Photo Album
My Grandfather - Thomas Benzie Forbes
No.8 I.T.W. (Initial Training Wing) group photograph at Newquay, Cornwall, Autumn 1941
My Grandfather, Tom Forbes is on the top row, far right. Many of these men joined Tom at No.2 BFTS for flight training in California. Tom Fee is one row down, 4th from the right. Raymond Gibbney is sitting 3rd from the left. William Reid is next to my grandfather.
This photo was taken on Island Crescent - see this link for a modern Google Street view.
Reverse of the photo above "c/o H.Q. R.C.A.F. Ottowa, Canada". This must have been the posting address home. Also a list of exam results starting with Maths, Nav(igation) and Sig(nalling). Final result 93.6%.
Jim Jeffrey (see below) also has a copy of the cadets photograph at Newquay. On the reverse of his there are many signatures including my grandfather, William Reid, Raymond Gibbney and Tom Fee. Many thanks again to Jim for this scan.
Towan Beach, Newquay, Cornwall Autumn 1941
This is a postcard sent by Tom Fee to his daughter Jean. The group of buildings at the very top right are on Island Crescent where the ITW group photograph was taken.
Newquay, Cornwall Autumn 1941
Tom Fee in flying gear. You can just make out the bridge to The Island in the top left of the previous photo.
Course No. 6 - No. 2 BFTS, Lancaster, California - December 1941
This amazing photograph was sent to me by Jim Jeffrey whose father Jack is in this group. Subsequently I was also sent this photograph by my uncle Roger who found it after my Nan, Tom's widow Jessie died.
No. 2 BFTS, Lancaster, California
Tom in full flying gear in front of a Stearman PT 17, the classic WWII biplane trainer.
No. 2 BFTS, Lancaster, California
Tom and another cadet (R. C. Hall?) in front of a Stearman.
No. 2 BFTS, Lancaster, California
Tom climbing into the same Stearman as in the photographs above.
No. 2 BFTS, Lancaster, California
Tom is far right in the group cadet photo.
Los Angeles or Lancaster, California
My Grandfather (seated) with Tom Fee at the home of their hosts - either the Paces, Bloomhursts or Bottomleys.
Los Angeles or Lancaster, California
Tom Forbes (L) and Tom Fee (R). According to the back of the photo they are having a friendly argument!
Los Angeles or Lancaster, California
Tom Forbes, the Bottomley family and Tom Fee.
Los Angeles or Lancaster, California
Mrs Bloomhurst, Tom Forbes, Dorothy, Tom Fee and Laddie (the dog).
No. 2 BFTS, Lancaster, California
Tom behind a BT-13 outside a hangar at the Polaris Flight School, Lancaster.
No. 2 BFTS, Lancaster, California
Tom with a local police officer (Tom was a Metropolitan Police Officer in London before he joined up).
Los Angeles or Lancaster, California
The two Tom's with the Bottomley's and Bloomhurst's.
Los Angeles or Lancaster, California
On the reverse Tom noted: "Enjoying some fruit we had just picked - that's me on the grass at the back - the dog is a collie named 'Laddie'".
Los Angeles or Lancaster, California
Tom outside number 1206.
Los Angeles or Lancaster, California
Tom and Tom enjoy a beer!
No. 2 BFTS, Lancaster, California
Tom in front of two US Army BT-13 Vultees - The Stearman and these BT-13's all have BL as a prefix.
No. 2 BFTS, Lancaster, California
Cadets and ground crew (?) In front of North American AT6 - 'BL 213'.
No. 2 BFTS, Lancaster, California
Tom on a North American AT-6 Texan Trainer.
No. 2 BFTS, Lancaster, California
The AT-6 was more powerful than the BT-13.
No. 2 BFTS, Lancaster, California
Interesting photo of the inside the cockpit of a Stearman?
Photo of unknown aircrew.
Los Angeles or Lancaster, California
My Grandfather (right), friend Tom Fee (middle) and Raymond Gibbney (left).
Los Angeles or Lancaster, California
Top Row: Louis Stevenson, ?, James Breingan
Bottom Row: Thomas Forbes, ?
No. 2 BFTS, Lancaster, California
A good luck photo to Tom Fee of and signed by an incredibly young looking Eric Hannington.
No. 2 BFTS, Lancaster, California
A photo of a Spartan 7W 'Executive' sporting a Polaris logo - Many thanks to Tony Broadhurst and Ian Kroemer for this information.
