102 (Ceylon) Squadron
Tentate et perficite (Attempt and Achieve)
Flight Sergeant Wilfrid (Bill) Phelps Comrie
Halifax JB848 DY-G crashed just outside Pocklington on the 29th March 1943
Colin Stokoe is the nephew of two 102 squadron members, Wilf Bell, a rear gunner who completed a tour with the New Zealand pilot Arthur Carey, and Arthur Brown a mechanic in one of the ground crews.
In 1993 Colin wrote a piece for the Pocklington Post all about this crash, and he has kindly given us permission to reprint it here, MANY thanks to you Colin. (Don't forget to click the photo)
F/S. Wilfrid (Bill) Phelps Comrie, Pilot - Aged 27 - KIA - (C.W.G.C.)
F/O Douglas William Francis Harper - Nav - Aged 22 - KIA - (C.W.G.C.)
Sgt. Frank W Dorrington - WOp - Aged 23 - KIA - (C.W.G.C.)
P/O William Hugh Jenkins - B/A - Aged 34 - KIA - (C.W.G.C.)
Sgt. William .J. McGraith - F/E - Aged 23 - KIA - (C.W.G.C.) (CWGC name spelt wrong, McGrath)
Sgt. John King - A/G - Aged 21 - KIA - (C.W.G.C.)
Sgt. Myles Christian Cambell Squiers - A/G - Aged 20 - KIA - (C.W.G.C.)
Where They Came From - Early Days In Pccklington - That Fateful Night - The Aftermath
Where They Came From
Fifty years ago the pubs of Pocklington resounded with many unfamiliar accents as blue—c1ad young men and women from all parts of the English speaking world serv1ng at RAF Pocklington lived life to the full in their off duty hours.
Much of the real work of 102 Squadron crews was veiled in secrecy. A local policeman was known to see off Pocklington teenagers who tried to watch to closely the daily work of the Squadron from the edge of the airfield. Locals might have thought that life for these crews was one long party.
Friendships were formed. In 1943 Arthur Brown, who now lives in Warrington, arrived in Pocklingtcn to join the ground crew of one of the Halifax bombers of 102 Squadron. Ha later was to marry a young lady from Pocklington. He now lives back in Warrington, as do his two daughters and four grand children. On the night of 28th March 1943 Arthur was in the Black Bull in Pocklington, In wartime Pocklingtcn “Mabel’s Bar" was a popular venue for airman. There he met a 20 year old South African, Myles Squiars, who was the Rear Gunner in another aircraft, ’G-George'.
Like many of the friendships formed at that time, it was to be short-lived. For on the very next night Arthur was to watch ’G-George’ crash into the west Green on its way to Berlin, killing Sgt. Squiers and the other six crew members. The inscription on Sgt. Squiers’ gravestone in Barmby Moor churchyard reads ’Ave Atque Va1e‘ - Hail and Farewell. Both crew and aircraft had only begun operational duties in Pocklington within the previous month. The aircraft, a Halifax B/GR Mk2 Series 1, was newly despatched from the English Electric factory in Preston when delivered to Pocklington.
The crew of ’G—George' was drawn from a diversity of backgrounds, and had something of an international character.
From the prairies of North Dakota
came the 27 year old Pilot, Bill Comrie. In March 1941 he had crossed the Canadian border into neighbouring Manitoba to enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force. This was nine months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour brought his own country into the war.
There was also a connection with the USA through Myles Squiers, whose father was an American diplomat working in South Africa.
From the slip ways of the Clyde came the 23 year old Flight Engineer Jock McGrath.
The home of Bomb Aimer, William Jenkins, was in Birmingham but he was born in Pembroke. At the age of 34 he was by far the oldest and and a only a handful of airman in 102 Sqn over the age of 30.
More typical in age was the Navigator, Douglas Harper, who was 22. He came
from the village of Oadby in Leicestershire.
Originally from the East End of London, the 21 year old Mid Upper Gunner, John King, had more recently been serving in the Hampshire Police Force.
From Brighton came the 23 year old wireless Operator, Frank Dorrington.
So the crew consisted of an American, a South African, a Scotsman, a Welshman and three Englishmen.
Like most pilots and navigators Bill Comrie and Douglas Harper did their initial aircrew training in Canada. Bill Ccmrie received his pilot’s wings in December 1941. At the end of his navigator training in Edmonton Douglas Harper passed out as the stations top cadet. He received his wings from the Lieutenant—Governor of Alberta in the presence of senior officers from the RAF, RCAF and US Army Air Corps. To commemorate the occasion Canadian Airways presented him with an engraved gold bracelet. He was commissioned in July 1942 and promoted to Flying Officer in January 1943.
The crew of ‘G-George‘ was first formed in late 1942 at 10 OTU (Operational
Training Unit) in Abingdon.
At this stage it had only the five members shown
in the group photograph. When a crew upgraded to four engined aircraft a
Flight Engineer and Mid Upper Gunner were added ta their number. It was at
this point that Jock McGrath and John King joined the crew.
At the start of 1943 four engined bomber training was done in Conversion Flight attached to operational squadrons. 102 Squadron took over from the Canadian 405 Squadron at Pocklington in August 1942. It was to the 102 Squadron Conversion Flight that the crew arrived for heavy conversion training in January 1943.
Before the War Douglas Harper had been well know in Leicestershire Scout circles and had been selected to receive on behalf of the county a pennant from the Duke of Kent who was killed in 1942 while serving with the RAF. Shortly after arriving in Pocklington he bumped into someone he had not seen for quite a while. LAC Stan Jeffrey was in the ground crew of 'E-Easy’ and came from the same village, Oadby, They had know each other in the Scouts in 1931. By further coincidence Stan was to be on duty on that fateful at his dispersal point, known as "the piggeries” because it was next door to a pig farm on the main road into Pocklington. From there he was to watch Douglas Harper's aircraft crash onto west Green.
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