P/O Thomas Forbes - Lancaster Bomber Pilot - 12 Squadron RAFVR

The Crew

Navigator - Sgt Leslie Albert Matthews (crew photo 2nd from right)
Service Number - 148817
POW Number - 410

Leslie was born in New Southgate, North London on 22 November 1912. He enlisted on 22 September 1941 aged 28.

Leslie survived the crash and was taken prisoner at Les Sables on the west coast of France near St Nazaire approximately 50 miles west of Nantes.

He was taken to Stalag Luft VI (L6) at Heydekrug in East Prussia (now Lithuania) then Stalag 357 at Fallingbostel in Germany until April 1945 when he was forced along with many other allied POWs to march north until eventual liberation in May 1945.

On 17 September 1938 Leslie married Gladys Alice May Hutchins (b. 29 September 1911) at the Methodist Church, Bowes Park (sp?), Southgate, Edmonton, Middlesex. Leslie was 24, Gladys 27. At the time Leslie was living at 22 Ashridge Gardens, Palmers Green. Leslie profession is listed as Company Director and his father was Thomas Albert Matthews.

The 1939 Register list his father Thomas Albert Matthews and mother Florence Victoria Matthews (nee Mathews) living at 22 Ashridge Gardens, Palmers Green.

The 1939 Register lists Leslie and Gladys living at 12 Powys Court, Southgate. This building still survives - see the Google Street View link.

I think Leslie died in November 1994 in Enfield, North London.

Leslie may have had two siblings; Phyllis E (b. Q1 1912 and Arthur J (b. Q3 1920).

Wireless Operator - Sgt Reginald Sneesby (crew photo 1st on left and above)
Service Number - 1381732

Reginald was born on 17 January 1922 in Selby, Yorkshire.

Reginald trained with the original crew on Wellingtons at 25 and 30 OTU and Lancasters at 1656 CU

Reginald was 21. Son of Arthur William and Emily Sneesby, of Selby.

The 1939 Register lists Reginald (an apprentice dental technician) at home at 1 Portholme Road, Selby with parents Arthur and Emily and brother Wilfred.

I have been very lucky and privileged to be loaned the log-book of Reginald Sneesby by his brother Wilfred and now know more about Reg's service career and also that of my Grandfather;

No. 4 Signals School - July to September 1942

Reg's first posting after joining up was No. 4 Signals School at RAF Madley in Herefordshire. The course lasted from the end of July to 2 September 1942 whereby Reg qualified as a Wireless Operator.

No. 8 Air Gunners School - September to October 1942

The next posting took him to No. 8 Air Gunners School at Evanton, Scotland. The training here began at the beginning of September and ended on the 3 October 1942. Reg had so far amassed 10 hours flying time.

No. 25 Operational Training Unit - November to January 1943

Reg was now posted to No. 25 Operational Training Unit based at RAF Finningley near Doncaster, Yorkshire to start serious flying training first on Airspeed Oxfords (a twin engined advanced trainer) and then Vickers Wellington twin engined bombers.

It was at No. 25 OTU that Reg would have first met my Grandfather. Training started on the 11 November 1942. Reg flew in an Airspeed Oxford 4 times and Wellingtons 57 times including 6 flights all on the 22 November. On the 28 November the pilot for the first time was Sgt Forbes, my Grandfather - I am not sure, but it is likely that the whole initial crew of 5 were now together. By now flying time had increased to 73 hours. I believe 25 OTU closed at this time which would account for the crew moving to another operational training unit. On the 13, 15, 20 and 21 January 1943 Reg and Tom were also involved in Ferry Flights between Finningley and Hixon/Seighford.

No. 30 Operational Training Unit - January to March 1943

Around the 23 January 1943 Reg and the other crew members were posted to No. 30 OTU based at RAF Hixon / RAF Seighford in Staffordshire. This course would last until 23 March 1943 and on ending flying time had increased to a total of 99 hours day flying and 35 hours night flying. Reg partook in 22 Wellington MkIII flights which included Night Flying Tests, Day and Night Cross Country flying, Simulated Bombings, Circuits and Landings, and HLB's (?) - these culminated in a 'Nickel Raid'; flying over enemy held territory at night and dropping propaganda leaflets. This they successfully carried out (over Lille, France) on the 23 March 1943 taking 5 hours.

