Wanted: Photo of SHERREN Crew, or of individuals,
and information.

If you can help, please make contact.

Crew 50, 462 Squadron, Driffield, Yorkshire and Foulsham, Norfolk

Pilot: Philip Stuart SHERREN
Bomb Aimer: Wilfred Alan QUYE
Navigator: F A McALEESE
Wireless Operator: Alan Hutchison SEED
Rear Gunner: D B (or D P) PATTERSON
Mid-Upper Gunner: T A CASTLE (Terry)
Flight Engineer: N H MacPHERSON

Special Duties: WINDOW Dispensers
Special Duties: RCM
Links to additional crew information; and Crew Ops.

Reference sources – Australian WW2 Nominal Roll; The National Archives of Australia (462 Squadron Operational Record Book).
Thank you:- to Mark WEATE who obtained the high-resolution photo of Pilot SHERREN from the NAA, and supplied it for use on this web page; to RAAF Museum for group photo of Bomb Aimers; to Duke NEWSTEAD for group photo of Flight Engineers; and to Patricia, wife of Bomb Aimer QUYE for information.

Photo from the National Archives of Australia: A9300, 419622

Philip Stuart SHERREN, 419622 RAAF, at enlistment September 1942, later Pilot at 462 Squadron, Driffield and Foulsham.

 

Pilot

Name: Philip Stuart SHERREN
Service: Royal Australian Air Force
Service Number: 419622
Date of Birth: 17 December 1921
Place of Birth: Auburn, Victoria
Date of Enlistment: 10 September 1942
Place of Enlistment: Melbourne, Vic
Next of Kin: Philip SHERREN
Date of Discharge: 24 January 1946
Rank at Discharge: Flying Officer
Posting at Discharge: 462 Squadron
Honours and Gallantry: Nil
Prisoner of War: No
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Cropped from group photo of Bomb Aimers,
from the RAAF Museum Collection

Bomb Aimer F/Sgt Wilfred Alan QUYE, 1802290 RAF(VR ?), 462 Squadron, Foulsham, March 1945.

 

Bomb Aimer

Name: Wilfred Alan QUYE (Alan)
Service: Royal Air Force (VR ?)
Service Number: 1802290
Date and Place of Birth: .....
Date of Acceptance to RAF: 08 February 1942
Place of Enlistment: ..... *
Next of Kin: .....
Posting from 462 Squadron: May 1945
Rank at Posting from 462 Squadron: Flight Sergeant
Posting at Discharge from RAF: Not known
Rank at Discharge from RAF: Warrant Officer
Prisoner of War: No

* From the website http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/rfc_raf.pdf which details RFC and RAF Service Numbers: No. 1800001 to No. 1814800 were allocated from December 1941 at Euston. This batch includes 1802990 for W A QUYE.
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Navigator

Name: F A McALEESE
Service: Royal Air Force (VR ?)
Service Number: 1398547
Date and Place of Birth: .....
Date and Place of Enlistment: ..... *
Next of Kin: .....
Posting from 462 Squadron: May 1945
Rank at Posting from 462 Squadron: Flight Sergeant
Posting at Discharge from RAF: Not known
Prisoner of War: No

* From the website http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/rfc_raf.pdf which details RFC and RAF Service Numbers: No. 1375001 to No. 1400000 were allocated from August 1940 at Euston. This batch includes 1398547 for F A McALEESE.
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Wireless Operator

Name: Alan Hutchison SEED
Service: Royal Australian Air Force
Service Number: 430673
Date of Birth: 17 February 1925
Place of Birth: Hawthorne, Vic
Date of Enlistment: 26 February 1943
Place of Enlistment: Melbourne, Vic
Next of Kin: Adam SEED
Date of Discharge: 06 February 1946
Rank at Discharge: Warrant Officer
Posting at Discharge: 9 Aircrew Holding Unit
Honours and Gallantry: Nil
Prisoner of War: No
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Rear Gunner

