Harold John (Jack) Gillingham

Harold John (Jack) Gillingham

From: J Gillingham

Sent: Friday, July 31, 2015 

While Googling Jack Maurice Lyall I came upon the attached e-mail from Russell Gray to you from 3 February 2013.

My father, Harold John (Jack) Gillingham from Newfoundland and still living at 95, was Jack Lyall’s W/Op when training at OTU in England.  I have an OTU picture of them standing together at the tail of a Vickers Wellington, along with Bob Hale and Norman Thornley (Tail Gunner).  

After OTU, Jack Lyall went to 214 Squadron while my Dad and the rest of the crew went to 149.  By the greatest of coincidences, both crews failed to return from the raid on Berlin on March 1 – 2, 1943, and most survivors (9 of 11) wound up in Lamsdorf.  

I am wondering if you could put me in touch with Mr. Gray because I am curious about his relationship to Jack Lyall and would like to discuss this further.

 If you could forward this message to Russell Gray or provide me with his e-mail address, I would be greatly obliged.

John Gillingham

Nova Scotia, Canada   

 

John Gillingham

9th December 2015

I know this group picture well. It looks as though Victor Mitchell is on the extreme left of the third row, which is staggered. My father (Jack Gillingham, Wireless Operator, 149 Squadron) is third from the left and his crew-mate Norman Thornley (Rear Gunner) is fifth from the left. Flying Officer Frank Kenwood, also from Montreal, is seated at the extreme left of the Front Row. The picture was published in the Montreal Standard which appears to have been a weekend supplement to the old Montreal Star newspaper and, as you can see, Vic Mitchell is mentioned. Lastly, I strongly believe that the man at the extreme right of the back row is Glafkos Clerides (Wireless Operator, 115 Squadron) who went on to become President of Cyprus from 1993 to 2003. Does anyone know others in this photo?

From: Russ Gray

Sent: Sunday, February 3, 2013 

Subject: RE: New Name

 Morning Phillip,
 
I have another name for your website.
 
The airman’s name is W/O. Jack Maurice Lyall service number R97377. POW no 27648
 
He was shot down and baled out of Stirling R9145, 214 Squadron on 1st/2nd March 1943 on an operation against Berlin and captured at Hamburg on 2nd March 1943.
 
According to his POW questionnaire he was interrogated at Dulag Luft between 4th and 11th March 1943 (and spent 4 days in solitary confinement) before being sent to Stalag 344, Lamsdorf. He remained at Lamsdorf from March 1943 to January 1945 when I believe he went on the Long March. He then spent a week at Gorlitz in February before ending up at Stalag XI, Fallingbostel in April 1945.
 
He suffered from dysentery and malnutrition due to’ lack of proper food on the march’
 
The questionnaire notes he suffered from dysentery from March 5th to April 22nd 1945 and malnutrition from March 15th to April 16th, 1945.
 
I would be keen to know when he left the camp…. he marked as ‘n/a’ when asked if he had witnessed or endured any war crimes.

Russ