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We are sad to relay the news that Robert Edward Hutcheon Major (Retired) CD, BEd passed away in Chilliwack B. C. on January 24th, 2011. Bob served in the RCAF as a bomber pilot in WWII. He was a member of 408 Goose Squadron and flew 30 sorties over Germany in late 1944 to early 1945. His last flight was to bring home a Lancaster to Scoudouc N.B. at the end of the war. We have a hand written document that lists the following members of his crew: F/L Hutcheon R.E J35645 - Pilot P/O Pattison J.E. J94835 - Nav F/O Wilson W.J. J37829 - B/A W/O2 Bell A. R187991 - M/U/G W/O2 Dechamp R.H.W. R213129 - R/G SGT. McNichol P.E. R288192 - Eng LAC Beck W.E. R118433 - Pass LAC Cassan H.H. R191326 - Pass 408 SQDN - EQ-Y Rest peacefully Bob.

Hello, My Great Uncle was the pilot of a Halifax III on 408Sqn from July 1944 until he was killed on his 30th Op on 2nd Nov 1944. NP744 EQX. This is the complete crew: F/O Vernon Beverley GILSON Pilot RCAF KILLED F/O Donald Anderson STAPLES Navigator RCAF KILLED F/O Louis Joseph REAUME Air Bomber RCAF KILLED F/S Allan Clifford INESON Tail Gunner RCAF KILLED These crew members were admitted to 50th (US) Field Hospital on 3rd November and evacuated to 15th (US) General Hospital A.P.O. 350 US Army on 4th November. SGT Archibald ANDERSON Flight Engineer P/O Donald Haig WOODWORTH Wireless Operator F/S William Gordon SUTTON Mid Upper Gunner The official letter sent to his widow said that there had been an accident on operations. 65 years later we found out that the aircraft was attacked by a FW190 nightfighter and in a running battle over a distance of 100 miles the aircraft was shot-up and burning and crash landed in Belgium. The three survivors have all passed away now. I would really like to hear from any 408 Halifax crew who served during 1944 to find out more and of course if you knew this crew then please do contact me. Any help much appreciated. Simon Jeffs

I am a former Flight Engineer on Twin Hueys, and a member of 408 from 1978 to 1980. Would love to connect with any of my old mates from that time.

Further to my research into the career,with 408 (Goose) Squadron,of S/Ldr Ralph Van Den Bok,RAFVR, DFC and two bars,I have more information which may be of interest to squadron members. Van Den Bok served with 408 ,as a WAG,from the completion of his training until the end of 1942.His first DFC was awarded following an attack on the \"Sharnhorst\",and for devotion to duty (he passed up a 48 hour pass in order not to miss an Operation on Rostock !!).Later in 1942,he was awarded a Bar after evading capture after baling out over Belgium,and being repatriated with the aid of \"Nemo\" (son of Baron Greindl)and \"Cometline\".Sadly,W/C Twigg was killed in this attack(Van Den Bok flew with the C/O,being Squadron Gunnery Leader).He was then sent to RCAF Hagersville,Ontario,to be re-trained as a bomber pilot,and I have a very fine photo of F/Lt Van Den Bok,DFC and Bar,being presented with his wings at Hagersville at the age of THIRTY EIGHT !!!Quite an achievement,I would think ! He was then posted to 214 (100 Group) in Norfolk,flying B 17 F&G A/C,was promoted A/S/Ldr,and awarded a second Bar in 1945.He left the RAF in 1950 to work for Standard Oil (Esso),but sadly,was seriously injured and lost a leg in the Lewisham Train Disaster in London,1957.I am now in contact with his son Adrian,in Australia,who has kindly sent me much memorabilia,photos,press-clippings,letters,l og-book entries,etc,and a much better picture of Ralph Van Den Bok\'s unusual and distinguished RCAF / RAF service is now emerging.

Dear Roger I came across this site and your entries about Ralph Van den Bok after googling his name. My own particular interest is in 214 Sqn (with whom, as you say, he later flew RCM Fortresses) and I have contributed various bits and pieces to the 214 Sqn website. I have somewhere a copy of Van den Bok\'s Escape & Evasion Report which I found recently while on a research trip up to Kew. As you say, at that time he was a W/Op / Gunner not a pilot, in a 408 Sqn Hampden and managed to get back to the UK after coming down on the continent in 1942 (I think it may have been France, from memory). Would you like me to send you a copy? I have also compiled a full list of 214\'s wartime sorties so he appears in there too. I think he flew something like 17 Fortress ops with 214. If I recall correctly there\'s a picture of him and his crew in \"Even when the Sparrows are Walking\" by Laurie Brettingham, a book that came out a few years ago now, about 100 Group (thus including 214 Sqn). If the E&E Report might be of interest send me an e-mail. My address is ian.hunt29ATbtinternetDOTCOM; do the usual changes for \'AT\' and \'DOTCOM\'. Regards Ian ps For anyone else who might see this, I am currently researching the Lubeck raid of 28-29/3/1942 upon which 408 sent 6 Hampdens. Would anyone know please the first names - or initials only would do - of 3 of those pilots: P/O Williams, Sgt Craig and Sgt Johnstone? (The others were, I think, Sgt J W Markle, Sgt A McClintock, and Sgt H J Copeman - but please correct me if I\'m wrong). Many thanks. pps A very nice site. Congratulations and good luck for its future.

I\'m trying to find out any information about my great uncle James William Taylor Mason Smith of Bedlington , Northumberland who was killed 5th April 1943. I know he received the DFM in that year but have no idea of the circumstances in which he was killed . I would appreciate any information.

Further to my research about F/O (later F/Lt)Ralph Van Den Bok,RAFVR,no408 (Goose)sqdn,RCAF, I now have more info about the escape from Belgium of him and A/F/Lt Gordon Fisher,RCAF.Their aircraft was Hampden AE 197,and was attacked and shot down by then Hauptmann Wilhelm Herget,on the night of 28/29 august 1942.Having baled out,the two men were picked up seperately by \"friendly \" agents ; in an \"evasion\" lasting 3 weeks,Van Den Bok was moved across Belgium and France,along with 3 other Airmen,by Belgian Escape-line \"Comete\",eventually being repatriated in October from Gibraltar. Gordon Fisher found his way (presumably with similar assistance)to Marseille,and was then picked up by boat during SIS Operation \"Titania\",when a number of Airmen,Civilian men and women,spies and special Operatives were evacuated. A detailed description (in French) of Van Den Bok\'s adventures \"on the run\" is available,if anyone wants the website details.