Remembering the Crew of Lancaster R5695EM-C and WINDSOR FRANCIS RICHARD WEBB

BORN MARCH 26, 1924

DIED NOVEMBER 22, 1942 ON A BOMBING MISSION TO GERMANY

PETERBOROUGH, CAMBRIDGESHIRE, ENGLAND

18 YEARS OLD

                           

Windsor was born in Peterborough on 26^th of March 1924, the son of Leslie William Webb and Florence Lily neé Harrison, who married in 1921 in Peterborough. The Webb family had a long tradition of working on the railways, his grandfather being a station master in Cambridgeshire and his uncle, Cecil Francis Webb born 1899, a goods clerk. However, his father, born 1898, initially went into banking and later became involved in the management of his wife’s family advertising business. Based on family photos and the private schooling provided for Windsor, the family appears to have been well off for the 1930s and 1940s. His father served as a Special Constable in the police force during WWI, which may well have influenced Windsor’s choice of career in joining the Berkshire police force on leaving school. Any significant military connection came from his uncle, Cecil Francis Webb, who joined the Norfolk Regiment of the British army in 1914 when he was underage and served on the western front for the entire conflict. After WW1, in 1920, he joined the Black & Tans and fought in the Irish war of independence. He refused to discuss any details of either conflict for the rest of his life. In WW2 Cecil was too old to serve in the army and served as a Special Constable in the police force.

Windsor was educated privately by Katherine and Constance Back at their school in Lincoln Road, Peterborough before being admitted to The King’s School in 1933. At King’s, Windsor was in the Lion Patrol of the Scouts. On Speech Day in 1936 he received a School prize for Manual Work and Drawing. He left King’s in March 1937. After continuing his education at Stamford School, he joined the Berkshire Constabulary. At that time, the minimum age for admittance as a Police officer was nineteen. Windsor was younger and probably worked as a civilian clerk.

There are memorials to Windsor at The King’s School, Stamford School, and Berkshire Constabulary, as well as at Peterborough Cathedral.

Windsor’s cousin, Norman William Webb (born 1929), recalls the occasional visit to see Windsor and remembers that Windsor played the drums and had a drum kit in his bedroom. Norman was too young to serve in WW2 but did his National Service for 2 years as an RAF flight mechanic, commencing in 1947, initially working on Rolls Royce merlin engines that powered the Lancasters and Spitfires and later early jet engines.

Norman recalls the immense grief and sadness in the family at Windsor’s unexplained loss. Looking for some form of closure, the family discussed a theory that perhaps the Lancaster had been damaged and shot down by friendly fire when returning home, mistaken for a German bomber.

Windsor’s younger sister, Pamela, born in 1931, married William Pugh in 1951 and they had 3 children. Windsor had 2 aunts - Aunt Florence Nellie on the paternal side and Aunt Dorothy Harrison on his maternal.

Windsor joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in February 1942, service number 1320645 and trained as an air gunner. He was assigned to 207 Squadron in August 1942.

Remembering the Crew of Lancaster R5695EM-C and JOHN JAMES GALLIMORE

BORN MARCH 21, 1916

DIED NOVEMBER 22, 1942 ON A BOMBING MISSION TO GERMANY

DENTON, MANCHESTER, LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND

26 YEARS OLD

John James Gallimore, “Jack,” was born on 21 March 1916 in Seymour Street, Denton, Manchester, Lancashire, England to John Henry Gallimore and Alice Walker. He was the oldest of 6 children. His only brother, Albert Edward (Ted), also served in WW2. He was always remembered by his four sisters, Elsie, Beatrice, Marian, and Enid. All the Gallimore children attended Denton Central school and the children were good scholars. They attended Christ Church in Denton where Jack joined the Boy Scouts. After Jack was lost, Beatrice Gallimore spent many hours passing memories of “Uncle Jack” to her children often recalling the special sense of humour he used with his sisters. Beatrice remembered an occasion during rationing when each person was only allowed 2 ounces of butter each week. Jack, beloved brother, keenly wanted a crumpet with butter filling the spongy holes. His loving family gave in with a wink and a smile. Everyone in the family gave up their share for Jack to fill the crumpet craters! When the war started Jack decided he wanted to join the RAF. He enrolled and was based in Lincolnshire where he met and married Dora Farmer in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire on Valentine’s Day 1942. Jack’s family remembered that when she learned she had lost Jack, Dora was grief stricken and heartbroken. When she finally remarried more than ten years later, she brought her fiancé to meet Jack’s parents to get their permission. Jack was the only crew member known to have married. The last time Jack was home on leave, Beatrice remembered she wanted to give him ‘half a crown,” her usual gift whenever Jack visited home and returned to the airbase. Beatrice had saved her money and was prepared to give it to Jack when he was ready to leave but one of her older sisters quickly asked her if she had half a crown. Beatrice told her she did, but it was for Jack. The sister convinced the younger Beatrice that she needed the money so Beatrice gave it over to her sister who promptly gave it to Jack. Poor Beatrice was upset, especially because it was the last time she ever saw her brother. 7 When Jack and the crew were reported missing, Jack’s family – just like all other families - spent endless hours writing to various government departments to learn what had happened to their son, their brother, and their husband with no resolution. Even after Jack’s mother died, the family carried on searching. Jack was christened and confirmed into the Church of England. He made a promise to his mother that wherever he was on Easter Sunday & Christmas Day, he would take communion honoring her wishes.

