a pilots tale

[armystuff]

:tinysmile_shy_t::tinysmile_shy_t: hi guys
i would like to share this story that i have been chassing for some time now here we go .
my wifes grandfather flight sargent robert owen ellis was a pilot with 609 sq flying typhoons and spitfires. while on a mission to provide the 21army group with air support at normandy he was shot down by german flak .
picked up by the french resistance and hidden for a while he was then captured by the gestapo and taken to stalag luft 7 ,after a period of time the germans started moving prisonors from prison to prison as the americans were getting closer on the morning of the third move the americans arrived to liberate the camp robert owen ellis went to the comendants office and took all his german records as a souveneer ,
robert owen ellis died three years ago he took this story to the grave .
only when the motherinlaw started to go through his things did we find this story .
this was written in his prisoner of war diary
we have now found his german dog tags his log books his flight book ,
and his german records and german postcards and flight wings
i contacted 609 sq to find out what medals he was entitled to by email.
as we dont have any .
they contacted me this morning to say he was missing in action shot down over france this is all they new ,
now 609 have phoned me they are comming for a visit to copy all the details i have . they are very excited about the new info .
regards armystuff.

 

[LCplCombat]

Were those not his medals that I saw when I was there? I thought you said they were. You should be able to check with records if he ever claimed his own and if not, the next of kin can claim for them. I reckon he was entitled to 39/45 Star, Air Crew Europe possibly with France & Germany Bar, British War Medal. Not sure if he qualifies for the Defence Medal. Not everyone who became a prisoner were entitled. ACEs are one of the more sought after medals from WWII and along with his pow tags/cards and flight book will make a wonderful keepsake.

 

[armystuff]

:tinysmile_shy_t: hi LCpLcombat
the medals you saw were the ones i got on the net as i thought this is what he was due i did not want to mention to thr RAF guys incase i got it wrong .
i was leavint it to them to find out
tonight i picked up his war log a wartime log for british prisoners.
it said in the log gift from the war prisoners aid of the YMCA 37 quai wilson
geneva switzerland im going to read the rest of the story tonight
armystuff.

 

[LCplCombat]

Ahhh gotcha, do you remember what you paid for the ACE?

 

[armystuff]

hi there
i thing around 98 quid was the price .
tried to read his prisoners log last night his his hand written notes are are not so easy going to take book to museum to get some of the other guys to have a look keep you posted . :tinysmile_shy_t: