Sunny's Service Record
Sunny joined up on 5th October 1941, where he entered 3RC to train as a wireless operator and air gunner. Transferred to Reserve on the 6th of October.
Taken from Reserve to 3RC on 3rd of January 1942.
Joined 10RC on 19th January 1942. Whilst in this training school, he was photographed on the 25th of April. One photograph included two training school friends; F. Betson (1682564) from Feltham, Middlesex and S. D. Cook (1580183) from Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire. It appears that both these men survived the war. I'm currently trying to trace them or their families.
F. Betson, S.D. Cook and Sunny on 25th April 1942.
Entered 2 Signals School at RAF Yatesbury, Wiltshire, on 14th May 1942.
Transferred to Headquarters of 20 Group on the 1st of October 1942.
On the 4th of October, he was attached to RAF Padgate, near Warrington, Lancashire.
Transferred back to Headquarters on 10th of March 1943, where he immediately joined 2 Radio School back again at RAF Yatesbury, Wiltshire.
Just over two months later, Sunny joined 7Air Gunners School at Stormy Down, Wales, on 26th May 1943, training in air gunnery on Whitley bombers. Here, Sunny gained his Sergeant's stripes on the 9th of June, after gaining 78% in his training.
Sunny moved to 9 (O) AFU (Observer Advanced Flying Unit), at RAF Llandwrog, near Cearnarfon, Wales. Training on Avro Ansons. On the 15th June 1943, (shortly after is twenty second birthday). Apparently, RAF Llandwrog was a very pleasant base, being positioned on the coast directly next to the beach and in the shadow of the Snowdonian mountains.
From there he joined 12 Operational Training Unit on 13th July 1943. This training unit was re-organised as 1657 Conversion Unit, based at RAF Stradishall, Suffolk. Where Sunny remained until 6th of December 1943. Whilst in this unit, Sunny became part of a crew. These were:
Sergeant John Clare Gilbertson-Pritchard (1084862), the pilot.
Sergeant Gordon Kenneth Woodward (1549227), the navigator from Ardwick, Manchester.
Sergeant Jack Birch (1600760), the reargunner from Chesham, Buckinghamshire.
Sergeant James McGahey (1421544), the flight engineer from Exeter.
Sergeant Ernest Walter Haigh (811039), the mid upper gunner from Speke in Liverpool, who was 28 years old and the 'Grandpa' of the crew.
Back Row, Left to Right: Sunny, William Brown, John Gilbertson-Pritchard, Jack Birch. Front Row, Left to Right: Ernest Haigh, Gordon Woodward, Jim McGahey. Photo courtesy of Frederick McGahey.
Sunny and his crew joined 218 Squadron at RAF Downham Market, Norfolk on the 6th of December 1943. Here they became a full seven man crew, with the addition of Flight Sergeant William Earle Brown (CAN R155985) from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the bombaimer.
Operations Flown with No.218 Squadron:
December 16th 1943, MINING ( Off Frisian Islands ) Short Stirling Mk.III HA-S LJ.452
Take-Off 17.05hrs-Landed 20.05hrs COMMENTS : "2 x B204 + 2 x B218 mines dropped in allotted area, nothing of interest to report."
December 22nd 1943, SPECIAL TARGET, ABBERVILLE Short Stirling Mk.III, HA-R, EF124
Take-Off 21.05hrs-Landed 00.05hrs CREW Unchanged COMMENTS : "Bombs were dropped on T.I Markers, light flak experienced. Uneventful trip." NOTES : Only squadron aircraft detailed to bomb target that night.
14th January 1944, SPECIAL TARGET, SOUTH CHERBOURG, (4935N 01381/2W). HAZEBRUCK Construction Works. Short Stirling Mk.III HA-M EH942
Take-Off 18.00hrs-Landed 21.45hrs CREW Unchanged COMMENTS "Bombed primary target fro 14,000ft on Red TI markers. No built up area seen. Bombing very concentrated on T.I's"
21st January 1944, SPECIAL TARGET (BLACKCAP) Pas-de-Calais Short Stirling Mk.III HA-P 'Peter' BF504
Take-Off 18.10hrs-Landed 21.10hrs CREW Unchanged COMMENTS "Bombed target from 9000ft, bombs were seen to burst near TI Markers. 18x500lb brought back due to hang-up."
