h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Dear Peter,

I've just become a member of the WW2 People's War site, and will soon write a couple of articles concerning my Dad (W/O Widdowson) who was a Spit-bomber pilot with DAF in Italy. Sadly, he's no longer with us, so using his flying logs and personal diary I'll try and do him justice, and put down part of his experience for the record.

I'm a lecturer at the OU. I see you did your degree with us and have a special interest in Italian WW2 history. So, I wondered if you may be able to help with my research concerning Dad.

He flew with 92 Squadron (based around Rimini?), and some of the actions he was involved with are mentioned in Dundas' book 'Flying Start'. Dad clearly loved the flying, but said that the actions took a terrible toll on the pilots. Nevertheless, he always told his stories with a little bit of humour, and a massive dose of understatement -this seems to be a trait common to those aircrew who saw a lot of action.

I have an archive of black and white photos which I've scanned, but in most cases I haven't the faintest idea who the pictured pilots are. It would be great to find out, and put names to the places depicted. One of his best friends was called 'Hodge' (Hodgkinson) - and I wondered if there is any way I can find out whether he is still around. For that matter, it would be a real privilege to communicate with any that are likely to have known Dad in 92.

As I'm new to this site, any advice how to proceed will be most welcome.

With my best wishes,

Mike Widdowson.

PS Dad was known in the Squadron as 'Mike' Widdowson

Hi Mike

I can only give you a very broad outline of No. 92 Squadron. It has a very long and distinguished history, but I will start from June 1943 when it left Tunisia for Malta to begin sweeps over Sicily. The squadron covered the landings at Pachino and shortly after that moved to Sicily where it rested and re-equipped. The Italian campaign began on 3 September 1943, when 92 began flying a standing patrol over the Messina Straits.

By 14 September it was flying from Italy. Then, as part of 244 Wing, the squadron gave the army close support up the Adriatic coast providing air cover for the crossing of the River Sangro. In early January 1944 it moved over to the west coast and covered the Anzio landings.

In July 1944 it went over to a fighter-bomber role for the attack on the Gothic Line with a detached flight based at Rosignano to deal with German reconnaissance aircraft observing the preparations for the southern France landings. Then, from September onward, the whole squadron was engaged in heavy ground-attack operations until the end of the Italian campaign. It then moved up to Austria, where it was disbanded on 30 December 1945 at Zeltweg.

No. 92 Squadron has the distinction of being the top-scoring squadron of the RAF in WW2, with 317 enemy aircraft destroyed.

As you will gather from the above outline, the squadron moved about fairly frequently. Here are its Italian bases:

Pachino: July 1943
Cassibile: July 1943
Lentini West: July-September 1943
Grottaglie: September 1943
Gioia: September-October 1943
Tortorella: October 1943
Triola: October-November 1943
Canne: November 1943 - January 1944
The switch to the west coast.
Marcianise: January-April 1944
Venafro: April-June 1944
Littorio: June 1944
Fabrica: June-July 1944
Perugia: July-August 1944
(with a detachment at Rosignano)
Loretto: August-September 1944
(with the detachment flight still at Rosignano)
Fano: September-December 1944
Bellaria: December 1944 - May 1945
Treviso: May-September 1945
Zeltweg (Austria): September-December 1946.

I cannot trace nor know of the individual pilots, but I can give you your father's commanding officers, which may help in further research:

S/Leader P.H. Humphreys, DFC: May-November 1943.
S/Ldr E.D. Mackie, DFC: November 1943 - February 1944.
S/Ldr G.J. Cox, DFC: February-August 1944.
Major P.W. Ventner (SAAF): August-October 1944.
Major J.E. Gasson, DSO, DFC (SAAF): October 1944 - July 1945.
S/Ldr C.T. Bell, DFC: July 1945 - January 1946.

Main source:
"Fighter Squadrons of the RAF" - John Rawlings (Curacy, 1993).

You may find these links of interest:

http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/h92.html
http://www.worldwar2exraf.co.uk/Squadron%20Pages/92squadron.html
http://www.cs.kent.ac.uk/people/staff/djb/92squadron/

Best wishes,

Peter

Dear Peter,

Many thanks for the info on 92 Squadron. You have certainly helped fill in the information regarding the location of bases - this had made the flying logs more understandable - since I now know which areas to look over.

This 'People's War' site is a truly excellent website, and a fitting tribute to all those who put so much into such a terrible struggle.

With thanks,

Mike Widdowson

Mike

I look forward to reading your articles concerning your father. Get cracking.

All the very best,

Peter

Hello Peter,

Its almost the 11th hour, but I'm nearly finished with the articles about my Dad. I hope to place them on the People's War site tonight, or early tomorrow.

It has turned into a long document, and a major piece of research, so I'll have to break it into chapters. Amazingly, I've only covered a fraction of the info contained in the war diary and flying logs. I've cross referenced and double-checked, and in good 'scientific' style have kept as close to verbatim as I can.

To be honest this has been a fascinating venture into the past for both me and my brother. It has also been quite emotionally draining, sometimes I've actually felt like I was there observing it all happen - his written accounts are so vivid. Lord knows how those pilots kept going.

Anyway, thanks for your earlier help. Just hope I've 'done my bit' now for the record.

Mike.

Mike

Get cracking - the hourglass sand is running out.

Peter

Hi Peter,

Well that's it then. There are 9 Chapters in all. I failed to flag the first entries two with 'Prologue' and 'Chapter 1' in the 'story titles', but the rest should make sense. I was a little concerned about the formatting - they were done on 'Word' and I hope they come out OK for the archive.

I'd like to say 'well done' to all you folk on the desks. I suspect its been a fascinating, but emotional 'roller coaster' of a ride for you all these past months whilst the People's War site has been open.

I'm certain it will be a valuable resource for the future. As a teacher, my Dad would have liked that.

With our thanks.

Mike Widdowson.