Sqn Ldr Patrick A Womersley DFC* AE – 609 Squadron

Patrick Womersley joined 609 (West Riding) Squadron AAF on 29 March 1939 as an Acting Pilot Officer. When war broke out he was as yet not fully trained, so when 609 proceeded to it’s first war Station at Catterick, he reported to No 6 Flying Training School at Little Rissington, together with several other trainee pilots from the Squadron. He graduated in December 1939 but did not return to 609 Sqn, instead being selected for twin-engined aircraft which resulted in another training course to convert him to the Bristol Blenheim.

He was posted to 59 Sqn, flying numerous sorties over France and the Low Countries gaining his first DFC for his actions. 59 Sqn later converted to the Lockheed Hudson and took on convoy protection and reconnaissance duties with Coastal Command.

In 1943 he was posted to 18 Sqn as an Acting Sqn Ldr flying the Douglas Boston, a twin-engined light attack and bomber aircraft. He saw much action in Italy until the end of the war, gaining a Bar to his DFC during that time.

Post-war he returned to the now reformed 609 Sqn at RAF Yeadon on 1 August 1946, as Sqn Ldr. Initially flying De Havilland Mosquito NF32s and then Spitfire Mk 16s, he served as the Officer Commanding until 3 October 1949.

He received an extension of service for five years at the end of which he resigned his commission.

When the 609 Squadron Association formed in 1967 he briefly joined and took part in activities, also contributing to the Squadron Memorial at Leeds-Bradford Airport.

He died in March 2009.

952429 Sgt Stanley Winyard Hartill

Stan Hartill, a Wolverhampton lad, was a newly trained Airframe Fitter, aged 19, when he joined 609 Squadron at Middle Wallop in mid-August 1940, the day after a heavy raid by the Luftwaffe. He saw the Squadron’s hangar in ruins, the wrecked aircraft and the casualties, including three fellow ground crew killed and many others wounded. He worked all day and sometimes through the night refuelling, rearming and repairing Spitfires, so there would be as many as possible ready for the next day. Stan was later posted to 41 Squadron at Hornchurch but was in the thick of the action throughout the Battle of Britain.

Stan next moved to Coastal Command at Stornoway and Wick, working on flying-boats and the twin-engined Lockheed Hudson, but he didn’t much like it – too far north, too cold and too wet!! His next posting was near Coventry where he worked on training aircraft at a Flying Training School, where the student pilots ensured he had plenty of work to do. Following this he was seconded to the Rolls-Royce factory in Wolverhampton as part of a team developing a new engine for a new British tank – the engine was the Meteor (a downgraded Merlin) and the tank was the Cromwell.

By now it was 1943 and Stan was yearning for a bit of excitement, so he readily responded to a call for volunteers for a new unit that was forming. This was the RAF Servicing Commando, a specialist unit of highly-skilled technicians required to maintain aircraft on the Continent following D-Day. They wore khaki battledress with blue RAF badges, they were trained to work on many aircraft, especially those of the RAF’s 2nd Tactical Air Force and they wore the coveted Combined Operations Badge.

Stan joined 3205 Squadron of the RAF Servicing Commando and went ashore on Juno Beach in Normandy the day after D-Day. The Squadron travelled inland to airfield B3, at St Croix sur Mer, and made preparations to receive their first aircraft, all done in two days despite German artillery and snipers. The first aircraft in on 10 June were those of Johnnie Johnson’s Canadian Wing and all 36 Spitfires were refuelled and rearmed and on their way in 20 minutes. On that first day of operations 180 aircraft were handled and in subsequent weeks hundreds more. 3205 Squadron were eventually withdrawn from France in mid-July 1944 and sent to Burma, but not Stan.

He was posted to Italy and served around Naples and Taranto. Next he moved to the Middle East and served at Port Said, the Suez Canal, in Palestine and at another Flying Training School near Nazareth. He returned to the UK and was mothballing Boeing B17s and other aircraft near Lichfield when the war ended. He was demobbed in 1946 and ran successful businesses during his working life, eventually retiring to Bournemouth; and that is where he passed away in July 2018, aged 97 years.

FS William Frank Webster BEM

Born: 15 May 1925, Angus, Scotland.
Died: 19 July 2005, Edinburgh, aged 80.

FS William Frank Webster (Willie) served with the RAFVR as an Air Signaller/Gunner from 1943 to 1947. Following graduation from No.4 Wireless School at RAF Madley, Yorkshire he sawactivewar service with No. 216 Squadron in North Africa and the Mediterranean flying in Douglas DC-3 Dakota Mks III & IV. Initially supporting the Army in Italy, the Squadron was ultimately responsible for opening up new air transport routes within the Mediterranean and southern Europe

Demobbed in December 1947 Webster settled in Aberdeen and missing his RAFVR service in February 1953 he joined No. 612 (County of Aberdeen) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based at Dyce. He showed his versatility by retraining as a fitter/armourer, working on the DH Vampire FB5.

On the demise of the RAuxAF flying Squadrons in March 1957 he transferred to No. 3612 (County of Aberdeen) Fighter Control Unit and another change of trade to telegraphist. Due to work Webster and his family moved to Edinburgh so he transferred to No. 3603 (City of Edinburgh) FCU at Barnton Quarry.