Photo courtesy of Wendy Flemming.
On the 23rd January 1944, the whole crew were transferred to 1678 Conversion Flight at RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire. The 218 Squadron historian, Steve Smith, gave me this explanation, as the reason Sunny and his crew were posted.
"A possible reason the crew of Sgt Gledhill were posted so soon into their operational tour could have been the disbandment of No.623 Squadron on December 6th 1943. No.623 Squadron was formed from No.218 Squadron in August 1943, like 218 it operated from RAF Downham Market. On the squadronÕs disbandment, a number of former squadron crews were posted back to No.218. Another factor was that at the time No.218 Squadrons losses were exceptionally low, between December 1st 1943 and February 1st 1944 only one crew were lost. This meant that the squadron had its full compliment of crews, plus spares. Thankfully the Stirling equipped squadrons of No.3 Group were not participating in the bloodbath over Berlin. This was left to the Avro Lancaster equipped squadrons, one of which was No.514 Squadron. During the period December 1943 to February 1944 No.514 Squadron lost I believe 12 crews. On the January 21/22nd attack on Berlin 514 Sqdn lost 4 crews in one night. I feel it is a combination of 218 having too many crews, and losses suffered by No.514, which saw Sgt Gledhill posted."
Photo courtesy of Wendy Flemming.
Interestingly, it appears that the crew objected to having to now fly on Lancs. A letter from the Navigator, Gordon Woodward, written in January 1944 tells us more:
Click here to read a transcript of this letter.
Joined 514 Squadron as a complete crew, on 4th February 1944, at RAF Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire.
Operations Flown with No.514 Squadron:
1st & 2nd March 1944, STUTTGART Avro Lancaster Mark II, 'P' LL683
Take-Off 23.41hrs-Landed 02.05hrs CREW Only change was the Mid Upper Gunner, who was Sergeant George A. Henry COMMENTS "Bomb load 1 x 2000, 1 x 500 lb bomb, 40 x 30, 900 x 4 incendiaries. Returned early. Furthest point reached on course - Cambridge. W/T receiver U/S. Jettisoned bombs to reduce load for landing."
15th & 16th March 1944, STUTTGART Avro Lancaster Mark II, 'S' LI734
Take-off 19.14hrs-Landed 02.39hrs CREW The Mid Upper Gunner of this mission is not known. COMMENTS "Bomb load 1 x 1000 lb bomb, 72 x 30, 1050 x 4, 90 x 4, incendiaries. There was very thin cloud. Bombed at 23.20 hours from 21000 feet. Attack not concentrated. Holes in fuselage due to flak on homeward near French coast."
18th & 19th March 1944, FRANKFURT Avro Lancaster Mark II, 'T' DS821
Take-Off 19.30hrs-Landed 01.04hrs CREW Sergeant E.W. Haigh was the Mid Upper Gunner this time. COMMENTS "Bomb load 1 x 4000lb. bomb, 1350 x 4, 90 x 4, 32 x 30 incendiaries. Weather hazy. Bombed at 22.04 hrs from 21000 feet. Incendiaries scattered round T.I.Õs. Fires to South and East. Monica and Gee u/s homeward. Holes in port wing by heavy flak."
Photo courtesy of Wendy Flemming.
18th & 19th April 1944, ROUEN Avro Lancaster Mark II 'T' DS882
Take-Off 22.41hrs-Landed 03.10hrs CREW Flying Officer M.L. Morgan-Owen, Captain Flight Sergeant A.W. Green, Navigator Flying Officer G.A. Jacobson, Bombaimer Sergeant E. Gledhill, Wireless Operator and Air Gunner Sergeant A.D. Tetley, Mid Upper Gunner Sergeant H.S. Hayward, Rear Gunner Sergeant H. Sadler, Flight Engineer This is the first mission Sunny flew with F/Officer Morgan-OwenÕs crew. COMMENTS "Bomb load 10 x 1000 MC, 5 x 500 MC lb bombs. Weather was clear, good visibility. Bombed at 00.52 hours from 13500 feet. Target identified visually. T.I.s markers were scattered. Bombing was well concentrated. 1 x 1000 bomb hung up and brought back. A successful mission. Good weather on route."