James Gallimore and his bride, Dora Farmer

Remembering the Crew of Lancaster R5695EM-C and JAMES MCGREGOR ALLAN

BORN FEBRUARY 16, 1918

DIED NOVEMBER 22, 1942 ON A BOMBING MISSION TO GERMANY

MIMICO, ONTARIO, CANADA

24 YEARS OLD

James McGregor Allan, a British citizen, was born in Aberdeen, Scotland and emigrated to Canada with his father and mother in 1922 when he was 4 years old. They settled in Mimico, a neighborhood in the southwest of Toronto, where James attended public schools. Two sisters were born in Ontario, Gertrude, and Gail. In 1934 after two years of high school, James was employed at Campbell’s Soups “working on filling machines”. He left for a better job as a warehouse worker at Roofers Supply Company from 1939-1940. His hobby was building model planes and his best sports were hockey and swimming although he occasionally boxed, played lacrosse and baseball. He was a reserve Royal Canadian Engineer.

His Royal Canadian Air Force interviewer described him as “Splendid type of chap but lacks education. He is willing to work hard, very keen and alert, good appearance, determined to make the grade and should develop under training into good gunner material.” He was also “confident, mature, and pleasant.” After completing Air Training, it was remarked James was “Neat and mannerly, seems quite levelheaded. Has worked hard on course.” He received his air gunner badge on December 6^th, 1941. James overcame his lack of formal education and made his way to Squadron 207.

The loss of their only son was hard on the Allan family. James’ father died less than two years after his son.

Declaration of Passenger to Canada

James, 4 years old, accompanies his parents to Toronto.

 Other stories in this blog about Lancaster R5695EM-C:

Memorial Service - 80 Years Later

Promise to Lea

Planning a Memorial Service

Eugene E Chouiniere

Remembering Lancaster R5695EM-C

80 years later, I am going to Langar Airfield

In July 2010 I met Lea Langlais for the very first time.  I wanted to record her story about growing up Franco-American in Cohoes, NY in the 1920s and 1930s.  Lea didn't want to talk about that on that day.  She wanted to tell me about her uncle, Eugene Edward Chouiniere who was a mere six months older than her.  She wanted me to find out what happen to Eugene and the other crew who disappeared without a trace. "Can you find out if there is any new information?" she asked me.  Since that day Lea's story about Eugene has haunted me.  Her family never learned what happened on November 25, 1942 when the aircraft, R5695EM-C, never returned to Langar Airfield in England.  

The last letter in Eugene's file from the RCAF to his family was dated 5 January 1952:

The letter informs Rosalie Chouiniere St.Hilaire that although her brother, Eugene, "has no known war grave", he will be remembered at Runnymeade and his name will appear there.  It was small consolation to the Chouiniere family and all the others who never learned where the earthly remains of the crew rest.

In the years since that meeting, I have researched and found family of the crew who also perished along with Eugene. When I write, call, email, or send a Facebook message to living family of the crew to tell them I am researching their lives and family, the response has been consistent.  They tell me that their father or mother, grandfather or grandmother always remembered their son, brother, or uncle who was a missing crew member, in the days and months before their own passing because they hoped for closure.  The families always wanted to learn about their son, brother or uncle who went missing without a trace.

Lea had a photo album she shared with me.  I quickly snapped the photos of the 5 airmen she kept in her album.  The images were of the 3 Americans- Al Parkyn, Jim Guichard, Eugene - and the 2 Canadians William Vandervoort and James McGregor Allen.  At that time I didn't understand the complete crew also included Windsor Webb, Jack Slater and Jim Gallimore - the English members.  I went home and blogged about Lea and Eugene Chouiniere - Lost Without A Trace.   In the months afterwards, I was contacted through the blog by two living family members of the Chouiniere and Parkyn family.  I kept their contact information but the story moved to the background of my busy life at the time.  Then in November 2020, I was contacted by The Field Detectives and Goadby-Marwood.  They were researching another aircraft in 207 squadron that crashed returning on the same mission in the same night. Thanks to these history lovers and independent archaeologists, the story of R5695EM-C was rekindled and the Parkyn and Chouiniere connections were reestablished.   Michael Parkyn, USMC Ret., has not allowed the flame of remembrance to be extinguished.  His research in UK and USA and his perseverance come to fruition.  He has consistently followed the story of his cousin/pilot Alfred Joseph Parkyn, the crew, the aircraft, and the mission, Michael has filled the void of 80 years by planning the memorial service to be held next week at Langar.  B. W. , from the family of crew member Windsor Francis Richard Webb, stepped up and generously contributed time and effort to ensure the service will dignify the crew of Avro Lancaster R5695EM-C.     