Further reductions in the RAuxAF followed and the FCUs were disbanded in 1959. However, the personnel of No. 3603 (City of Edinburgh) FCUwere immediately reformed as No. 2 (City of Edinburgh) Maritime Headquarters Unit, (2MHU), to support the NATO Maritime HQ at Pitreavie Castle, Fife. He became the Senior NCO in charge of communications at 2MHU until his retirement from the RAuxAF in 1985 at the age of 60.

His long and loyal service was reflected by the award of the Air Efficiency Award (AE) and2 bars. This service and his additional stalwart work with the Earl Haig Poppy Fund, earned him the award of the British Empire Medal in March 1985.

Flying Officer James A Vick – 607 Squadron

James Anderson Vick, of Kings Norton, was born in 1908. He joined 607 Squadron Auxiliary Air Force in March 1932 and obtained his ‘A’ License in the summer of 1933.

He was called to full-time service with 607 on 24th August 1939. The squadron was ordered to France and Vick flew to Merville from Croydon on 16th November 1939 in an Ensign, in charge of the ground party. The squadron was withdrawn on 20th May 1940 and the remnants re-assembled at Croydon on the 22nd.

Vick took command of the squadron in June and led it until 12th October 1940 when he went to HQ 14 Group as Wing Commander Training.

In early 1942 Vick’s eyesight fell below the standard required for flying and he was released from the RAF to join Imperial Airways on the organisation and administrative side.

He later transferred to BOAC and remained with the airline until his retirement.

He died on 11th May 2000.

James Rollo Thompson

Born on the day that the Battle of the Somme began, 8th April 1916. A sickly child, he spent a long time as an in-patient at Great Ormond Street for Children, but they helped to reshape his legs, and enabled him to walk unaided at age 90!

In 1935, Jim Thompson heard that the Earl of Harwood was planning to form an Auxiliary Air Force Squadron near to his home. It was actually 60 miles away, but as he owned a BSA motorbike and sidecar, he was able to attend the recruitment day, 10th February 1936. He was the first airman to sign up, number 809000, although Haslam Wood thought that his number, 809001, made him first. He must have ignored the man standing directly in front of him.

Jim was in the Squadron’s first Remembrance Parade through Leeds in 1936. They marched between two bands that were playing different tunes with different beats. He recalled that their marching was extremely irregular as a result.

Wanting to learn to fly, he found himself unable to do so with 609. So in 1937 he joined the Leeds Aero Club, training pilots on behalf of the Civil Air Guard. They shared Yeadon with 609 (WR) Squadron. It cost Jim 25p and hour, and aged 21 he went solo after 8¼ hours of tuition.

The ex-Adjutant of 609, Squadron Leader the Earl of Lincoln, founded 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron RAuxAF on 1st November 1938, at Doncaster, which was much closer to Jim’s home. The Earl asked Jim to transfer to 616, but when Jim said that was now flying, the Earl told him to stay as he was. Jim did transfer to Doncaster RAFVR, and their Civil Air Guard, and continued to fly Tiger Moths before qualifying in the Fairey Battle. Ironically, 616 on the other side of Doncaster Airfield still had old Hawker Hind biplanes.

At the outbreak of war, Jim, now a 23-year-old Sergeant pilot, did join the RAuxAF when the Civil Air Guard and the RAFVR were combined into the RAF. However, a weak chest caused him to fail the RAF Medical Exam. He left the RAF for 3 months, before re-joining as an LAC on a Link Trainer Course. He regained his stripes when qualifying as an instructor. He continued with this for 2½ years, combining this with Duty Pilot at RAF Finningley.

Now married to Rene, he was offered a Commission if he moved stations. The cost of new accommodation was too much for the young couple, so he declined, and remained at Finningley until after D Day, when he went to France as i/c a Flare Path team at Bomber Command Emergency Airfields. They saved the lives of several bomber crews by talking them down safely. When back in the UK after the war ended, Jim took his 12-man team to a Coventry pub, where they bumped into an all Warrant Officer bomber crew. Realisation dawned that it was Jim’s team who had saved them when their Lancaster G George had to make a forced landing at Juvencourt B68 airfield a year before.

Post war, Jim sold medical equipment to hospitals all over the UK for 25 years. After retirement, Jim became a local Councillor, and a staunch member of his local Methodist Church, as well as being a senior Freemason, and member of the Royal British Legion. He was a great raconteur, and you never needed to worry about a strained silence if Jim was in the room!

Aged 80, he was given a trip in a Cessna 180 by the Sherburn Aero Club, and told me that on reaching 90 he was sure that he could still handle a Tiger Moth.

Jim said at this time how proud he had been to know 609, and the bods in it. They were as good as any Guard’s Unit in his view. He told the guests at a 609 Squadron dinner that “One thing that will happen to all of you. You never retire from the Service. It sticks to you like glue!”

Jim Thompson was buried at his local Church on 1st December 2008, aged 92. He was a gentleman, a patriot, a proud and loving father, a leading member of his community, and an absolutely marvellous man to have known.

2007