22nd & 23rd of April 1944, DUSSELDORF Avro Lancaster Mark II, 'N' DS682
Take-Off 22.58hrs CREW Flying Officer M.L. Morgan-Owen, Captain, Flight Sergeant A.W. Green, Navigator Flying Officer G.A. Jacobson, Bombaimer Sergeant E. Gledhill, Wireless Operator and Air Gunner Sergeant A.D. Tetley, Mid Upper Gunner Sergeant H.S. Hayward, Rear Gunner Sergeant H. Sadler, Flight Engineer COMMENTS "Bomb load 1 x 8000lb. bomb, 48 x 30, 486 x 4, 54 x 4 incendiaries. Aircraft Missing."
The mission in which Sunny went missing, was the second he had ever flown without his regular crew and also the second time he had flown with F/Officer Morgan-Owen's crew. The reasons for this, I think, are two fold. Firstly, on the 19th of April 1944 Sunny's pilot, Flight Sergeant John Clare Gilbertson-Pritchard was posted to the N.E. Strength of No.33 Base. Previous to this, Sunny's flight engineer and best friend, Sergeant James McGahey had died on the 31st of March 1944 whilst on a mission to Nuremberg with another crew. According to Sergeant McGahey's brother, Frederick, the aircraft came down over Nuremberg. Some of the crew had time to bail out, but not Jim.
I have recently discovered the story of Jim's last flight. One of the survivors of the crew, Harry Darby, the Bombaimer, recounted the events of that night in a book which has been published. Jim died going to the aid of the rear gunner, Sgt Roy Hill, who was trapped in his turret after the Lancaster was attacked by a night fighter. The plane crashed with a full bomb load just outside the Bavarian village of Eichenhausen, district of Bad Neustadt. In 1984, the local German parishioners erected a stone memorial with a bronze cross and plaque bearing the names of the five men who died. Until very recently, Jim's family did not know this.
The fate of the remaining members of Sunny's original crew is a little confused. Sergeant Jack Birch, Sergeant Gordon Kenneth Woodward, Warrant Officer Class II William Earle Brown and Sergeant Ernest Walter Haigh, all died on the 22nd of May 1944. Sergeant Woodward, Sergeant Haigh and W/Officer Brown were all part of the crew of Lancaster 'R' DS781, bombing Duxberg and died together. According to research from Ernest Haigh's family, the aircraft was attacked by Luftwaffe fighters and came down in the North Sea. Sergeant Haigh is buried in Kiel War Cemetery in Germany, Sergeant Woodward and W/Officer Brown's bodies were never found. The crew in which Sergeant Birch died is a little unclear, due to incorrect records at the Public Records Office. However, it appears that he was also in Lancaster 'R' DS781 and perished with his fellow crew members. Until very recently, Jack Birch's family did not know this.
Warrant Officer John Clare Gilbertson-Pritchard, died on the 31st of March 1945. Having obviously been promoted through the ranks, he was in 154 Squadron, based at RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire by the time of his death. This squadron was in fighter command. At the time of his death, Warrant Officer Gilbertson-Pritchard was a fighter pilot flying Mustang Mark IV's.
Postscript: on the 24th & 25th of February 1944. Sunny's pilot, Flight Sergeant Gilbertson-Pritchard, was the second pilot with a crew on a mission to Schweinfurt. Just after bombing the target, an incident occurred which I will quote; "A 4lb incendiary dropped from above into the aircraft by the Navigator's table and was thrown to safety by WOP. Pilots nerves affected by falling incendiary. Slight damage to Navigator's table." I'm not surprised his nerves were affected..!