Name: D B PATTERSON (or D P)
Service: Royal Air Force (VR ?)
Service Number: 1827279
Date and Place of Birth: .....
Date and Place of Enlistment: ..... *
Next of Kin: .....
Posting from 462 Squadron: Not recorded
Rank at Posting from 462 Squadron: Sergeant
Posting at Discharge from RAF: Not known
Prisoner of War: No

* From the website http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/rfc_raf.pdf which details RFC and RAF Service Numbers: No. 1820001 to No. 1830000 were allocated from November 1943 at Edinburgh. This batch includes 1827279 for PATTERSON.
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Mid-Upper Gunner

Name: T A CASTLE (Terry)
Service: Royal Air Force (VR ?)
Service Number: 1862268
Date and Place of Birth: .....
Date and Place of Enlistment: ..... *
Next of Kin: .....
Posting from 462 Squadron: Not recorded
Rank at Posting from 462 Squadron: Sergeant
Posting at Discharge from RAF: Not known
Prisoner of War: No

* From the website http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/rfc_raf.pdf which details RFC and RAF Service Numbers: No. 1860001 to No. 1869700 were allocated from October 1942 at Cardington. This batch includes 1862268 for T A CASTLE.
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Cropped from group photo of Flight Engineers,
from the A. A. Newstead Collection

Flight Engineer Norman Henry MacPherson, 1590727 RAF (VR ?), 462 Squadron, Foulsham, June 1945.

 

Flight Engineer

Name: Norman Henry MacPHERSON
Service: Royal Air Force (VR ?)
Service Number: 1590727
Date and Place of Birth: .....
Date and Place of Enlistment: ..... *
Next of Kin: .....
Posting from 462 Squadron: September 1945
Rank at Posting from 462 Squadron: Flight Sergeant
Posting at Discharge from RAF: Not known
Prisoner of War: Evader (BLACK Crew 25)

* From the website http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/rfc_raf.pdf which details RFC and RAF Service Numbers: No. 1585001 to No. 1600000 were allocated from September 1941 at Weston-super-Mare. This batch includes 1590727 for N H MacPHERSON, who was from Northumberland.
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Special Duties – WINDOW

Garth FINK 435339 RAAF
John Francis WALL 432918 RAAF x 2 Ops
Gregory Patrick FARRELL 432776 RAAF x 4 Ops
Lionel Owen BILLIN 433888 RAAF

Please refer to SD-WINDOW for further information,
and photos.
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Special Duties – Radio Counter Measures (RCM)

H GOODWIN J.45521 RCAF
J HOSIE J.44681 RCAF
J H COHEN J.43638

Please refer to SD-RCM for further information.
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Additional Crew Information
At the time of writing for 06 January 2020, the RAAF Service File for Pilot SHERREN and for Wireless Operator SEED had not been digitised by the National Archives of Australia (NAA). Army information for Pilot SHERREN was sourced from the Australian WW2 Nominal Roll. Other information for the crew has been extracted from the 462 Squadron Operation Record Book (ORB). No RAF Service Files have been obtained for any of the RAF members of this crew.

Naming and Service Number errors in ORB. These may seem irrelevant when there was only one person with that surname in the Squadron. It becomes problematic when there was more than one person with the same surname, posted TO and FROM with different crews; and who flew with various crews. The repeated use of a name, initial or Service Number does not necessarily mean that it is the correct one.
Please make contact if you can advise corrections or can assist with further information.

P A SHERREN 419622 – posted TO 462 Squadron as B S, with incorrect Service Number 419632; posted FROM 462 Squadron incorrectly as SHERRON; Ops with several entries as SHERRON, and also SHERRAN, and initials P F.

W A QUYE 1802290 – incorrect initials W L (Ops) and Sce No 1803390 (Ops); on one Op, he was listed with the Service Number of an Aussie Bomb Aimer in another crew in a different aircraft on the same Op.

F A McALEESE 1398547 – was incorrectly listed on Ops as W A; and McLEESE; and with incorrect Service Number 1392574, and 1392547.

A H SEED 430673 – initials incorrectly as A C at Posting TO 462 Squadron.