No. 1656 Conversion Unit - April to May 1943

The only obstacle left before joining an operational squadron was training and conversion to 4 engined heavy bombers. In April 1943 the crew were posted to 1656 Conversion Unit at RAF Lindholme in Yorkshire. Here they flew a total of 26 hours [day] and 8 hours [night] - a mixture of flying Halifaxes (12 times) and Lancasters (9 times). The first Lancaster they flew in was W4328. The training here ended on the 2 May 1943.

No. 12 Squadron (1 Group) - May to June 1943

Flew the first 8 missions with the crew - as mentioned elsewhere - but on 25th June 1943 flew a NFT (Night Flying Test), unofficially 'standing in' for a missing crew member...

[Capt] Sgt H.G. Yeo

[Nav] Sgt M.R. Aston

[W/O] Sgt R. Sneesby

[B/A] Sgt G.A. Hiddleston

[F/E] Sgt C.W. Robinson

[M/U] Sgt P. Soluk RCAF

[R/G] Sgt J.S. Rennick RCAF

This Lancaster - ED968 PH-P, disintegrated and crashed at Steingot, 5 miles SW of Louth, Lincolnshire, all crew lost. According to Wilfred, Reginald's brother, my Grandfather had attempted to stop the flight.

Photograph of Lawrence and text from the Aberdeen Evening Express, 30 August 1943

Wireless Operator - Sgt Lawrence Douglas Mitchell (new photo above)
Service Number - 1366131
POW Number - 414

Lawrence was born in Aberdeen, Scotland on the 12 July 1910. His civilian profession was a grocery and confectionery traveller. He enlisted on the 1 November 1940 aged 30.

Lawrence survived the crash and was taken prisoner at Les Sables on the west coast of France near St Nazaire approximately 50 miles west of Nantes.

It appears that Lawrence was in Sgt Scott's crew which ditched in the Channel on 13 May 1943 - see ORB Summaries - and was picked up by a Royal Navy minesweeper (according to an article in the 'Wickenby Register' newsletter it was HMS Minesweeper 79 - a Peterhead drifter - captained by Lt Commander John Collier), taken to hospital in Dover and returned to 12 Squadron three days later. Lawrence died in 1999.

Bomb Aimer - Sgt William Frank Thomas (crew photo 2nd from left, seated)
Service Number - 1217408

Flew all missions with the crew and was tragically killed in the crash aged 26.

William's CWGC record is very basic. Usually there is some indication of where a person lived and perhaps parents and a wife. Up until recently William's name and service number was all I knew of him. Having a common first and surname also hinders research. In early 2020 I sent off for his service record from the RAF. Not being next of kin some areas were redacted but at last now I know his date and place of birth, the name and date of birth of his son, date of enlistment and list of units. This opens up many more areas including the 1939 Register and other leads via FindMyPast etc.

William was born on 31 July 1916 in Hucknall, a town north of Nottingham, England. In 1939 his occupation was Colliery Haulage Worker (Below ground) and he lived with his wife Dorothy (and probably his son William Peter b. 29 March 1938) at 9, Brookside. Google Maps link.

He married Dorothy I Brown (b. 1 October 1917) in Q3, 1938 in the Basford district of Nottinghamshire.

William, aged 24, enlisted on 27 January 1941 at 2 Recruits Centre at RAF Cardington, Bedford. He was then transferred to No. 6 ITW (Initial Training Wing) at Aberystwyth, Wales. Flight training and a posting overseas to Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) followed on 29 August 1941.

Initially to an ITW on 9 October 1941, then 27 EFTS (Elementary Flying Training School) at Bulawayo. 25 EFTS at Belvedere, Harare followed on 19 February 1942. Then postings to 75 Air School at Lyttleton, Pretoria on 15 March 1942 and 41 Air School at East London, Collondale on 7 April 1942 both in South Africa.

