550 Squadron

Unknown Crew

A photo was recently (February 2023) received of a crew labelled as a "550" crew. Many thanks to Dave Wicks for making this photo available and permission to use on the web-site.

The initial thought was that this might be the F/Lt A J Grain crew but this has since been discounted (based on information from relatives of members of that crew and photo of two of the crew members who are clearly not in this new photo).

The plinth in the photo is familiar. The are photos of multiple 550 crews (on the web-site) with that item present (including the F/Lt E G Fleming, S/Ldr W F Caldow, F/O J Lukies crews). Thus it does indeed appear to be North Killingholme, and therefore a 550 Squadron crew. 550 Squadron were only flying from NK after Jan 1944, thus a crew that arrived after the move from Waltham to North Killingholme.

The picture below is of this still unidentified crew.

Click image "550" Crew
Click image Annotation on rear of photo

If you recognise anyone in the photo that could perhaps lead to an identification of the crew then do please email the web-site (contact details in the page footer).

Crew IDENTIFIED!

Recent information has led to the identification of the crew as the F/Lt E S Allen crew. Don Kentish was able to identify the crew and has a (poor quality) version of the same photo.

Click image F/Lt E S Allen crew
Left-to-right: Back row: Alex "Jock" Dennison (Nav), Eric Allen (P), Jim Murray-Shirreff (R/AG), "Paddy" Maginley (A/B)
Front row: Ray Lundie (W/Op), Ted Smith (F/Eng), Reg "Taffy" Crump (MU/AG)
Click image Rear of the same photo (but from the copy of the photo held by Don Kentish)
All of the crew identified by Ray Lundie (W/Op)

For more details about the crew see: F/Lt E S Allen crew where other photos of the crew are also available.

The Association is very glad to have received this previously unknown photo of the Allen crew to add to the record. Many thanks to Dave Wicks for sending the photo in and to Don Kentish for solving the mystery.