray Price, who has died aged 93, was an RAF navigator who flew many low-level anti-shipping strikes; with his New Zealand pilot, Wing Commander Bill Sise, he formed one of Coastal Command's most formidable partnerships.
In April 1944 Price and the highly decorated Sise teamed up and joined No 235 Squadron at Portreath in Cornwall, initially flying the Beaufighter then the Mosquito. They led many strikes against shipping in the Bay of Biscay and in the entrances to French ports. They led a devastating attack from mast-height against minesweepers in the Gironde estuary, during which the canopy of their Mosquito was shattered by anti-aircraft fire. After a difficult return flight, they landed safely in Cornwall.
On June 6, as the Allied forces landed in Normandy, Price and his pilot flew on patrols off Brest during an operation to prevent German Navy surface forces harassing the huge Allied armada approaching Normandy.
Once German forces had been swept from France, the squadron moved to Banff in northern Scotland to begin concentrated attacks against the convoys using the Norwegian fjords for shelter. Sise had been appointed to command No 248 Squadron. As the most experienced pilot in the Banff Wing, he led many attacks often involving three squadrons. This placed great responsibility on Price whose navigation across the North Sea had to be perfect. On one occasion they led 87 Beaufighters and Mosquitos on a strike to Alesund, a complex operation requiring pinpoint navigation to succeed.
Leading an attack against a convoy in Florø harbour, an engine of their Mosquito was set on fire by flak but they pressed home their attack before returning 400 miles across the North Sea. Soon after this operation, Price was awarded the DFC and Sise received a Bar to an earlier DFC.
Throughout the winter of 1944-45, the two men continued to lead attacks against shipping sheltering in the lee of high mountains. These had to be made in a steep dive down the sides of precipitous cliffs in the face of intense opposition. They led 36 Mosquitos into Nordgulen Fjord to attack a convoy when almost all the ships were hit by rockets and cannon fire leaving two ships burning furiously. The anti-aircraft fire from heavily armed minesweeper escorts was intense and losses on these sorties were high.
The Banff Wing took a considerable toll of shipping destined for Germany in what has since been described as "The Forgotten Offensive." At the end of February, Price and his pilot were finally rested. The citation for the Bar to his DFC mentioned Price's faultless navigation in difficult circumstances and described him as "a courageous member of crew". Sise was awarded a Bar to an earlier DSO.
Raymond George Price was born on January 9 1922 in Gloucester and was educated at the local Central School and Technical College. He joined the RAF as a boy entrant in February 1939 and trained as a ground wireless operator. In 1941 he volunteered for aircrew duties and trained as an observer.
He joined No 254 Squadron flying the Blenheim on convoy patrols from airfields in Northern Ireland. After re-equipping with the Beaufighter late in 1942, the squadron joined the North Coates Strike Wing. It specialised in low-level torpedo attacks along the Dutch coast and Frisian Islands against convoys carrying raw materials from Scandinavia to Rotterdam.
After an intense period of training, the wing conducted its first major operation on April 18 1943 when its three squadrons attacked a convoy off the island of Texel. Flying at 50 ft into intense anti-aircraft fire, Price and his pilot lined up on the major ship the Norwegian Höegh Carrier. They released their torpedo at close range and theirs was one of three that struck the ship, which eventually sank.
Throughout the summer of 1943, Price carried out many other successful strikes off the Dutch coast, but losses were high. In the autumn, he was rested and became a navigation instructor until he returned to operations after teaming up with Sise.
Price remained in the RAF after the war becoming a specialist navigator. He was the chief instructor at a training school for navigators before serving in Aden. In February 1956 he was given command of No 35 Squadron, a Canberra jet bomber squadron, making him one of the very first navigators to command such a unit. As a wing commander he was in charge of administration on the Coastal Command base at St Mawgan before filling a number of specialist navigation appointments. He served at HQ Flying Training Command and in January 1969 took command of RAF Stradishall in Suffolk, home of one of the RAF's two air navigation schools.
His final appointment was at Biggin Hill where he was responsible for selecting future officers and aircrew for the RAF. He retired in April 1973.
For many years he was the assistant secretary to the Diocesan Board of Finance at Gloucester Cathedral until he retired in 1987.
A keen fisherman and ardent rugby fan, he and his wife moved to Marlow. Throughout his life he maintained a close friendship with Bill Sise and visited him in New Zealand.
Ray Price married Joan Edgington in January 1947. She died in 2006 and their daughter survives him.
Group Captain Ray Price, born January 9 1922, died October 10 2015
source: The Telegraph
fubar57
General
Once German forces had been swept from France, the squadron moved to Banff in northern Scotland to begin concentrated attacks against the convoys using the Norwegian fjords for shelter. Sise had been appointed to command No 248 Squadron. As the most experienced pilot in the Banff Wing, he led many attacks often involving three squadrons. This placed great responsibility on Price whose navigation across the North Sea had to be perfect. On one occasion they led 87 Beaufighters and Mosquitos on a strike to Alesund, a complex operation requiring pinpoint navigation to succeed.
In many ways it was a forgotten war 87 Beaus and Mosquitos on low level attack must have been a sight to see.
Rest in peace Group Captain Price.
In many ways it was a forgotten war 87 Beaus and Mosquitos on low level attack must have been a sight to see.
Rest in peace Group Captain Price.
vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
Blue Skies Forever for F/O David Pattison Lambert - 148 SOE RAF and 3 times Warsaw Veteran
F/O David Lambert RAF passed away on 3 February 2016. David was an air gunner / dispatcher in 148 Sq Special Operations Executive ( SOE) - Special Duties.
David and his crew flew 3 flights in aid of the Poles to Warsaw on 14/16/18 August 1944 - he was then a very young man: "Flight Sgt. David Pattison LAMBERT DOB 27-6-1924 and service number 1823096 RAF VR . Soon after their successful... flights to Warsaw they were commissioned on 4/11/1944 and David carried the service number of 189247 and then the rank of Flying Officer. They flew Hadley Page Halifaxes and were based at Brindisi. The Halifax Aircraft with code letters G/G/B were flown to Warsaw on above respective dates.
Those of us who were in Warsaw in 2014 at the 70th Commemoration will remember David as a great gentleman. He was accompanied by his son Stephen Lambert and 2 members of his crew were also in attendance at Warsaw: Flt Sgt Larry Toft (the pilot) and Fl Sgt Jim Leith (air gunner).
Sadly W/O Larry Toft passed away on 1 Sept 2015.
F/O David Lambert RAF passed away on 3 February 2016. David was an air gunner / dispatcher in 148 Sq Special Operations Executive ( SOE) - Special Duties.
David and his crew flew 3 flights in aid of the Poles to Warsaw on 14/16/18 August 1944 - he was then a very young man: "Flight Sgt. David Pattison LAMBERT DOB 27-6-1924 and service number 1823096 RAF VR . Soon after their successful... flights to Warsaw they were commissioned on 4/11/1944 and David carried the service number of 189247 and then the rank of Flying Officer. They flew Hadley Page Halifaxes and were based at Brindisi. The Halifax Aircraft with code letters G/G/B were flown to Warsaw on above respective dates.
Those of us who were in Warsaw in 2014 at the 70th Commemoration will remember David as a great gentleman. He was accompanied by his son Stephen Lambert and 2 members of his crew were also in attendance at Warsaw: Flt Sgt Larry Toft (the pilot) and Fl Sgt Jim Leith (air gunner).
Sadly W/O Larry Toft passed away on 1 Sept 2015.
fubar57
General
Wildcat
Major
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
R.I.P. Blue skies and tail winds, to peace in the clouds.