Wanted: Photo of Crew, or individuals,
and information about them.

If you can help, please make contact.

Information sourced from: 462 Squadron Operational Record Book (ORB) for 1943 from the National Archives of Australia (NAA); Australian WW2 Nominal Roll; Australian War Memorial; London Gazette; reference was also made to "To See the Dawn Again" by Mark Lax & Leon Kane-Maguire.
(book details in Acknowledgements).

Terminology in the 1942, 1943, and early 1944 ORB for 462 Squadron differs from later usage e.g. Observer/Navigator; Bombardier/Air Bomber/Bomb Aimer; Tail/Rear Gunner.

This page is a work in progress, with more to be added.

 

This crew served with 462 Squadron in the Middle East, from mid February 1943, until early February 1944.

Captain: William James DALTON
Observer/Navigator: Ernest Goldsmith PAGE
Observer/Navigator: N W WYNN or N W WYNNE
Wireless Operator: E LANGFELD
Wireless Operator: Frederic Leonard CURBESON
Tail Gunner: V L ARMSTRONG
Tail Gunner: E R WALLER
Flight Engineer: H WALLACE
Flight Engineer: E J TAYLOR

Other crew members:
Mid-Upper Gunner: Frederic Leonard CURBESON
Bomb Aimer: Various
Crew Substitutes and Second Pilots – listed in Crew Ops

Enlistment details;
Additional Crew Information;
Crew Ops.

Photo from the Australian War Memorial collection, ID MED1715

William James DALTON, 742092 (later 146334) RAFVR, 462 Squadron, Middle East Command. AWM original is captioned Pilot Officer, 25 October 1943, at Hosc Raui, Cyrenaica, however by then, the Squadron was located in Terria.

See also a very similar photo of Pilot CRAIG, captioned as same date and location.

 

Pilot

Name: William James DALTON
Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: 742092 (later 146334 as Officer)
Date of Birth: .....
Place of Birth: .....
Date of Enlistment: ..... *** see later Enlistment Info
Place of Enlistment: ..... *** see later Enlistment Info
Next of Kin: .....
Rank: Warrant Officer, Pilot Officer, Flying Officer
Honours and Gallantry: Distinguished Flying Medal
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Observer / Navigator

Name: Ernest Goldsmith PAGE (Ernie)
Royal Australian Air Force
Service Number: 407623 (later O4406)
Date of Birth: 11 June 1918
Place of Birth: Moonta, South Australia
Date of Enlistment: 7 December 1940
Place of Enlistment: Adelaide, South Australia
Next of Kin: Linnett PAGE
Rank: Pilot Officer, Flying Officer
Posted from 462 Sqdn, January 1944 as Flight Lieutenant
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Observer / Navigator

Name: N W WYNN or N W WYNNE ?
Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve ?
Service Number: 1194206 or 1184206 ?
Date of Birth: .....
Place of Birth: .....
Date of Enlistment: ..... *** see later Enlistment Info
Place of Enlistment: ..... *** see later Enlistment Info
Next of Kin: .....
Rank: Sergeant, Flight Sergeant
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Wireless Operator

Name: E LANGFELD ?
Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: ..... ?
Date of Birth: .....
Place of Birth: .....
Date of Enlistment: ..... *** see later Enlistment Info
Place of Enlistment: ..... *** see later Enlistment Info
Next of Kin: ..... ?
Rank: Sergeant
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Wireless Operator

Name: Frederic Leonard CURBESON
Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: 751449 (later 175217 as Officer)
Date of Birth: .....
Place of Birth: .....
Date of Enlistment: ..... *** see later Enlistment Info
Place of Enlistment: ..... *** see later Enlistment Info
Next of Kin: .....
Rank: Flight Sergeant, Warrant Officer
Also Mid-Upper Gunner for this crew.
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Tail / Rear Gunner

Name: V L ARMSTRONG ?
Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve ?
Service Number: ..... ?
Date of Birth: .....
Place of Birth: .....
Date of Enlistment: ..... *** see later Enlistment Info
Place of Enlistment: ..... *** see later Enlistment Info
Next of Kin: .....
Rank: Flight Sergeant, Warrant Officer
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Tail / Rear Gunner

Name: Edwin Raymond WALLER
Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: 1063004 (later 169040 as Officer)
Date of Birth: .....
Place of Birth: .....
Date of Enlistment: ..... *** see later Enlistment Info
Place of Enlistment: ..... *** see later Enlistment Info
Next of Kin: ....
Rank: Sgt, F/Sgt, Warrant Officer, Pilot Officer
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Flight Engineer

Name: H WALLACE ?
Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve ?
Service Number: ..... ?
Date of Birth: .....
Place of Birth: .....
Date of Enlistment: ..... *** see later Enlistment Info
Place of Enlistment: ..... *** see later Enlistment Info
Next of Kin: .....
Rank: Sergeant, Flight Sergeant
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Flight Engineer

Name: E J TAYLOR
Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: .....
Date of Birth: .....
Place of Birth: .....
Date of Enlistment: ..... *** see later Enlistment Info
Place of Enlistment: ..... *** see later Enlistment Info
Next of Kin:
Rank:
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Mid-Upper Gunner

Name: Frederic Leonard CURBESON
Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Service Number: 751449 (later 175217 as Officer)
Date of Birth: .....
Place of Birth: .....
Date of Enlistment: ..... *** see later Enlistment Info
Place of Enlistment: ..... *** see later Enlistment Info
Next of Kin: .....
Rank: Flight Sergeant, Warrant Officer
Also Wireless Operator for this crew.

