75 Squadron material

James Ward V.C. and Others

Back to 75 Squadron Index

Back to RAF Feltwell homepage

This is a recently discovered (May 2004) picture of James Allen Ward (Jimmy Ward ) VC of 75 Sq . It was taken outside of the chapel in South St Hockwold. At this time he was billeted at the Rectory, Hockwold. It was believed to have been taken by the Hockwold policeman at the time.   Menu of celebration meal with signatures

My father and his crew were at Feltwell LFS 3 on course no. 26. They were attached to 75 (NZ) Squadron and transferred from Stirlings to Lancasters. They spent 6-7 days training on Lancasters before going back to 75. From my records they flew a total of 24.15 hours on Lancs before returning to 75.  They flew with a F/L Wilson and Squadron Leader Lin Drummond. Mr Drummond is still alive and lives in New Zealand.   David Lyon, (Oct 2002)

L-R front row - Flt/Sgt Phil Matthew Bomb Aimer RAAF alive living in Australia.
Sqd/Ldr Lin Drummond Pilot RNZAF alive living in Auckland NZ.
Flt/Sgt Albert Lyon WOP/AG RAFVR deceased ( my father).
Flt/Sgt Gordon Ellis Mid/UG RCAF alive living in Canada.
Flt/Sgt Philip Deane Navigator RAFVR alive living in London.
In turret Fl/Lt Bill Cotterall RAF Rear Gunner deceased.
The Flight Engineer F/O Bill Henry RAF is missing from the picture--deceased.
According to Gordon Ellis this picture was actually taken at Feltwell.
All as of 2003.

Sgt Gwyn Martin

Sgt Joe Lawton

Reginald Alfred Kear served with 75 Squadron as ground crew in 1941 at RAF Feltwell.

Browsing online for information and having visited Marham and Feltwell recently, I found a link to the webmaster and a request for any other photos of nose art and thought you might be interested in the attached photographs.  

I have not been able to trace the nose art of this aeroplane and am hoping that you might be able to do so.

Reginald is standing on the left by the tail of the Wellington and in the other two photos he is in the cockpit.

(Please be aware that clicking on the thumbnails above will open a very large photo.)

We had been meaning to visit Marham for some time to visit the grave of my husband Chris’s cousin. He (Philip Leach) had emigrated with his family to Australia after the 1st WW and in 1939 at the age of 37  he applied to join the Australian air force but was rejected, so he came to England and joined the RAF reserve and they gave him a job of driving a truck I believe. That wasn’t enough for him so he volunteered as an air gunner. He was posted for his first mission to Marham and duly set off as a tail gunner with a squadron of Wellingtons the very next day. All returned from the mission although he was wounded in the arm by a night fighter.  Sadly he died of his wounds although it’s not clear exactly when, but from loss of blood. He is buried in a military grave in the Marham churchyard. That was 21st July 1940.

It was whilst we were going through the information we have on Philip that we realised that co-incidentally Reg Kear did work nearby with the NZ Squadron at Feltwell at some time during the war as ground crew and found these photos and menu and then realised they were quite special.

Reg didn’t talk about his wartime experience but we did know that he had been mentioned in despatches and when pressed as to why he would only reply that it was because he was always first in the NAAFI queue! We have the entry into the gazette but that’s all.