T A CASTLE 1862268 – with incorrect Sce Numbers 1822686 and 1862228.

D B PATTERSON 1827279 – listed in Ops for various crews as D B, D P, B, E P, D T; and incorrectly as 1837279, and 182729 (Author Batten listed him as D B PATTERSON, Service Number 1827379 for all crews; Author McGindle listed him as D P; not listed by Authors Lax & Kane-Maguire)

N H MacPHERSON 1790727 – with incorrect Service Number of 1590729 when re-posted TO 462 Squadron in December 1944; and as N R McPHERSON 1590729 when posted FROM 462 Squadron.
For his 10 Ops with the SHERREN crew, he was listed with initials W S eight times, once as N A, once as FH; 6 times as McPHERSON, 4 as MacPHERSON, once with Sce Number 1590729, but 9 Ops with 1590727.
When flying with other crews he was also once listed as W S McPHERSON (ANDERSON Crew 45); once as W MacPHERSON and 6 times as W S MacPHERSON (BLACK Crew 25) with the Service Number 1590727 for those 8 Ops.
Author Batten in "Phoenix" lists only W S MacPherson 1590727 for all crews.
Author McGindle in book "Pimpernel" lists S MacPHERSON for Sherren crew and H AHEROON for Black Crew.
Authors Lax & Kane-Maguire list him in BLACK Crew 25 as Norman Henry MacPHERSON, 1590727 (also birth 09 May 1924; Evader, back in UK 26 October 1944, no mention of any later crew or posting.) Certainly the Norm MacPHERSON in the photo of the Black Crew (page 188 of their book) appears to be the same MacPHERSON in the Flight Engineer group photo, June 1945 (cropped image shown previously on this crew page).
(Book details in Acknowledgements)

As no service files for any of the crew were available, there is no information on their training or Postings prior to 462 Squadron, nor is it known when or where they "crewed up". Based on their rank as Aircrew NCOs, it seems that they were posted from the training stream to 462 Squadron, Driffield, most likely directly from an Heavy Conversion Unit (probably 1664 HCU Dishforth, see QUYE's information below).

QUYE was in the Bomb Aimers group photo of March 1945, and MacPHERSON in the Flight Engineers of June 1945 (cropped images of each shown in previous section). Other members of this crew may be unidentified in other group photos taken during March 1945, however due to this crew having no Ops listed between 05 and 27 March, some (or all) of them may have been on leave.

Postings TO 462 Squadron, Driffield – November 1944 – Aircrew NCOs
Pilot F/Sgt SHERRAN; Nav Sgt McALEESE, W/Op F/Sgt SEED, and MU/AG Sgt CASTLE were listed consecutively, so presumably as a crew.
QUYE was not listed that month's posting TO, nor was he listed for any other month's postings TO.
No Rear Gunner or Flight Engineer was included for this crew.
(In the November 1944 postings and not in sequence with this crew or any other crews, D H McLean 441359 RAAF, who appeared to be a "spare" R/AG, flew 26 Ops with O'Sullivan Crew 43; and J A CRANE R.117206 RCAF, a "spare" F/Eng, flew only 1 Op with Smith Crew 51, and was later posted FROM the Squadron, without any further Ops. It is not known if they were originally members of the SHERREN crew.)

Sgt D B PATTERSON was listed as Rear Gunner in sequence with the DRINKWATER Crew 49, immediately before the SHERREN Crew names, and commenced Ops with the DRINKWATER crew. (No other listing under that surname for any other month.)

Sgt N S MacPHERSON 1590727 was posted TO 462 Squadron with the Black crew in September 1944;
Sgt W S MacPHERSON 1590727 was posted Non/Effective Missing in October 1944 (Black Crew, Halifax LL604, 09 October 1944)
Sgt N H MacPHERSON 1590729 was posted TO 462 Squadron in December 1944, but not as part of any crew (presumably the same Flight Engineer, after his return to the UK on 26 October after being an Evader).