William returned to Britain in August 1942 and then joined 25 OTU, 30 OTU, 1656 CU and 12 Squadron.

Flight Engineer - Sgt Alfred Hales - 937612 - (no photo)

He flew all missions with the crew and was tragically killed in the crash aged 32. He also trained with the crew on Halifaxes and Lancasters at 1656 CU. His civilian profession was a civil servant.

Alfred was born in Q1 1911. The 1911 census records him living at 15 Lynton Road, Aston, Birmingham with father John (41), mother Florence (34) and siblings Florence Ada (9), John (8), Winifred Annie (8), Doris (5), Frederick Arthur (4) and Frank (2). Alfred's entry reads 5 months. The Hales's had several more children after the 1911 census; Elsie (b. 1912), Ralph (b. 1913) and Edna (b. 1915).

Son of Mr. and Mrs. John Hales, of Birmingham (mother Florence Hales nee Beech). Married Q2 1900.

Alfred married Mildred Bailey (b. 14 August 1908 from Gravelly Hill, Erdington) on 25 November 1940 at The Parish Church, Erdington, Birmingham. Alfred was 30, Mildred was 32. Alfred's residence is listed as ? Squad D Hanger, Newton-on-Ouse. Nearby was RAF Linton-on-Ouse (NE of York) which presumably where Alfred received flight engineer training. Alfred's father John Hales, builder, is listed as deceased.

I cannot find Alfred on the 1939 register but it does list his Mother Florence (now widowed) living at 17 Barn Lane, Solihull with son Frederick (Royal Navy) and daughters Elsie (Photograph ?) and Edna Kibler (Hales) (Wages Clerk).

Mid Upper Gunner - Sgt Ernest Southon (photos above)
Service Number - 1622030
POW Number - 435

Ernest was born in Bradford, Lancashire on 19 February 1916. His civilian profession was a engineers progress and stock clerk. He enlisted February 1942 aged 26.

The 1939 Register lists Ernest living at 23 Hinckley Street, Manchester with his parents Willie (b. 1879 Wood Machinist) and Lydia (b. 1880) and sister Alice A (b. 1909 Blouse Machinist).

Ernest survived the crash and was taken prisoner at Les Sables on the west coast of France near St Nazaire approximately 50 miles west of Nantes.

Many thanks to Ernest's granddaughter Nicola and her family for the wonderful photographs above. Ernest died in 1991.

Rear Gunner - Sgt George Leonard Albert Deasley - 1321244 - (crew photo 1st on right)

Flew all missions with the crew and was tragically killed in the crash aged 22.

George was born in Peabody Buildings, Old Pye Street, Westminster, London on 30 November 1921. His parents were Montague Reuben Deasley (12 September 1885 - 29 January 1975) and Mina Rose Fletcher (02 July 1886 - Q2 1970). They were married in Q4 1910 in the Pancras district, London. Both died in the Lewisham district. Montague's probate record lists him living at 46, Leybridge Court, Lee, London.

George married Miss Thelma B Evans at the Register Office, Lewisham on 11 March 1942. George was 20, Thelma was 26. The marriage certificate lists George's profession as 1321244 Aircraftman 2 RAF (shoe salesman). Thelma's profession was Personal Secretary (Ministry of Aircraft Production). They were both living at 4 Old Bromley Road, Bromley, Kent.

Thelma was born on 15 September 1915, The 1939 register lists her living at 215 Stanstead Road, Lewisham with her father, Robert Vincent Evans, electrical engineer (b. 17 March 1877), mother Lillian Evans (b. 01 March 1882) and brother Edward V Evans ledger clerk wholesale chemist (b. 14 April 1911).

The 1939 register (after a open request) lists him as Leonard A Deasley (Salesman Shoe Warehouseman) living with his parents at 4 Old Bromley Road.

George had a brother James W R Deasley (b. 23 September 1913 - Q3 1995). James married Dulcie E Bernard (1915 - Q2 1960) in Lewisham in Q2 1937.