See you at Langar on November 25th, 2022 exactly 80 years after R5695EM-C was lost without a trace.  Thanks to Michael P. and B.W., the crew is no longer lost to us. We keep their memory.

A Memorial Service is Coming Together on November 25th, 2022

On November 25th, 2022, a great effort will come together to mark the 80th anniversary of the loss of Royal Air Force Lancaster R5695EM-C over the North Sea, NWN off the Bergen an Zee, Netherlands.  The eight man crew was returning from a bombing mission over Haselunne, Germany on November 25th, 1942 and were "lost without a trace".  However, the love of family members, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, most gone now too, kept the flame of memory aglow.  We will be honoring them at the airfield they last departed - Langar Airfield in Nottingham, UK.

Alfred Joseph Parkyn, pilot.
Palisades, New Jersey, USA

James McGregor Allan
 Mimico, Ontario, Canada

Eugene Edward Chouiniere, Gunner
Waterford/Cohoes, NY, USA

John James Gallimore
Denton, Manchester, Lancashire, UK

James Louis Guichard
Dearborn, Michigan, USA

Jack Slater

Hyde, Cheshire, UK

William James Vandervoort, navigator
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Windsor Francis Richard Webb
Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK

Here are links to earlier blog posts about Lancaster R5695EM-C

• my first story, "Lost Without a Trace" posted in April 2011, was about Eugene Chouiniere
• Update: 5 October 2021
  
• Eugene Chouiniere: in Memoriam

Update on 'Lost Without A Trace' The crew of Avro Lancaster R5695EM-C on the night of November 25th, 1942

In 2010 I met Lea Langlais of Cohoes, NY who lovingly told me about her uncle and childhood playmate, Eugene Edward Chouiniere, who died while serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force during WW2.  Afterwards, I wrote about him and Lea's steadfast devotion to keeping his memory alive.   Lea died in 2012 but the memory of young Chouiniere and the other crew members of the Avro Lancaster R5695EM-C lives on.  Lea had photographs of five crew members which lead me to believe the aircraft had a crew of five.  I will never know why Lea had photos of the 3 Americans and 2 Canadians crew members but not the 3 English crew.  However, in the past year thanks to a dedicated group of people in England known as the "The Field Detectives" from the Goadby Marwood History Group, I have come to understand more about the aircraft and airmen of R5695EM-C.  The eight airmen were:

An effort is underway to find as many family members of the crew across North America and the UK as possible.  If you are a family member or a friend reading this post, please contact FrancoAmericanGravy@gmail.com or check our Facebook group, Families of Avro Lancaster R5695EM-C, and request to join the group.  A nephew of Alfred Parkyn, the pilot of R5695EM-C, and the team of 'The Field Detectives' are working tirelessly to organize a memorial service to mark the 80th anniversary of this tragic event.  It is an honor to bring families together to remember these men and the sacrifice they made during WW2.  In the following posts and coming weeks, I hope to share a little bit about each crew member with you, dear reader.  Meanwhile, family member and retired Unites States Marine Corp pilot, Michael Parkyn, is writing a history of the crew and aircraft that he hopes will be available in the anniversary year. 

James McGregor Allen,          1918-1942, 24 years old, Canada

Eugene Edward Chouiniere,   1923-1942, 19 years old, USA

John James Gallimore,            1916-1942, 26 years old, England

James Louis Guichard,            1904-1942, 38 years old, USA

Alfred Joseph Parkyn,             1915-1942, 27 years old, USA

Jack Slater,                              1921-1942, 21 years old, England

William John Vandervoort,     1916-1942, 26 years old, Canada

Windsor Francis R. Webb,      1924-1942, 18 years old, England

As I establish contact with the families of these men, it has greatly moved me to learn how parents and siblings struggled throughout their entire lives never knowing where their son, their brother and, for the wife of John James Gallimore, her husband, met death.  Their consolation was the knowledge these men gave their lives protecting England, the people living in England and in the parts of Europe overpowered by the Nazi war machine.  The crew of R5695EM-C, along with thousands of other airmen and women never recovered, are memorialized at The Air Forces Memorial Runnymede, in Surrey, England and in the Airmen Memorial Database here.