Eddie's Lodge Diner, 1517 Valley Blvd, Rosemead, California
The two Tom's having dinner. Alec Rennie is sitting opposite my grandfather.
No. 2 BFTS, Lancaster, California
Tom at Polaris Flight Academy.
Tom at home in Kilburn, North London.
RAF Finningley - 25 OTU (Operational Training Unit), near Doncaster, South Yorkshire - March 1943
Superb photo sent to me by Wilfred Sneesby. (Left to Right) Reginald Sneesby, Tom Forbes, Leslie Matthews, George Deasley and William Thomas (sitting down).
30 OTU Hixon, Staffordshire
Vickers Wellington TN-X at dispersal. There is another Wellington in the background also being maintained. A close look at the original photograph reveals this is BJ986 which crashed in October 1943.
England: Could be Hixon, Lindholme or Wickenby.
Tom is on the right giving the piggyback.
Reginald Sneesby
Wireless Operator in Tom's crew. Many thanks to Reginald's brother Wilfred for sending me this and the next 3 photographs.
Reginald Sneesby (back row, 4th from left)
At either No. 4 Signal School or No. 8 Air Gunners School.
Reginald Sneesby
In full flying gear, during training or at Wickenby.
Reginald Sneesby
A striking portrait.
Ernest Southon
A wonderful photograph of Ernest sent to me by his granddaughter Nicola. He was the mid upper gunner in the crew and would have joined Tom and the others during training at the Heavy Conversion Unit at Lindholme, South Yorkshire.
Ernest Southon
A very poignant photograph of Ernest as an older man. He survived the Bay of Biscay crash and died in 1991 aged 75. Many thanks to Nicola and her family for their kind permission to publish these photos.
12 Squadron - Lancaster PH-H LM321 - date unknown
My Grandfather flew this Lancaster to Mulheim on the 22nd of June 1943. It went on to fly many more missions with 12, 460, 550 and 100 squadrons eventually succumbing on 10/11 June 1944 over France. Many thanks to Philip Swan who sent me the photos of LM321 after I spotted them in an album at The Wickenby Memorial Museum.
12 Squadron - Stuart Dunshea, Rear Gunner
Completed a tour of 30 operations at Wickenby from April to October 1943. After completing his tour, he was an instructor at 30 OTU (Hixon). After that he was a Gunnery Instructor for 6 months at 27 OTU (Lichfield). Stuart returned to Australia in 1945 via America on the Queen Mary.
12 Squadron - Lancaster PH-H LM321
The nose art, I think a mounted knight with lance, may have arisen due to this plane being the preferred Lancaster of Squadron Leader F S Knight.
See 'Aircraft flown on Ops' page for more details.
12 Squadron - Lancaster PH-U
Back Row: Sgt A. Evans, F/S S. Dunshea, F/S M. Pritchett, Sgt E. Brooks, Sgt H. Binder, F/S F. Kauter. Front Row: Ground Crew (names unknown) Photo taken by F/S M. Brown (pilot).
12 Squadron - Lancaster PH-U
Back Row: Sgt A. Evans, F/S S. Dunshea, F/S M. Pritchett, Sgt E. Brooks, Sgt H. Binder, F/S F. Kauter. Front Row: Ground Crew (names unknown) Photo taken by F/S M. Brown (pilot).
12 Squadron: Cyril Kroemer and Crew
Back Row: Dave Tibbs, ? Clark, Bill Cloutman, Kim O'Brien. Front Row: Jim Clement, Cyril Kroemer, Tommy Bishop.
Many thanks to Philip Swan for this photo.
12 Squadron - (L-R) Pilot F/O Jim Wright, Bomb Aimer Sgt Doug Tattersall and Navigator F/O Eric Saunders.
Completed Operational Tour in October 1943.
Many thanks to Jim Tattersall for this and the 2 photos below.
12 Squadron - Sgt Brian Heath
Mid Upper Gunner in Jim Wrights crew. Completed Operational Tour in October 1943.
12 Squadron - Sgt Wally Smith
Flight Engineer in Jim Wrights crew. Completed Operational Tour in October 1943.
12 Squadron - Richard Barrass
Flight Engineer in P/O Norman Ashburner's crew. Tragically lost on the first of the Berlin Raids, 24th August 1943. This and the next photo was kindly sent to me by Trish Gibson.
12 Squadron - Richard Barrass
12 Squadron - F/L William Polgrean
William flew at least 35 ops with 12 Squadron but was tragically killed serving 578 Squadron flying Halifaxes. Many thanks to Derek Polgrean for this photograph.