30 April 1943 permission was granted for the removal of the mid-upper and front turrets of 462 Squadron's Halifax II aircraft. The last Op for 462 Squadron with a Mid-Upper Gunner present was 12 June 1943.
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Bomb Aimer

From August 1943 to Feb 1944

F/Sgt Hellier Le LACHEUR x 1
Sgt McKAY x 1
Sgt Ian William COLVIN x 2
F/O Ivor Bray CROKER x 2
Sgt G E BUNCE x 3
F/O A Grant or F/O E A GRANT x 10
F/Sgt Vivian DICKSON x 1 (later KIA, LAWSON Crew) 1
F/O WOODS x 3
F/O James Angus WARD x 1 (of HOGAN Crew)

Total 24 Ops with a Bomb Aimer
August 1943 to February 1944
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Enlistment details – to be added after checks and confirmation of Service Numbers – please make contact if you believe there are errors in initials, or given names, or Service Numbers.
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Additional Crew Information – more to be added, Service numbers are as applicable at 462 Squadron.

Pilot William James DALTON – Distinguished Flying Medal, 30 January 1942, as Sergeant, 742092 RAFVR, 70 Squadron
(London Gazette 35439, page 502)

 

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Crew Ops – extra detail to be added (Totals are Ops "tasked", with some DNTO (did not take off); recall; abandoned, or early return).

February 1943 to February 1944

Pilot William James DALTON – Tasked with 36 Ops (1 DNTO; 1 recall; 1 landing away; 2 abandoned with early return)

Observer Ernest Goldsmith PAGE – 11 Ops with this crew, Feb to April 1943; then 2 Ops with BIRMINGHAM, 1 Op with KOFOED, 1 Op with CRAIG in June 1943; then 19 Ops with RHV THOMAS (with photos), and 1 with DEAR; August to November 1943 (Total 35 Ops tasked)

Observer N W WYNN or WYNNE – 22 Ops with this crew, August 1943 to Feb 1944, and 1 with JHN MacINTOSH, and 1 with McLEAN

Substitute Obs – Dec 1943 – GIBSON, HEEPS; (1 Op with Obs not listed, May 1943)

Wireless Operator E LANGFELD – 11 Ops, Feb to May 1943; also 6 Ops BIRMINGHAM, 2 with EVANS, 1 with CRAIG.
(Total 20 Ops tasked)
Name may be LANGFIELD, or LANGFORD, or LANGELD; initial E or E L.

Wireless Operator Frederic Leonard CURBESON – 22 Ops with this crew as W/Op, plus 11 Ops previously as Mid-Upper Gunner; no other Ops with any other crew, only flew with DALTON. (Total 33 Ops tasked)

Substitute Wireless Operator – 1 Op with W/Op not listed; 1 O'NEIL; 1 WORTHINGTON (of LAWSON Crew, KIA March 1944, 614 Squadron)

Tail Gunner V L ARMSTRONG – 29 Ops with DALTON; 1 with St PIERRE (Total 30 Ops tasked)
Initials L or V or V L ?

Tail Gunner E R WALLER – 6 Ops with DALTON; 36 Ops with various other Pilots as Mid and Tail Gunner (Total 42 Ops tasked)

1 Op with Tail Gunner not listed.

Flight Engineer H WALLACE – 26 Ops with DALTON, Feb 1943 to Jan 1944 (Total 26 Ops tasked, all with DALTON)

Flight Engineer E J TAYLOR – 6 Ops with DALTON, Oct/Nov 1943, 2 with KOFOED, 1 with NOURSE and CROOT (Total 10 Ops tasked)

Substitute F/Eng – 2 HOOK, 1 KINMOND, 1 name not listed

Mid-Upper Gunner Frederic Leonard CURBESON – 11 Ops as MU/AG, Feb to May 1943; then 22 Ops as W/Op Aug 1943 to Feb 1944 (33 Ops tasked, all with DALTON)

Bomb Aimers – See earlier section which listed 9 Bomb Aimers, on 24 Ops with DALTON, August 1943 to February 1944. It is assumed that when Bomb Aimers were not listed in the ORB, the bombing duties were carried out by the Observer on approach to the target.

 

If you can assist with correct initials, or given names, or Service Numbers of anyone listed above – please make contact.

 

Table of Op Details, including dates, aircraft identification, Targets, actions – to be added.
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to Squadron Crews Middle East