CREW MEMBER PROFILE |
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Surname: |
GAGE |
First Name/s: |
Frank Harry |
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Service No/s: |
1318498 |
Service: |
RAFVR |
Branch: |
Wireless Operator |
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Awards: |
1939-1945 Star, Air Crew Europe Star, 1939-1945 War Medal |
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SERVICE RECORDS |
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Date |
Event |
Aircraft Flown |
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12 May 1941 |
Enlisted at St Michael’s Hall, Shoe Lane, Oxford, Oxfordshire, as Aircraftman Second Class (AC2), mustering as Air Crew Hand (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner). |
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12 May 1941 |
Transferred to the Reserve, pending call-up. |
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13 May 1941 |
Attended No. 12 Aviation Candidates’ Selection Board at the Old Clarendon Laboratories, Parks Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, where he was recommended for training as Wireless Operator/Air Gunner. |
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01 Oct 1941 |
Called up to No. 3 Recruit Centre (3 RC), Padgate, Warrington, Cheshire and sent to No. 10 (Signals) Recruit Centre 10 (S) RC), Blackpool, Lancashire, later the same day. |
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19 Mar 1942 |
No. 2 Signals School (2 SS), Yatesbury, Wiltshire. |
Dominie / Proctor tbc |
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15 Jun 1942 |
Remustered as Wireless Operator under training. |
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25 Jun 1942 |
RAF Station, Hornchurch, Essex: unit and purpose not known. |
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21 Oct 1942 |
No. 1 Signals School (1 SS), Cranwell, Lincolnshire. |
Dominie / Proctor tbc |
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17 Feb 1943 |
No. 4 Radio School (4 RS), Madley, Herefordshire. |
Dominie / Proctor tbc |
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18 Apr 1943 |
No. 97 Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Course. |
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15 May 1943 |
No. 1 Air Armament School (1 AAS), Manby, Lincolnshire. |
Hampden |
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25 May 1943 |
Promoted to Leading Aircraftman (LAC). |
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04 Jun 1943 |
Awarded Wireless Operator/Air Gunner’s (WAG) brevet, promoted to Sergeant, and remustered as Wireless Operator/Air Gunner. |
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08 Jun 1943 |
No. 3 (Observer) Advanced Flying Unit (3 (O) AFU), Bobbington (Halfpenny Green), Staffordshire. |
Anson |
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06 Jul 1943 |
No. 81 Operational Training Unit (81 OTU), Tilstock, Shropshire (Whitley); joined the H R Marsden crew, which probably comprised: |
Whitley |
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30 Sep 1943 |
No. 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit (1656 HCU), Lindholme, Yorkshire; here the crew would have been joined by their Flight Engineer, C P Rudland. |
Lancaster |
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01 Dec 1943 |
Joined No. 576 Squadron, 'B' Flight at Elsham Wolds, Linconshire. |
Lancaster |
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20 Dec 1943 |
Frankfurt (Ball); lost in W4123 UL-R2, aged 21 |
Lancaster |
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576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS |
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Date |
Aircraft |
Code |
Flight Details |
T/O |
Land |
Flt Time |
Crew |
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16 Dec 1943 |
W4245 |
UL-S2 |
BERLIN |
1630 |
1900 |
2h30 |
P1 Flt Sgt H.R. Marsden |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up Area Returned early, Port inner-low oil pressure. Bomber Texel Island as last resort |
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20 Dec 1943 |
W4123 |
UL-R2 |
FRANKFURT |
1700 |
FTR |
nk |
P1 Flt Sgt F. Ball |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area Load: 1x 4,000lb 'Cookie', 56x 30lb and 1,122x 4lb incendiaries Frankfurt; lost in W4123 UL-R2, aged 29 Shot down by Oblt. Werner Baake of 3./NJG-1 and crashed at De Planck, Voeren, Belgium. No survivors Initially buried by the Germans at Brusthem (Sint Tryuden/St Trond) Cemetery, and reinterred on 25 Mar 47 at Heverlee War Cemetery, Louvain, Belgium, grave 5.B.1 “ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS” |
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PERSONAL INFORMATION |
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Details |
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Frederick Harry Gage, known to his family and friends as "Frank," was born on 5 June 1922 in Rye, Sussex. He was the youngest of three sons born to Engineer Commander Henry Frederick Gage, RN, and Dorothy Nelly Wood. Frank’s early education took place at King Edward VII School in Sheffield before he moved to Portsmouth in 1932. He and his brothers, Frederick and Charles, were all enrolled in Portsmouth Grammar School (PGS) on 26 May 1932 following their father’s naval posting to the city. During his time at PGS, the family lived at 6 Cosham Park Avenue before moving to a larger detached home at 48 Carmarthen Avenue, East Cosham, in 1938. As World War II broke out in September 1939, Frank was briefly relocated to the Pies Hotel in Bournemouth, likely as part of the school's evacuation. He successfully completed his School Certificate in December 1939 and left PGS on 19 December 1939 having passed his School Certificate. Rather than enlisting immediately, Frank contributed to the war effort locally by working at the Portsmouth Naval Dockyard. Tragedy struck the Gage family twice in 1943. In February, Frank’s eldest brother, Frederick John Noel, was killed while serving with the Army in North Africa. Ten months later, Frank—serving with the Royal Air Force—was taking part in air operations over Frankfurt, Germany. On 20 December 1943, his aircraft went down. Frank was killed at the age of 21 at De Plank, near Voeren, Belgium. Frank is buried at the Heverlee War Cemetery in Leuven, Belgium, in collective grave 5.B.5-7. He was unmarried at the time of his death. He is remembered alongside his brother as one of the many young men from Portsmouth who gave their lives during the conflict. (With thanks to Portsmouth Grammar School Archives) References Accident Avro Lancaster Mk I W4123, (aviation-safety.net) Frank Ball and crew 576 Sqn (northlincsweb.net)
Portsmouth Grammar School Archives |
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PHOTOS & DOCUMENTS |
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Details |
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Gage gravestoneCWGC |
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Original temporary graveBack to Normandy |
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Portsmouth Grammar School Memorial showing F H Gage and his brotherPortsmouth Grammar School Archives |
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