Category Archives: Mechanics

Contact – Paying homage to an airframe mechanic and his pilot

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Hello, my father (Sgt Robert Brookes) was in the 403 from 41 or 42 to when his 5 years were up just before the war ended. He was an airframe mechanic and trained in St. Thomas before being shipped over.

Anyway, I don’t have a lot of pictures. But in an interesting coincidence the first picture link (below) seems to be of LeClare Walker who I saw on your blog, so it is possible then that my father was his mechanic.

The second is a not very good picture of my father in uniform.

The third is a Hawker Typhoon at night.

 

 

 

To be continued…

John Roman, front row second from left – Redux

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A comment made about this post…

I have been following your website for a while now. My dad served as a mechanic with 403 squadron and I was quite happy to find him in the group squadron picture you posted a while back. (John Roman, front row second from left).

Have you run across his name before? He died in 1982, he would have really enjoyed your site. I have some of his pictures and documents you may be interested in, including a written history of the squadron someone recorded in 1945. I would be curious if there is a way to figure out which pilot(s) my dad worked with. Keep up the good work.

Sincerely

Jim Roman

John Roman, front row second from left…

T. O’Sullivan

My father – RJ “Dick” O’Sullivan is the airman in group pic right side looking at pic third row kneeling 5th from right wearing wedge cap to the left of the airman not wearing a wedge cap. The group photo we have at home is framed with the 403 Heraldic Squadron crest.

John Roman, front row second from left

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I have been following your website for a while now. My dad served as a mechanic with 403 squadron and I was quite happy to find him in the group squadron picture you posted a while back. (John Roman, front row second from left).

Have you run across his name before? He died in 1982, he would have really enjoyed your site. I have some of his pictures and documents you may be interested in, including a written history of the squadron someone recorded in 1945. I would be curious if there is a way to figure out which pilot(s) my dad worked with. Keep up the good work.

Sincerely

Jim Roman

John Roman, front row second from left…

He should know…

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I asked George Stewart about the meaning of Erks…

He should know.

He was a Mosquito pilot with 23 Squadron.

This is what George wrote me last night.

Erks’, is a kindly word meaning your ground crew guys!
I’ve not heard that term used since those days!

G


Want to know more about George?

George Stewart knows a lot about piloting Mosquitoes.

He also trained the Nationalist Chinese to fly them in 1948.

One thing George probably is not aware of is that he is responsible for this blog about No. 403 Squadron.

It’s because I went to see him in Hamilton this summer that I stayed at Greg’s father’s B  & B and that I met Greg.

Toodles.