12 Squadron - Sgt John Rennick RCAF
John tragically died on the same training flight as Reginald Sneesby (25 June 1943). Many thanks to Dave Fenn for this photo.
12 Squadron - F/S William 'Billy' Wicks
In Sydney before going to England. Many thanks to Murray Ellis for these photographs of Billy.
12 Squadron - F/S William 'Billy' Wicks
With his maternal grandparents about the time of their Diamond Wedding anniversary in 1941.
12 Squadron: F/L Patrick Ford RAAF
Born in Goondiwindi, Queensland, Australia.
12 Squadron - F/L Patrick Ford RAAF
In flying gear, probably at Wickenby.
12 Squadron - F/L Patrick Ford and crew (Front Row, Centre)
12 Squadron - F/L Patrick Ford RAAF
Many thanks to Matthew Ford for sending me these very poignant photographs.
12 Squadron - F/S Reginald Avery
Lived in Ramsgate, Kent and was the Flight Engineer in F/L Patrick Ford's crew. Many thanks to Janet Byron for this photograph.
12 Squadron - F/Sgt John 'Reggie' Richmond
At home in Ontario, Canada. See Reggie Richmond special section for more details. Many thanks to Heather Kailburn for this photograph.
12 Squadron - P/O James Borland DFC
Completed a tour with 12 Squadron (June to October 1943). Was then posted to 156 Pathfinder Squadron but tragically killed on 1st January 1944 during an operation to Berlin.
12 Squadron - Sgt Alan Waller
Sgt Waller was the Mid Upper Gunner in P/O Borland's crew and shared the same fate. Many thanks to James Carver for these two photos.
100 Squadron - F/S William Caldwell
William (back row, centre) and crew tragically died on the same operation as my Grandfather, Turin 12/13 July 1943.
See Turin special section for more detail.
100 Squadron - F/Sgt William 'Bill' Caldwell
Many thanks to Emma Lester for these photographs.
12 Squadron - Sgt Frederick Anderson
Frederick served as the Mid Upper Gunner in F/L Patrick Ford's crew and tragically died in the early hours of 12th June 1943.
Many thanks to David Booth for the photograph.
12 Squadron - P/O Norman Ashburner
Norman and his crew (including Richard Barrass see above) were posted to 12 Squadron on the 7 May 1943. Norman trained in Winnipeg, Canada and was from Urswick in Cumbria. The crew tragically failed to return from Berlin on 23/24 August 1943.
12 Squadron - Sgt Maurice Combres
This is a photo of Sgt. Maurice E. Combres (rear gunner) who was among the crew killed in action on in the early hours of July 4th, 1943, during a raid on Cologne. Their Lancaster III was shot down by Hptm. Wilhelm Telge, a night fighter pilot, who was killed in action several months later.
Many thanks to Ron Cardon for the photograph.
No. 2 BFTS, Lancaster, California
A fabulous photo of Thomas Carson (middle) at Lancaster with (left to right) Cpl Haigh, F C Coenen, American Instructor, A Colwell?
No. 2 BFTS, Lancaster, California
Thomas Carson with a Stearman trainer aircraft. Thomas ‘Kit’ Carson was posted to 19 Squadron Fighter Command and flew 150 Spitfire and Mustang operations and was awarded the DFC. He continued to fly as a RAF pilot until 1961.
The Polaris Academy engraved metal plaque presented to T.A.Carson on 17 June 1942.
A Gold Star merit award presented to T.A.Carson states;
‘his name has been inscribed in the Academy’s Hall of Fame in recognition of having completed the course of flying training without accident of any kind’
Thanks to Dave Carson and John Robertson for these images.
A scan of one of the leaflets that Tom dropped over Lille in March 1943 - Kindly sent to me by Wilfred Sneesby.
See this page for a translation
A leaflet dropped by my Grandfather and crew over Wuppertal probably at the end of May 1943. Reg had noted 'Took these to Wuppertal as well as bombs'.
The leaflet is 40 plus pages in length and the title translates as: 'The Other Side'.
Wickenby airfield: October 2001
Wickenby airfield: October 2001
The Wickenby Icarus Memorial: October 2001
This fabulous photo of my Grandfather was sent to me by Brian Jones (son of David 'Bill' Jones who also on Course No. 6 at BFTS Lancaster). It came from one of David's photo albums and was titled 'Tom Forbes calling the tower from BT13a'. Many thanks Brian.