CREW MEMBER PROFILE |
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Surname: |
JEFFERY |
First Name/s: |
William Edward Arthur "Jeff" |
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Service No/s: |
1397240 |
Service: |
RAFVR |
Branch: |
Flight Engineer/Pilot |
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Awards: |
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SERVICE RECORDS |
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Date |
Event |
Aircraft Flown |
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06 Oct 1941 |
Enlisted at the Combined Recruiting Centre (CRC), Euston, London, as Aircraftman Second Class, mustering as Aircrew Hand (AC) Pilot |
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07 Oct 1941 |
Transferred to the Reserve, pending call-up. |
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31 Aug 1942 |
Called up to No. 1 Air Crew Reception Centre (ACRC), Lord’s Cricket Ground, St John’s Wood, London. |
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19 Sep 1942 |
Air Crew Disposal Wing (ACDW), Metropole Hotel, Brighton, Sussex. |
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10 Oct 1942 |
No. 26 Wing, Air Crew Camp (ACC), Ludlow, Shropshire; holding unit pending further posting. |
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30 Oct 1942 |
No. 11 Initial Training Wing, Scarborough, Yorkshire. |
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23 Jan 1943 |
Promoted to Leading Aircraftman (LAC). |
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16 Apr 1943 |
Air Crew Despatch Centre (ACDC), Heaton Park, Manchester, Lancashire. |
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16 Apr 1943 |
No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School, Brough, Yorkshire. |
Tiger Moth |
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04 Jun 1943 |
Air Crew Despatch Centre (ACDC), Heaton Park, Manchester, Lancashire. |
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28 Jun 1943 |
Embarked UK (port & vessel n/k). |
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09 Jul 1943 |
Disembarked Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. |
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09 Jul 1943 |
No. 31 (RAF) Personnel Depot (PD), Moncton, New Brunswick. |
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24 Jul 1943 |
No. 34 Elementary Flying Training School, Assiniboia, Saskatchewan. |
Cornell |
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18 Sep 1943 |
No. 38 Service Flying Training School, 90 Course (tbc), Estevan, Saskatchewan. |
Anson |
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14 Jan 1944 |
Promoted to Sergeant, re-mustering as Pilot. |
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18 Jan 1944 |
No. 31 Personnel Depot (PD), Moncton, New Brunswick. |
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24 Mar 1944 |
Embarked Halifax, Nova Scotia (vessel n/k). |
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01 Apr 1944 |
Disembarked UK (port n/k). |
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02 Apr 1944 |
No. 7 Personnel Reception Centre, Harrogate, Yorkshire. |
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26 Apr 1944 |
Attached RAF Cosford. |
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03 May 1944 |
No. 7 Personnel Reception Centre, Harrogate, Yorkshire. |
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10 May 1944 |
Attached Aircrew NCO’s School, Whitley Bay, Northumberland. |
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09 Jun 1944 |
No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School, Brough, Yorkshire. |
Tiger Moth |
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30 Jun 1944 |
No. 7 Personnel Reception Centre, Harrogate, Yorkshire. |
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13 Sep 1944 |
No. 4 School of Technical Training (SoTT), St Athan, Glamorgan; for Flight Engineer training. |
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25 Nov 1944 |
No. 71 Base, Lindholme, Yorkshire; administrative Base for 7 Group heavy bomber conversions. |
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26 Nov 1944 |
No. 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU), Sandtoft, Yorkshire; joins P F Sattler RAAF crew as Flight Engineer. |
Lancaster |
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14 Jan 1945 |
Promoted to Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt). |
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24 Feb 1945 |
Joined No. 576 Squadron, 'A' Flight, at Fiskerton, Linconshire. |
Lancaster |
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16 Mar 1945 |
