RCAF air reconnaissance flight

[Richard_vanB]

I bought a aerial photo made on 13 september 1944. The pilot was Tozer with sortie R4/832. I found a G.H. Tozer, RAF 143290, who flew in squadron 437 RCAF. On his flight he made 7 photo's of a part from the city The Hague. Probably a reconnaissance for a search of launchstations V2. Squadron 437 RCAF was formed on 14 september 1944 at Blakehill Farm, England.
If pilot Tozer flew on 13 september is this then the pilot also named in squadron 437? And if so, which plane did he flew? G.H. Tozer flew some days later a Dakota during Operation Market Garden
Can someone help me with this?

 

[fubar57]

I have the 437 Sq ORB and there is a F/O G.R. Tozer 143290 listed as (2P) which I imagine is co-pilot and flew in Dakota Mk.llls

 

[Richard_vanB]

I have the 437 Sq ORB and there is a F/O G.R. Tozer 143290 listed as (2P) which I imagine is co-pilot and flew in Dakota Mk.llls

Thank you. What means ORB? 2P stands for second pilot. i thought that a Dakota has been used as a transportplane and not for reconaissance? Or am i mistaking? and 437 squadron was raised on 14 september. The Tozer named on my photo flew on 13 september.

 

[fubar57]

ORB- Operations Record Book. The brief look-over I have given show the Daks flying freight and mail into Europe and returning with wounded, etc. I'll go over it again but Tozer doesn't show up until at least the 3rd week in Sept. '44 The book starts on Sept 04 '44. The last name and serial number are the same and he was not assigned to one Dakota, always 2P. Once we get into October, the squadron typewriter is having a melt down so its a little hard to read what's typed

 

[Richard_vanB]

ORB- Operations Record Book. The brief look-over I have given show the Daks flying freight and mail into Europe and returning with wounded, etc. I'll go over it again but Tozer doesn't show up until at least the 3rd week in Sept. '44 The book starts on Sept 04 '44. The last name and serial number are the same and he was not assigned to one Dakota, always 2P. Once we get into October, the squadron typewriter is having a melt down so its a little hard to read what's typed

i find something: 289 130944 R4/832 7600 1 Cdn. A.P.I.S. Tozer 15. he flew some missions. Also on a canadian website:

object​

1 Cdn APIS (Air Photo Interpretation Service), sortie R4/851

Found in​

Archives / Collections and Fonds

Hierarchical level​

Item

**Type of material​

Maps and cartographic material
Date:1944Source:GovernmentReference:RG24M 1997-02033-5, Box number: 2000850889
... reproduction. 2. Task: CA 168, 4 Sqn. 3. Pilot: F/Lt. Tozer. 4. Sortie date: 16 September 1944.

 

[fubar57]

The first mention of F/O Tozer I can find is for Sept.18 '44 Operation Market Garden, D+1. They were a glider tug and he was 2P

 

[Richard_vanB]

The first mention of F/O Tozer I can find is for Sept.18 '44 Operation Market Garden, D+1. They were a glider tug and he was 2P

perhaps he was RAF-pilot? his id-nr is RAF 143290?

 

[Wurger]

No. 4 Squadron with the Mosquito PR.XVI, Spitfire PR.XI and Hawker Typhoons for low-level reconnaissance sound better for the recce tasks than the Dacota III of the no. 437 RCAF Squadron.

 

[fubar57]

A copy of 437 on Sept. 16-18

​

....and the first mention I could find of Tozer

 

[Richard_vanB]

A copy of 437 on Sept. 16-18

View attachment 844841
​

....and the first mention I could find of Tozer

View attachment 844842​

Thanks. it seems that this pilot is the pilot who flew also the reconnaissance mission on 13 september. Probably whit a spitfire

 

[ColFord]

Flight Lieutenant Gerald Grahame TOZER DFC 108837 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No.IV(AC) Squadron RAF in Spitfire PR.XI PL796 conducted eight photographic runs over the city of Boulogne in France, which was still held by the Germans at that time.

Reason for the photos going through 1 Canadian APIS was that No.35 (Recce) Wing RAF which the Squadron was a part of, provided aerial reconnaissance support to 1st Canadian Army and it was units of the Canadian Army holding the perimeter encircling Boulogne at the time and the photographic request for the sortie came from the Canadian Army units involved.

So not the Flying Officer Tozer who was co-pilot on Dakotas.

 

[Richard_vanB]

Flight Lieutenant Gerald Grahame TOZER DFC 108837 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No.IV(AC) Squadron RAF in Spitfire PR.XI PL796 conducted eight photographic runs over the city of Boulogne in France, which was still held by the Germans at that time.

Reason for the photos going through 1 Canadian APIS was that No.35 (Recce) Wing RAF which the Squadron was a part of, provided aerial reconnaissance support to 1st Canadian Army and it was units of the Canadian Army holding the perimeter encircling Boulogne at the time and the photographic request for the sortie came from the Canadian Army units involved.

So not the Flying Officer Tozer who was co-pilot on Dakotas.

thanks, he flew also above The Hague. He was a RAF pilot? kis that correct?

