This is an OCR version of the document Andrew Todd sent me along with the necktie.
By doing so I will make available the information to search engines like Google and reach out for relatives of people mentioned in the document.
This is a letter sent to Raymond Mills.
Dean Black added a comment yesterday about Mr. Mills.
The letter from Mr. Raymond Mills, is very nice. I met Ray Mills in England, when I went to visit the Widow Campbell. Ray had been president of the 127 Canadian Wing association in England for many years, and on his letter he indicates he is a member of the RCAF Association and the Canadian Fighter Pilots Association. I believe he is gone, now, but he was instrumental, along with a dozen close friends, of keeping the spirit of 403 and 127 Wing alive.
Dear Mr. Mills,
In reply of your letter, dated 30th November, we can give you the following information with regard to 127 Wing RCAF.
During operation “Market-Garden” 127 Wing operated from the forward airbase Le Culot near Louvain in Belgium. Studying the operation record books of No. 83 Group only 416, 421 and 443 Squadrons were acting in this operation because 403 Squadron is not mentioned. Probably this squadron was not operational or stood for a course in England (Fairwood Common?).
From 29th September until the end of October 1944, 127 Wing was based at airstrip
KEENT (B-82) near Grave South of Nijmegen. Where on 1st October 403 Squadron
arrived also.
Keent is an extremely swampy foreland of the river Meuse in autumn and moreover it was situated only 12 miles of the frontline and therefore very vulnerable for German air-attacks.
On 2nd October six Messerschmitts 262 (jet-planes) attacked the strip with scrapnel-bombs killing P/O. D. E. Reiber (412 Squadron) and F/L O. Lee whilst 35 men personnel being wounded.
On 6th October a German air-attack again, killing LACs D. M. Wesson and E. Cox
and again an unknown number of wounded.
Six days later an other air-attack now no. 416 Squadron was hit. 5 men killed and
10 wounded. These air-attacks and the very swampy ground caused that the Wing had been displaced to the airbase Melsbroek (B-58) near Brussels, Belgium.
Defending the Nijmegen bridges 127 Wing was involved in very fierce air battles
on 27th and 29th of September ’44. 50+ German fighter-bombers escorted by
fighters tried to destroy both bridges.
During these battles the Wing lost 3 Spitfires but claimed 26 German planes (17 Me-109 and 9 FW-190) operating from airstrip Keent.
Undermentioned you will find the losses of 127 Wing in order of squadron and date as far as we know:
416 Squadron
3rd November 1943
Spitfire, serial BL-430, near the station of Zandvoort, West Amsterdam during bomber escort to airfield Schiphol. Shot down by fighters Pilot F /O . W . H . Jacobs killed. Now buried Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery. (Netherlands).
25th September 1944
Spitfire, serial MJ-412 shot down 3 miles North of Arnhem 1 mile East of the road Arnhem-Apeldoorn by fighters. Pilot F/L. E . H .Treleaven, badly wounded transported to a hospital at Amersfoort where he perished the same day. Now buried in Amersfoort.
26th September 1944
Spitfire, serial unknown, shot down. Pilot F/L. Patterson, Fate unknown, not killed so P.O.W. or safe.
29th September 1944
Spitfire, serial unknown, P/O. R. E. Chambers still missing.
12th April 1945
(the Wing is now based at Eindhoven(B-78) : Spitfire, serial unknown, shot down in Eastern Holland, Pilot F/O. T.P. Dollery killed. Now buried in the Holten Canadian War Cemetery.
No. 421 Squadron
21st January 1945
Spitfire, serial unknown, shot down just beyond the German border. Pilot P/O C.D.Beck killed. Now buried in the Reichswald War Cemetery near Kleve (Germany).
27th September 1944
Spitfire, serial unknown, Pilot F/O. R.Holness killed, shot down just beyond German border. Now buried in the Reichswald War cemetery, near Kleve, Germany.
No. 443 Squadron
26th September 1944
Spitfire,serial unknown, near Angeren East of Nijmegen, Pilot F/O. L.D.Sherwood, slightly wounded, evaded with support of Mr. Fred Huisman.
27th September 1944
Spitfire, serial NH-245, shot down by fighters just beyond the German border, Pilot S/L H. W. MacLeod killed and now buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery (Germany).
29th September 1944
Spitfire, serial NH-437, shot down by Nijmegen, Pilot safe.
10th October 1944
F/O. L. P. E. Piche and F/O. A. J. Horrell en route on leave in an Auster liaison-plane. They came short of the front-line near Overloon and were shot down by friendly gunfire.
Both killed and now buried in Venray War Cemetery.
5th January 1945
Spitfire, serial unknown, shot down in Germany. Pilot F/O. T. C. Gamey killed. Now buried in Reichswald War Cem.
6th April 1945
Spitfire, serial unknown, Pilot F/O S. E. Messum killed. Now buried Reichswald War Cemetery (Ger.)
No.403 Squadron
19th March 1945
Spitfire, serial SM-208, shot down near the village of Megchelen in the Netherlands, Pilot F/O. H . C. Byrd killed. Now buried at Gendringen (Netherlands).
28th March 1945
Spitfire, serial SM-302, shot down near Haltern (Germany) by flak Pilot F/O. M. Reeves killed. Originally buried in the American War Cemetery Margraten. In 1946 reburied in the Nederweert War Cemetery at Nederweert (Netherlands).
31st March 1945
Spitfire, serial TB-737, shot down near Oberhausen (Germany). Pilot F/L. E. G. Aitchison killed. Originally buried in the American War Cemetery Margraten (Netherlands). In 1946 reburied in the the Nederweert War Cemetery at Nederweert (Netherlands).
In March 1945 No. 403 Sqdn. was based at Eindhoven Airfield (B-78) in Holland.
As you see it was a very hectic time for the Wing in the last half year of W.W.II. I believe there have been more losses over Germany, France and Belgium.
Our museum however has collected only the facts in which our country was involved.
Nevertheless we hope we have given you sufficient information and we hope it will be of good support to your research in reference to 127 Wing RCAF.
Your order for a copy of “Two Wings and the Weavers” describing the story of 126 Wing in the Netherlands we have handed over to the keeper of our bookshop.
We enclose a leaflet of our museum for further information and remain with friendly greetings,
RCAF No. 403 Squadron 
Hello Pierre,
Thanks for the interesting information of the document of Mr. Todd. I’ve pictures of the Flak, that probably shot down the Spitfire of F/O H.C. Byrd 19th March 1945. The Flak was located about 4 miles from where the crash in Megchelen, that pictures I’ve send you before. It stood near the German Frontier at Anholt/Gendringen. Unpleasant two weeks, later that part of the eastern of Holland was liberated by the Canadian 8th RECC, Black Watch. Are there still Relatives of Harold Byrd as you know? The pictures were made in April 1945.
Sincerely,
Hennie Berendsen Ulft/Netherlands
Here is the post about Hank Byrd’s burial place…
Relatives have yet to contact me.
Thanks for your comment.
Being as I have always concentrated my research on the Pacific War, I’ve had little knowledge of Canadian military efforts during WWII other than I knew they were over in Europe mostly. Thanks to your site, I now am aware of their grand contributions. Thanks, Pierre.
We can’t be everywhere in our search for history. This is why I enjoy your blog so much.