Lesley James Fieldhouse's crew from 514 Squadron

Note from Moderation:

THIS IS A SPECIAL THREAD FOR LESLEY JAMES FIELDHOUSE AND HIS CREW FROM 514 SQUADRON.



Hello everybody.

I started reading this truely fascinating thread today after I decided to try and find information about my grandfather Jim Lesley Fielhouse who was a flight engineer in Squadron 514 on a WW II Lancaster Bomber.He was based in Chedburgh, Feltwell, and Waterbeach and also flew other aircrafts such as Hansons and Sterlings.
I do apologize for my lack of knowledge about missions and other details, but my grandfather passed away when I was a kid and though I loved all the amazing stories about his times in the RAF, it's only when you get older that you realise what these men actually went through and apreciate how brave they were.
Anyway, I'm posting this because I would love to help you collect information about Squadron 514.I have not yet read all the thread, so you might not be interested. But my granmother has his log book and I have a couple of his photos, especially one of the entire 514 Squadron around a Lancaster Bomber.
If Erich, the Campbells, Skipper or whoever are interested, I would be honored to help.
I live in France and my Grandad's logbook, medals, maps and photos are in Manchester, so I can't get hold of them straight away. End of November is my next trip to England.But I can get my mum on the phone to get data.
You can not imagine how good it has been to read this thread and even if the information I have is not of much use I thank everyone for reviving the great (and proud) memories I have of my grandfather.
Thank you.
Andrew

 

Hello Andrew, you are mor ethna welcome on this thread. It would be a great asset to post your grandfather's logbook here. Not only because this would enable us to compare Operations etc.. but also the names mentionned would possibly allow us to find information you might find useful. So yes, by all means go ahead. Whereabouts do you live in France, the South West?

 

Welcome Andrew. I will watch for your further postings, especially your grampa's logbook.
I see Skipper is prompt to reply. This is a welcome habit of his.
Skipper of Lancaster A2 C, 514 Sqadron Alex Campbell

 

Hi Skipper and Sir Alex Campbell (and everyone else reading)

I am so glad and honoured to contribute to this thread.
Skipper, unfortunately I don't live in the South West of France but just outside Paris, actually 30 mn from Courbevoie,a town that was mentionned in your early posts. I think Marcel Liger went to live there after the war.
Of course, if I can be of any help "on location", don't hesitate to ask me.

Obviously, I grabed my phone and called my mother to see what information she could give me when I saw your messages. I don't have much for the moment, but I've asked her if she could photocopy the logbook for me and bring it over on saturday when they come to France (my grandmother's not too keen on parting with it and seeing it leave the country !!!) .

My grandfather's (Lesley James Fieldhouse whose nickname were Jim or Jimmy ) first op. was on Nov 1st 1943 in Düsseldorf.His last was on April 24th 1945 at (so is written on his logbook) Bad Oldesloe...My mother's not too sure because it's hand written. He lost his rear gunner "Tommy" during an op. and also did Pathfinder missions.
That's basically IT for the moment, but she is visiting my grandmother tomorrow and I should have more.

We're also going to get as much information as possible from my grandmother who was a nurse during the war. She always has tears in her eyes when she remembers watching the planes take off and coming back from operations, she would count them as they landed, not knowing who hadn't made it back...
If you have any specific questions, just ask me.
For now, I'm going back to page 5, were I left this thread last night !

 

Ok, I have my grandfather's logbook.

View attachment 3946

View attachment 3947

View attachment 3948

View attachment 3949

View attachment 3950

Of course, I don't quite know what it all means. I suppose the first part is the training. On the first page, on the 3rd line, it says "crashed"... Is there a possibility of finding out what happened, or is there no chance?

 

View attachment 3951

View attachment 3952

View attachment 3953

View attachment 3954

View attachment 3955

 

View attachment 3956

View attachment 3957

 

Great stuff Andrew. This shows your grandfather flew in "B" flight from Waterbeach from Nov 1944 until VE Day. There are quite a few interesting operations there! For instance the bombing of V1 depots in Northern France, a couple of bombing opertions to Germany and supply operations to the starving Dutch population in 1945. Thank you very much for sharing these with us!

 

I also have this.

View attachment 3958

View attachment 3959

View attachment 3960

View attachment 3961

View attachment 3962

On the photo where they're all standing in line, he's the second from the right (the only one with a moustache).