Relocation from Driffield to Foulsham

29 December 1944, with Main Party by Rail;
P/O SHERREN, Sgt QUYE, Sgt McALEESE, Sgt CASTLE, Sgt N H MacPHERSON 1590729

29 December 1944, with Air Party;
Sgt D B PATTERON in DRINKWATER Crew, Halifax Z5-M

Not listed – SEED

 

Operational Flying – see later section Crew Ops. The crew most likely also carried out non-operational flying between early May and September 1945, but such flights were not recorded by crew names in ORB.

 

Postings FROM 462 Squadron, Foulsham – May 1945
Bomb Aimer F/Sgt QUYE and Nav F/Sgt McALEESE, forward posting location not recorded.

Posting FROM 462 Squadron, Foulsham – September 1945
Pilot F/O SHERREN as 11th in the first Draft of 27 Officers on 11 September, to go on leave prior to reporting to Gamston (9 Aircrew Holding Unit or 9 ACHU) on 17 September, for repatriation to Australia.
F/Eng F/Sgt MacPHERSON (as N E McPHERSON 1590729) with the group of 25 Flight Engineers in the first Draft of 38 NCOs on 11 September, forward posting location not recorded.
W/Op W/O SEED with the second Draft of 41 NCOs on 13 September, to go on leave prior to reporting to Gamston (9 Aircrew Holding Unit or 9 ACHU) on 18 September, for repatriation to Australia.

MU/AG Sgt CASTLE and R/AG Sgt D B PATTERSON were not recorded in postings FROM 462 Sq for any month. Perhaps they should have been included with the May 1945 Draft of various trades including gunners (2 RNZAF and 1 RCAF and 43 RAF/RAFVR including QUYE and McALEESE).

From the information above, and unless otherwise corrected – it is assumed that the variously initialled and numbered PATTERSON (of the DRINKWATER, and SHERREN, and other crews) is the same Rear Gunner in all.
Similarly, unless otherwise corrected – it is assumed that the variously named and numbered McPHERSON and MacPHERSON (of the BLACK, ANDERSON, and SHERREN crews) is the same Flight Engineer in all.

 

Pilot Philip Stuart SHERREN – previously enlisted in Australian Army on 08 October 1941, at Surrey Hills, Vic, while living at Canterbury, Vic; Army Service Number V255052; next-of-kin Philip SHERREN; discharged from Army on 09 September 1942, at rank of Gunner, for enlistment in RAAF on 10 September 1942. (Photo shown previously)
Promotions – Posted as Flight Sergeant in November 1944; recorded as Pilot Officer by 29 December 1944 when relocating with squadron to Foulsham; and recorded as Flying Officer by the first combined crew Op on 18 February 1945.

Bomb Aimer Wilfred Alan QUYE – Known as Alan, he was identified in the Bomb Aimer's group photo at Foulsham by his wife Patricia, who also confirmed his rank, and his RAF service number of 1802290 as recorded on his stored documentation. In some published references, Alan QUYE's surname has been incorrectly spelt as OUYE or GUYE; also, in one reference book, his Service Number and Air Force had been recorded incorrectly as that of a 462 Squadron RAAF Bomb Aimer (i.e. then F/Sgt Lionel DITTMANN 429529 RAAF).

Alan QUYE legally changed his surname just before he and Patricia married in 1962. The name Alan was used by his family, and when he changed his name he was known as Alan Wilfred E........ They had a son, who married an Australian, and lectured at Hobart University for two years (2010/2011). They also had a daughter, who was able to see the exhibits concerning Bomber Command, when on a short visit to Canberra, Australia. Alan died in December 1993.

RAF Service information supplied by Alan's wife (due to the downsizing of her long-term residence and relocation to different county, Alan's documents are currently in storage, so have not been scanned).

06 February 1942 – Letter from the Air Ministry advising that he had been accepted for the RAF

From his Flying Log Book ....

1943 – Training in Canada as Air-bomber/Navigator

Summer 1944 – Training in Halifax aircraft at Dishforth, Yorkshire, with SHERREN as Pilot; Dishforth was the home of 1664 Heavy Conversion Unit, where crews converted to Halifax bombers. (Several 462 Squadron crews who also trained at Dishforth, had previously trained at 21 OTU, Moreton-in-Marsh, in Wellington bombers, so possibly this crew also "crewed-up" and trained there.)

