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Photo: RAF Skipton-on-Swale, England
Toronto Manning Pool [Enlistment]
St. Thomas T.T.S. [Technical Training School]
Vancouver B.C. 3 R.D. [Radio Detachment]
Prince Rupert 7 B.R. [Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron]
Pat Bay 32 OTU [Patricia Bay Operational Training Unit]
Sea Island Det. [ Detachment]
Halifax No. 1 Y Depot
Moncton P.R.C. [Personnel Reception Center]
Camp Myles Standish, Taunton Massachusetts [for embarkation to U.K.]
Bournemouth 3 P.R.C. [Personnel Reception Center]
Coleby Grange 3062 Echelon
West Malling 410 Sqdn
Hunsdon Herts [RAF Hunsdon]
Skipton-on-Swale 433 Sqdn
Gransden 405 Sqdn
St. Athan T.T.S. [Tech. Training School]
Liverpool Roots
Dalton B.S. [Battle School]
Wombelton C.U. [Conversion Unit]
Middleton St. Geo. 428 Sqdn
Frankfurt I.D.
Oberursel Dulag Luft [Interrogation]
Bankau Luft 7 [POW camp]
Luckenwalde Stalag III A [POW camp]
Last Page of Diary
Particulars of Service - Flying Officer Robert Toomey(click to enlarge image)
Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts for embarkation overseas in 1943.
Posted to Skipton-on-Swale November 1943 as an Airframe Mechanic
Posted to St. Athan, Wales January 1944 to train as a Flight Engineer
Posted to RAF Middleton St. George July 1944
Robert Toomey served in Canada from January 16th, 1941 until March 8th, 1943 while training for duties overseas. He was initially trained as an Airframe Mechanic.
He arrived in England on March 17th, 1943 and was assigned to squadrons 410, 433 and 405 as an airframe mechanic.
On January 3rd, 1944 he was posted to No. 4 School of Technical Training in St. Athan, Wales to begin training as a flight engineer on a Lancaster bomber. The flight engineer's course at RAF St. Athan lasted about 16 weeks and included hands-on training in an early version of a "flight trainer", running the engines and carrying out operating procedures in a Lancaster fuselage. In the evenings the airmen relaxed, often watching films or attending concerts by the B.B.C. Symphony Orchestra in the large theatre at St. Athan.
Following his training at St. Athan, he completed evasion and survival training at the Dalton Battle School from May 20 to June 1, 1944. From there he was transferred to 1666 Conversion Unit, a bomber squadron at Wombleton, England.
On July 13th, 1944 he was posted to RAF Middleton St. George airfield in England, along with his crew members.
In the early morning hours of August 17th, 1944 while returning from a mission to bomb the port of Stettin his aircraft was attacked and crashed into the sea near the Danish island Sejerø. He swam ashore and was taken prisoner later that day. Two days later he was transported to a jail in Copenhagen, then to Dulag Luft Oberursel for three days of interrogation and solitary confinement. Following this, he was taken to Dulag Luft Wetzlar transit camp then by train to Stalag Luft 7, Bankau, arriving there on August 30, 1945.
In January, 1945 his camp was evacuated along with several other camps as the Russian army was rapidly advancing. He was forced to march 227 kilometres westward to Stalag III-A near Luckenwalde, Germany, where he arrived on February 8, 1945. That camp was finally liberated by the Russians on April 22nd, 1945, but Robert Toomey was not safely back in England until May 16th, 1945. Robert was promoted to Flying Officer (C90314) while a prisoner of war.
He served in Canada following the war from June 1st, 1945 to September 13th, 1945.
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