And the next picture is my favorite, I had to get my grandmother to cut it out of it's frame ! Sorry fot it being so small, but that's the best I could do.
I'll try and scan it to send it by e-mail. I've had it blown up on a A3 format page and it looks good. So I can still send it by post...

 

View attachment 3963

Like it?

 

THANKS Skipper !
I'll take whatever information you have !

 

Your A3 pic is just rruly amazing! I'm sur esome of Alex's buddies will be there too.
The 514 Squadron Curiculum is also excellent , especially as it is dedicated. + two crew pictures! I will read the logbook over and give you further details tommorow. In the morning I am going to the Orleans flee market. You should come on of these days, it's only 100km from your home if you drive via Melun and Malesherbes via the N152. It's every Saturday morning.

 

For instance, I don't realise if he flew a lot or not, had important ops...I know he was only young at the time so he might not have been handed great responsabilities, or dangerous missions (although one would say that it was always dangerous).
My grandmother's mission is now to find the names of the crew, and other information.
If any of you can use what I've just posted then that is great !

 

Thanks Skipper.

I will definitely go to this market soon ! I'll let you know when that way we can have a drink and talk about Squadron 514 ! That would be an honour for me.

 

I hope the Campbell's will find the pictures interesting !

 

Andrew, thanks for posting the images. The photos and images from your grandfather's log book are very interesting. That is a fantastic image from 1945 at 514 squadron.

Skipper will have more detailed information, but this site has a few details on the OPS your grandfather took part in:

RAF History - Bomber Command 60th Anniversary

December 8
163 Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H raid through cloud on the railway yards at Duisburg. 30 Mosquitos of No 8 Group attacked the Meiderich oil plant near Duisburg, probably using the Oboe-leader technique. No aircraft lost.

December 11, 1944
Osterfeld: 150 Lancasters of No 3 Group on G-H raids through cloud on the railway yards (98 aircraft) and on the benzol plant (52 aircraft). The bombing appeared to be accurate. 1 Lancaster lost.

2/3 January 1945
Nuremberg: 514 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 3, 6 and 8 Groups. 4 Lancasters were lost and 2 crashed in France. Nuremberg, scene of so many disappointments for Bomber Command, finally succumbed to this attack. The Pathfinders produced good ground-marking in conditions of clear visibility and with the help of a rising full moon.

5 January 1945
160 Lancasters of No 3 Group attacked the railway-yards at Ludwigshafen. 2 Lancasters lost.

13 January 1945
158 Lancasters of No 3 Group attacked the railway yards at Saarbrücken. The bombing appeared to be accurate, though with some overshooting. 1 Lancaster crashed in France.

 

Thank you so much for this really ineresting information and website.
If you or Alex want the full size photo, ( it's actually a photocopy but enlarged, the quality is good and you can clearly see most of the faces ) I'll send it through the post.

 

Andrew- if you want, I can send you the info on your grandfathers time at 514 sqn/. I have the names of the crew and their ops.
glad to have you aboard.

 

Hi Wendy.
Now that's amazing news. Thank you ever so much !
I'd love to see what you have about my grandfather. I'm also trying to find out who was the rear gunner that died on one of his ops, all I know is he was called "Tommy".
I actually came across a website this morning where there was the details of one of his missions. It had his crew on the 31st of december 1944.

This is what I found :

31.12.44 LANC. III C AUS. 418705 F/O. A.E.
Munro. Captain
L.M.717 Sgt Fairfax. A. Navigator
Sgt. Coe F.E. Air Bomber
W/O. Pope S.A. WOP/Air.
Sgt. Taylor O.H. M.U. Gunner
Sgt. Scott J.W. Rear Gunner
Sgt. Fieldhouse L. F/Engineer.

I'm sorry to "disturb" this thread that kind of belongs more to Sir Alex Campbell (I feel like I'm intruding a little...). If you want me to move to another thread or something ( I'm not used to all this) just tell me how it works.
Thank you to everyone here ! You are all quite amazing !

 

Dad will confirm if he was present for that photo but I believe the photo that Andrew posted of the whole 514 squadron base posing with a lancaster was taken in 1945.
I see from Dad's service record ( http://hilaroad.com/RCAF/record.jpg ) he was at Rockecliffe in October of 1944. I believe this is Rockecliffe, Ontario back in Canada.