01 December 1944 – first flight at 462 Squadron, Driffield, Yorkshire; familiarisation with Halifax aircraft
3 flights – one each with Pilots SANDERSON, MacDERMOTT, and JACKSON, but not listed in the ORB, so probably non-operational
Later flights and Ops at 462 Squadron with Pilot SHERREN (see Crew Ops in following section)

From his RAF Release Book ....

6th September 1946 – Rank of Warrant Officer, Release Book dated and stamped, after exactly 4 years of RAF Service.

To his family, Alan always spoke with enormous affection and respect about his time with the Australian air crew. He talked about his experiences occasionally, but not in any detail. The only photos from 462 Squadron in his collection are the Bomb Aimers group photo, and the Squadron Group photo, both shown on the 462 Squadron Foulsham page. In his document collection there are also some flight maps, and some photos taken from the air. There are also photos probably taken in Canada, but without identification.

 

Flight Engineer Norman Henry MacPHERSON was known as "Geordie" and was from Northumberland, as advised by F/Eng NEWSTEAD (ANDERSON Crew 45). Also named as Harry in photo of Black Crew 25 in Batten's "Phoenix Book 2 - The Reincarnation (book details in Acknowledgements).

 

More information on other members of this crew may be added when RAAF Service Files become available, or after information is received from other sources.
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Crew Ops – carried out by this crew during their posting to 462 Squadron, Driffield and Foulsham, from the ORB.

November 1944 – SHERREN and the nucleus of his crew were posted TO the squadron.

02 December 1944 – SHERREN carried out his first Op as 2nd pIlot for Pilot JAMES Crew 24 in Halifax MZ448 Z5-W; and 11 Ops with his "usual" crew in 1945 – Total 12 Ops.

No further Ops were recorded for SHERREN and his crew in December 1944. After relocation to Foulsham, their first Op as a crew was on 18 February 1945. What were they doing for approx 11 weeks between 02 December 1944 and 18 February 1945? Did they have longer than normal familiarisation training? Or were they on leave? Or injured? Or sick? Or other? Were they carrying out additional specialised training for RCM? Or had the Recording Gremlin struck again and Ops missed the records (the Gremlin seemed to favour this crew). Some of the crew carried out an additional 1 or 2 ops in January 1945 with other crews (details below), maybe to "catch-up" with SHERREN's December Op as 2nd Pilot.

Ops with Pilot SHERREN

B/A QUYE carried out 11 Ops with this crew, no substitutions; and one Op on 28 January 1945 as SD-WINDOW with ANDERSON Crew 45, Halifax NA148 Z5-Z – Total 12 Ops

Nav McALEESE carried out 11 Ops with this crew, no substitutions; no Op with other crews – Total 11 Ops

W/Op SEED carried out 11 Ops with this crew, no substitutions;
and one Op on 14 January 1945 as SD-WINDOW with HANCOCK Crew 31, Halifax MZ402 Z5-V;
and one Op on 15 April 1945 as substitute W/OP with GALLOP Crew 67, Halifax MZ341 Z5-P – Total 13 Ops (MZ402 Z5-V crash-landed on return, night of 10/11 February 1945, James Crew 24)

R/AG PATTERSON carried out 11 Ops as Rear Gunner with this crew, no substitutions;
and 8 previous Ops as Rear Gunner with DRINKWATER Crew 49 in various Halifax aircraft (4 Ops December 1944; 4 Ops January 1945),
and 1 Op on 03 March 1945 as Rear Gunner with Marchant Crew 32, NR239 Z5-D;
and 1 Op on 30 March 1945 as Mid-Upper Gunner with Lodder Crew 44, Halifax MZ431 Z5-J;
and 8 Ops in Jan/Feb/Mar/Apr 1945 as Special Duties-WINDOW with 5 different crews (January 1945 Bailey x1; February 1945 Uther x1, Byrom x1, Cookson x1; March 1945 Uther x2, Anderson x1; April 1945 Uther x1);
Total 29 Ops (assuming he was the same Rear Gunner for all entries, and if so, he was the opposite of claims that Rear Gunners had the shortest life span in Bomber Command.)