Nuremburg; lost in ME317 UL-C2, aged 20 |
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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11 Mar 1945 |
LM227 |
UL-I2 |
ESSEN |
1145 |
1705 |
5h20 |
P1 Flt Sgt P.F. Sattler RAAF |
NOTES: |
Built-up area - Flown in support of advancing Allied ground forces RUHR Load: All aircraft: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’, 16x 500lb bombs |
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12 Mar 1945 |
RA562 |
UL-B2 |
DORTMUND |
1305 |
1840 |
5h35 |
P1 Flt Sgt P.F. Sattler RAAF |
NOTES: |
Built-Up Area - Flown in support of advancing Allied ground forces. RUHR Load: All aircraft: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’ and 16x 500lb bombs. FIDO (fog dispersion) in use at Fiskerton. |
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15 Mar 1945 |
ME317 |
UL-C2 |
MISBURG |
1720 |
0105 |
7h45 |
P1 Flt Sgt P.F. Sattler RAAF |
NOTES: |
Deurag oil refinery Load: All aircraft: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’ and 1320x 4lb incendiaries. |
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16 Mar 1945 |
ME317 |
UL-C2 |
NUREMBURG |
1720 |
FTR |
uk |
P1 Flt Sgt P.F. Sattler RAAF |
NOTES: |
Built-up area Load: All aircraft: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’ and 1470x 4lb incendiaries. Failed to return. Flt Sgt P F Sattler RAAF PoW Sgt W E A Jeffery killed Fg Off N Whiteley PoW Sgt P F Garner PoW Sgt W Walker killed Sgt K G Durston killed Sgt D F Wood killed Nuremburg; lost in ME317 UL-C2, aged 20 Shot down probably by a Bf-110 flown by Maj Herbert Lutje of Stab NJG-6 at 2133 and 15,000 ft, some 30 km SSW Nuremburg, or by a Ju-88 flown by Oblt Erich Jung of 5/NJG2 (one of eight ‘Anschluss’ that night) in the Ansbach area at 15,000 ft, tbc. 4 crew killed, 3 taken PoW. The aircraft was attacked from below and the incendiaries caught fire. Losing control, the skipper ordered the crew to abandon the Lancaster. He reported that Jeffery had baled out, but he was not seen again. His precise fate not known but is described as ‘killed in action’ on 17 Mar 45. The captured Nav (Garner) was shown Jeffery’s ID card by the Germans, but never saw him. He is commemorated at Runnymede, Panel 271. |
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PERSONAL INFORMATION |
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Details |
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William was born on May 8, 1924, in Lewisham, London, to William Henry Jeffery and Edith Mary Ann Barnes. William’s parents moved to The Lodge, Chinbrook Meadows, Grove Park, Kent in the 1940s.
In September 1939, as the Second World War began, the 15-year-old William was residing with his family at 103 Riddens Road, Bromley, Lewisham, Kent. The household at that time included his parents, his older sister Eileen M (b. 1920), and younger brother George (b. 1927). At this time, he was still attending school.
William was a former member of the Air Training Corps (ATC), an organization that provided preliminary training for potential RAF recruits and likely fostered his interest in aviation. His service record stated "not to be employed as other than a pilot or observer without reference to the air ministry." It is likely that he had been in a 'reserved occupation' prior to enlisting, a status typically applied to essential workers to prevent them from being drafted into other military roles.
William was killed on air operations on 17 March 1945. |
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PHOTOS & DOCUMENTS |
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Details |
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Sattler Crew Feb 45 - L-R Wood, Walker, Jeffery, Sattler, Whitely, Garner, Durston; L2 PB785 Lancaster (lost 16 March 1945)Jeffery & Durston families |
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Sattler Crew Feb 45 - L-R Wood, Walker, Jeffery, Sattler, Whitely, Garner, Durston; backJeffery & Durston families |
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Sattler Crew 2 - Feb 45 - L-R Wood, Jeffery, Sattler, Garner, Whiteley, Durston Front L-R Groundcrew, Walker, GroundcrewJeffery & Durston families |
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Sattler Crew 2 - Feb 45 - L-R Wood, Jeffery, Sattler, Garner, Whiteley, Durston Front L-R Groundcrew, Walker, Groundcrew backJeffery & Durston families |
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Graduation Dinner Invitation Card to Cpl Hewitt Course 90, No 38 SFTS Estevan, Saskatchewan. W E A Jeffery was awarded his wings two days laterJeffery family |
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