Thanks I’m new to this group. My father flew with 57 Squadron, used Oboe navigational aid. He went to 100 Group after this, looking for his next step

[liz obrien]

Hi, I'm new to this group and thank you. My father flew with 57 Squadron then instructed non Oboe Pathfinder crews in this navigation aids use. he then became part of 100 group but not sure which squadron, looking to find this. He liberated Brussels with a group and is said to be the first New Zealander onto German soil. Looking for more details at this time.

 

[Greg Boeser]

What is your father's full name?

 

[liz obrien]

What is your father's full name?

Hi Greg Squadron Leader Douglas Haig Palmer RNZAF / RAF 41545

 

[JDCAVE]

Liz if you have the dates in his log book, when he was operational, I may be of some assistance. My focus is the latter part of 1944 to end of March 1945. I also have some detailed 100-Group material that may be of interest to you.

Have you been to this site:

Forums - RAFCommands Forums

vBulletin Forums

www.rafcommands.com

these people specialize in finding information on commonwealth aircrew.

Jim

 

[liz obrien]

Liz if you have the dates in his log book, when he was operational, I may be of some assistance. My focus is the latter part of 1944 to end of March 1945. I also have some detailed 100-Group material that may be of interest to you.

Have you been to this site:

Forums - RAFCommands Forums

vBulletin Forums

www.rafcommands.com

these people specialize in finding information on commonwealth aircrew.

Jim

Hi JD and thanks for you interest here. Very sparse flying details in logbook after last sortie with 57 Squadron on 26/2/43 to Cologne. There are 3 entries only - 28/29 May 44 to Coltishall and Portreath. Very last entry on 27/5/45 reads Lancaster, pilot is AVM Bennett, DHP is passenger. Page then missing as cut out. Next page in remarks reads Gotha Airport Germany and Wyton UK. Nothing in timeframe you ask about. He was documented as being at the liberation of Brussels in September 44, Dinant on 16/ 12 / 44 in Bennett's book " Pathfinder". Operating mobile oboe units with his sqhadron it seems. In " NZ at war " pub. 1946 was said to be first NZer to enter Germany. Great that you have some 100 knowledge for family.

 

[JDCAVE]

Thanks Liz. I suspect his later duties were with various headquarters. Those may be trickier to determine, than if he was operational as aircrew. Your best bet will be to obtain his service record which will detail the units to which he was attached. You mentioned he was with the RNZAF and the RAF? I would have thought he was "attached" to RAF units, rather than being with both the RAF and RNZAF. so you check with sources in NZ as to how to get his records.

Jim

 

[liz obrien]

Thanks Jim. Yes I am currently waiting on a reply from the RNZAF archives people. This will be helpful I'm sure. Meanwhile it's good to keep looking and asking questions

 

[Snautzer01]

Welcome.

 

[Gnomey]

Welcome.

 

[Zipper730]

Welcome aboard.

 

[liz obrien]

Welcome aboard.

 

[liz obrien]

Thank you. It's interesting stuff

 

[special ed]

Welcome from Louisiana

 

[SaparotRob]

Hello and welcome from Long Island, New York.

 

[bravenest0]

Wow. That's amazing.

 

[buffnut453]

Thanks Jim. Yes I am currently waiting on a reply from the RNZAF archives people. This will be helpful I'm sure. Meanwhile it's good to keep looking and asking questions

Hi Liz,

By "RNZAF archives people" do you mean the NZDF Service Records people (see link below)?

Service records

NZDF Personnel Archives and Medals holds a collection of about 1.5 million service records relating to 420,000 New Zealand service personnel who served in New Zealand’s Military Forces post WWI.

www.nzdf.mil.nz

Given the info you provided, they are the first people I'd go to. If they don't have his Service Record, then the next port of call would be the RAF...which can be a long process. However, let's see if the NZDF Service Records team has his info first.

Have you obtained the 57 Sqn Operations Record Book from the UK National Archives? Here are some links to relevant records that you should be able to download for free (you'll need to register with the UK National Archives but, after that, downloading records is free):

No 57 Squadron | The National Archives

The official archive of the UK government. Our vision is to lead and transform information management, guarantee the survival of today's information for tomorrow and bring history to life for everyone.

discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Squadron Number: 57 Appendices: Y | The National Archives

The official archive of the UK government. Our vision is to lead and transform information management, guarantee the survival of today's information for tomorrow and bring history to life for everyone.

discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Squadron Number: 57 Appendices: Y | The National Archives

The official archive of the UK government. Our vision is to lead and transform information management, guarantee the survival of today's information for tomorrow and bring history to life for everyone.

discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk

There are other ORB records in the series AIR 27/538 but they are based on individual months, so you'd need to pick out the months when your Dad was with the Squadron.


UKNA may have records for other units in which your Dad served but we'd need to know the specific units...which will probably be found in his Service Record.

Hope this helps a little bit. I wish you every success in your archive hunting.

 

[bravenest0]

I'm from Texas, located in America

 

[liz obrien]

Hi Liz,

By "RNZAF archives people" do you mean the NZDF Service Records people (see link below)?

Service records

NZDF Personnel Archives and Medals holds a collection of about 1.5 million service records relating to 420,000 New Zealand service personnel who served in New Zealand’s Military Forces post WWI.

www.nzdf.mil.nz

Given the info you provided, they are the first people I'd go to. If they don't have his Service Record, then the next port of call would be the RAF...which can be a long process. However, let's see if the NZDF Service Records team has his info first.

Have you obtained the 57 Sqn Operations Record Book from the UK National Archives? Here are some links to relevant records that you should be able to download for free (you'll need to register with the UK National Archives but, after that, downloading records is free):

No 57 Squadron | The National Archives

The official archive of the UK government. Our vision is to lead and transform information management, guarantee the survival of today's information for tomorrow and bring history to life for everyone.

discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Squadron Number: 57 Appendices: Y | The National Archives

The official archive of the UK government. Our vision is to lead and transform information management, guarantee the survival of today's information for tomorrow and bring history to life for everyone.

discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Squadron Number: 57 Appendices: Y | The National Archives

The official archive of the UK government. Our vision is to lead and transform information management, guarantee the survival of today's information for tomorrow and bring history to life for everyone.

discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk

There are other ORB records in the series AIR 27/538 but they are based on individual months, so you'd need to pick out the months when your Dad was with the Squadron.


UKNA may have records for other units in which your Dad served but we'd need to know the specific units...which will probably be found in his Service Record.

Hope this helps a little bit. I wish you every success in your archive hunting.

 

[liz obrien]

Hi. Thank you so much for the advice you gave me sometime ago now. Basically following up were you directed me and with other leads. Seems a but harder to find information as possibly Ultra secret - a step up from secret and top secret which seems to mean many records are either not accessible or have been destroyed. Eg Station X at Bletchley Park was ordered to burn all records and equipment to stop any tracing of information or personnel. But I'll keep looking and asking