MU/AG CASTLE carried out 11 Ops with this crew, no substitutions; and one Op on 14 January 1945 as SD-WINDOW with with ANDERSON Crew 45, Halifax not known (mis-recorded in ORB) – Total 12 Ops

F/Eng MacPHERSON carried out 10 Ops with this crew, one substitution;
and one Op on 30 March 1945 as substitute Flight Engineer with ANDERSON Crew 45, Halifax NA148 Z5-Z; and a previous 7 Ops with Black Crew.25 (5 Ops in September 1944, and 2 in October 1944; 1st Op in Halifax LW440 Z5-B and the other 6 in LL604 Z5-D, lost on their last Op of 09 October 1944) – Total 18 Ops

The following table lists the Ops for Sherren and Crew 50, during February, March and April 1945 – 8 Ops with 8th Crewman for SD-W; 3 Ops with 8th Crewman for SD-RCM.

Aircraft Serials are as listed in the Forms 541 of the Operational Record Book, from the NAA.
Aircraft Code numbers Z5- were not listed in the ORB, but were compared and cross-referenced with other sources.
Times up and down in red were night flights.
Target "Rheine x 5" means 5 aircraft tasked from 462 Squadron to that target, with SHERREN's crew being one of those 5 (and so on for the other dates).
Target "Schönebeck x 11 (of 12)" means 11 aircraft tasked from 462 Squadron to the target of Schönebeck, with SHERREN's crew being one of those 11; on that Op SHERREN's crew were on RCM duties, and the other 10 crews were on WINDOW duties; the 12th Halifax from 462 Squadron had a different duty/target.
Code for Op Type – B Bombing; SD Special Duties; SP Spoof; W WINDOW; I Incendiaries; F Flares; TI Target Indicators; RCM Radio Counter Measures; PP Protective Patrol; MF Main Force.
Comments include the name of an 8th crew member to dispense WINDOW, or for RCM duties, or a substitute.

This crew did not have any early returns, and did not have any other trouble during their Ops (i.e. none was recorded in the ORB). They had only one "landing away" due to low cloud at Foulsham, when all 12 returning aircraft were diverted to 3 different airfields (3 to Lindholme, 2 to Wickenby, and 7 to Tangmere).

Aircraft information
Op as 2nd Pilot – MZ448 Z5-W – Failed to Return, 24 February 1945, Pilot RIDGEWELL, 4 KIA, 4 PoW.

Op 1. MZ461 Z5-O – Failed to Return on 24 February 1945, Pilot ELY and Crew 39, 8 KIA.

Op 2. and 6. MZ398 Z5-X – no photo available

Ops 3. and 5. and 8. NA148 Z5-Z – photo on Halifax page.

Op 4. MZ913 Z5-N – Photo and artwork on the Halifax page.

Op 7. NA240 Z5-V – Op on 27 March was the 6th for this aircraft at 462 Squadron; see its Ops list at end of Halifax page. NA240 Failed to Return on the night of 10/11 April 1945, Pilot Alf BALL and Crew 59, 7 KIA, 1 PoW.

Op 9. and 10. PN426 Z5-O – Artwork on Halifax page. On 14 April, MZ426 appears to be an error for PN426.

Op 11. MZ341 Z5-P – Photos and painting on Halifax page.

 

 

Coincidences and links with the Ball Crew 59 - .
On 08 April, Pilot Sherren and crew flew an Op in Halifax NA240 Z5-V, when the Ball crew was on leave.
On 10 April 1945 Sherren and crew flew in Halifax NA148 Z5-Z (WINDOW Spoof to Plauen;
On 10 April 1945 Ball and crew 59 flew in Halifax NA240 Z5-V (RCM, to Leipzig, and FTR).

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