I am looking for information on a distant cousin, one Robert (Bobbie) Cullingham. Our family mythology says he was killed in the ill-fated Swordfish torpedo-bomber attack on the German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau as they made their dash up the Channel from Brest in February 1942. He is listed on the Runnymede Memorial for RAF personnel with no known graves. http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=231627 I believe the Swordfish attack was carried out by 825 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm. According to the Runnymede record, Bobbie Cullingham was serving in 48 Squadron, which I think was a bomber squadron, so it is actually unlikely he was on the Swordfish mission. But I gather there were a number of bombing raids on these battlecruisers, with significant aircraft losses, as they were heavily defended by German fighter aircraft as well as by AA batteries. Are there any details on line of the activities of 48 Squadron in or around February 1942 (I'm aware of Kew, but that's a long way away), or can anyone give me any information relating to their missions at about that time? His service number was 921742, and the date of his death is given as 23/02/1942, which is 11 days after the date of the Swordfish attack (12 February). How long was it between the time a person was reported as missing in action and the time when they were declared dead? In other words, is the Runnymede Memorial date the date when he was actually shot down, or would he have been shot down some days or weeks earlier? If the latter, how many days/weeks?
I've worked out that 48 sqdn was a Coastal Command unit operating Hudsons at the time. Therefore unlikely to be involved in the "Channel Dash" except indirectly. I think you can take it that the date on the Runnymede Memorial, or the CWGC site, is the date that they actually went missing. This is assuming there is no doubt about the date which for aircrew there usually isn't, but also assuming it is recorded correctly, which it occassionally isn't.
the channel dash is an od one. technically it was royal navy and castal command that were involved, but I am sure i have read in some memoirs that bomber and fighter command joined in to to try and destroy the three ships, all failing. it may be your cousin was just lost on the same day and the myth grew up around the date. can you get to Kew to check the squadron operational record book at all? if it was the channel dash it should mention what the sortie was for?
Could it be that he was on a plane that went in to rescue some of the returning ditched aircrew and they got caught aswell.... Dee
Hi mate, here's a little bit of info for you without getting terribly specific: http://www.caithness.org/history/articles/airoperationsrafwickpart3.htm Being based in Wick, it's highly unlikely they were involved in the Channel Dash.
Thank you very much for that, Andy. I guess it wraps it up. As you say, very unlikely that a squadron based at Wick would be involved in the Channel Dash. As was suggested earlier, I expect the similarity in the dates made the family think he was lost in the Channel action, and of course I doubt if the War Office gave a lot of detail at the time, so speculation was inevitable, and it slowly became fact. Thanks to everyone who replied.
No worries at all. Coastal Command squadrons did go on detachment regularly but unless Bobbie was on such a deployment already or he and his crew somehow happened to be in the area, the 'suddenness' of the Channel Dash would preclude 48 Sqn from being specially called on. As you can see from the link above, the weather was atrocious during this time where the squadrob was operating so not a pleasant time to be flying - ops or training. I am looking into Coastal Command losses as we speak so hope to have more info specific to the loss for you.
I've asked around - after checking my Hudson books to no avail - and had an excellent response. CULLINGHAM RD 921742 48 SQDN 23/02/1942 NEWCOMB FWR 61270 48 SQDN 23/02/1942 PURDUE JE 984761 48 SQDN 23/02/1942 STOTTER AJ 984799 48 SQDN 23/02/1942 Four crew, all 48 Sqn and all on Feb 23. There's your Hudson crew. A bit more digging with these extra names and I only came up with a bit more on Newcomb: http://www.kentfallen.com/PDF REPORTS/MEOPHAM.pdf Hoping to find some details on the loss itelf shortly.
Alan John Stotter was my half-brother. I think he was an air gunner. His loss devastated my father. I was born after Alan died and now have a young son, Alan, named after him. We always remember Alan John, as do my family in the States. I put in a cross for him at Westminster Abbey Garden of Remembrance last year and this, and will do so for all his crew next year. Per ardua ad astra.
I noticed the same date Hudson V AM869 could be the A/C Went on Stab patrol and did not return. This site may have more info: RafCommands Forums - Powered by vBulletin Cheers Geoff