 

[Richard_vanB]

I've got more information from the canadian war museum:
he 1st Cdn A.P.I.S. was an Air Photo Interpretation Service, not a squadron. The two most likely squadrons to be involved in a reconnaissance flight at that time would be 414 and 430 Squadrons. 414 were flying Spitfire Mk. IX aircraft at that time, and 430 were flying Mustang Mk. I aircraft. Each squadron has a history [see references below]; neither mentions an officer named "Tozer".
There is a "G.R. Tozer, F/O, (2P) RAF143290, (Sep 44 - Dec 44)" listed on the "437 Squadron Names of Personnel" site. However, that squadron was a transport squadron formed in Sept. 14 and first used in action that on the 17th at Arnhem towing gliders behind Dakota (DC-3) aircraft. It would have been difficult for a pilot to make the transition between a single-engined aircraft like the Spitfire or Mustang to a twin-engine aircraft like the Dakota.
F/O Tozer of 437 Squadron might not be the same as the Tozer of the 1st Cdn APIS. The name on the photograph might be the name of an analyst in the APIS, not the pilot.
In summary, it seems likely that the squadron involved in the flight over The Hague on September 13, 1944, was from either 424 Squadron (in which case, a Spitfire Mk. IX) or from 430 Squadron (a Mustang Mk. I). You might be able to get more information from Library and Archives Canada (LAC) related to those two squadrons.

so the question remains: who flew on 13 september 1944 a reconnaissance mission above The Hague!

 

[Crimea_River]

RCAF Squadron ORBs can be found here:

Royal Canadian Air Force operations record books - Héritage

Royal Canadian Air Force operations record books

heritage.canadiana.ca

To figure out what microfilm reel to look for, use the attached finding aid.

 

[ColFord]

I've got more information from the canadian war museum:
he 1st Cdn A.P.I.S. was an Air Photo Interpretation Service, not a squadron. The two most likely squadrons to be involved in a reconnaissance flight at that time would be 414 and 430 Squadrons. 414 were flying Spitfire Mk. IX aircraft at that time, and 430 were flying Mustang Mk. I aircraft. Each squadron has a history [see references below]; neither mentions an officer named "Tozer".
There is a "G.R. Tozer, F/O, (2P) RAF143290, (Sep 44 - Dec 44)" listed on the "437 Squadron Names of Personnel" site. However, that squadron was a transport squadron formed in Sept. 14 and first used in action that on the 17th at Arnhem towing gliders behind Dakota (DC-3) aircraft. It would have been difficult for a pilot to make the transition between a single-engined aircraft like the Spitfire or Mustang to a twin-engine aircraft like the Dakota.
F/O Tozer of 437 Squadron might not be the same as the Tozer of the 1st Cdn APIS. The name on the photograph might be the name of an analyst in the APIS, not the pilot.
In summary, it seems likely that the squadron involved in the flight over The Hague on September 13, 1944, was from either 424 Squadron (in which case, a Spitfire Mk. IX) or from 430 Squadron (a Mustang Mk. I). You might be able to get more information from Library and Archives Canada (LAC) related to those two squadrons.

so the question remains: who flew on 13 september 1944 a reconnaissance mission above The Hague!

It is 1st Canadian Air Photo Interpretation SECTION. As I have pointed out above, they were attached to No.35 (Recce) Wing, 84 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force, supporting 1st Canadian Army.

No.424 Squadron on Spitfire IX none of their aircraft were equipped for aerial reconnaisance photography = not them. They were a 'pure' fighter squadron, mainly conducting fighter bomber operations at the time.

No.430 Squadon RCAF, none of their operations on 13 September 1944 were successful - only two sorties, both aborted due poor weather, neither anywhere near The Hague. No photos taken.

F/L G G Tozer RAFVR of No.IV(AC) Squadron RAF conducted a successful sortie on 13 September 1944, with his photos being processed though 1st Canadian APIS as per usual due to their attachment to No.35 (Recce) WIng. He covered Boulogne.

I suspect the person who sold you the photo - or someone who labelled the photo at some later date from memory not at the actual time - did not know the proper location shown in the photo and incorrectly identified it as The Hague.

In reviewing the Operational Record Books for the Reconnaissance Squadrons that 1st Canadian APIS was supporting on 13 September 1944, NONE of their sorties covered The Hague or went anywhere near The Hague. Primary focus for the operations that did take place that day, due to the weather conditions, was along the French and Belgian coasts covering 'hold out' ports and areas still under German control, and around Eindhoven, Nijmegen, Arnhem, with a couple of sorties around Tilburg and Hertogenbosch.

On any of the edges of the photo that you purchased, does it include an information strip? This would be a series a words, letters and numbers that identify the unit, task number, date, altitude and sometimes the pilot involved. From your original post, if that strip included 'R4/832' that would indicated a sortie by No.IV(AC) Squadron RAF and being the final three of the serial number of the aircraft flown by F/L Tozer, being Spitfire PR.XI PL-832.

Absolutely no connection to F/O G R Tozer on No.437 Squadron RCAF Dakotas.