Confirming Serial Number of Father

[Paul Squires]

This came up in a family discussion, what was my Father's RCAF Serial number?

We believe it was R91019, Squires, Arthur Douglas, Aircraftman, later Corporal.

Is there a record that can confirm this?

I was recently given a photo of him in service, too large to include, but Archive number:

DND Image PL 7142   UK 871

A group of Canadians who keep the Hudsons of a RCAF Coastal Command Squadron
somewhere in England, flying in top shape.  All hale from Toronto. L to R:

LAC W.L. Hodd,; LAC T.V. O'Connor; AC1 A.B. Squires; LAC G. LeFebore; AC1
McCallum, D.H., Cpl F.H. Masters; LAC C.O. Parkhill, and LAC R.E. Corbett.

(handwritten) 407 Sqn.

22/1/42

Many Thanks,

Paul Squires
Wetaskiwin, Alberta

[Temujin]

This came up in a family discussion, what was my Father's RCAF Serial number?

We believe it was R91019, Squires, Arthur Douglas, Aircraftman, later Corporal.

Is there a record that can confirm this?

I was recently given a photo of him in service, too large to include, but Archive number:

DND Image PL 7142   UK 871

A group of Canadians who keep the Hudsons of a RCAF Coastal Command Squadron
somewhere in England, flying in top shape.  All hale from Toronto. L to R:

LAC W.L. Hodd,; LAC T.V. O'Connor; AC1 A.B. Squires; LAC G. LeFebore; AC1
McCallum, D.H., Cpl F.H. Masters; LAC C.O. Parkhill, and LAC R.E. Corbett.

(handwritten) 407 Sqn.

22/1/42

Many Thanks,

Paul Squires
Wetaskiwin, Alberta

Paul, in order to follow up on this, I need a little more info. Do you know “when” he sailed for England? This would help me “possibly” find him on a Nominal Roll for the sailing. I can also do it if you have a “approximate” date he sailed or an “approximate date” he arrived in England…..

[Paul Squires]

Hi Temujin,

Thanks for the reply. And the reminder that dates help.

I know he was an original member of 407 Squadron, on Blenheims, so that puts him in England May 8, 1941. I do know he arrived on the RMS Aquitania, and returned to Canada in the same troopship in late 1944.

Paul

[Temujin]

Hi Temujin,

Thanks for the reply. And the reminder that dates help.

I know he was an original member of 407 Squadron, on Blenheims, so that puts him in England May 8, 1941. I do know he arrived on the RMS Aquitania, and returned to Canada in the same troopship in late 1944.

Paul

Thank You, I’ll see what I can find

[Temujin]

OK, I’ve been trying all my regular sources, and this is a tough one. I thought that you giving my the RMS Aquitania info would help a lot, as I have lots of “ship files” but it has not.

You stated he traveled to the UK sometime “before” the 8th May 1941 on the RMS Aqutania but this ship only made TWO voyages to the UK “BEFORE” May 1941…….and these were both in the early convoys of the war. Here is here voyages up to May 1941

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As the site that holds all the convoy information does NOT have a search engine, I have to go page by page to find him (if he is there)……so I really need more information to try and figure out which ship or which date he was on??

THEN, I tried the opposite, you told me he returned to Canada on the RMS Aquitania in late 1944 (No month)……and the RMS Aquitania sailed a LOT of voyages returning troops…….so many that again, to try and look at all the files (without a closer “date” of return) would be a huge task. Here are just some of the Aquitania’s voyages in Late 1944 (these are both to and From North America…..as you can see many of the crossing were made to and from the Clyde to NY and back.

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So, I haven’t given up on this line or research, it’s just that if we had ANY clearer time from he went to the UK or back from the UK it would really help speed up the search?

I’m going to try other search options I have…..BUT do you know “what” he did (his trade) while in the Air Force. Was he strictly “ground crew” or was he possibly “air crew”……..again, if I knew that, I might be able to find him at the appropriate “training units” back in Canada?

OH, almost forgot, I did download some pages (May 1941) from the Operations Records Books “hoping” they may have a clue, and unfortunately there was none that I could find.

Still working,

Cheers

[Temujin]

Just a follow up. I went thru the pages of RMS Aquitania for the 30-1-40 (Part of convoy TC.3)

They DID NOT carry any RCAF/RAF or other countries Air Force personnel on this ship

Source: https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/ooci ... c5609/3053


EDIT:

I went thru the pages of RMS Aquitania for the 10-12-39 (Part of convoy TC.1)

They DID NOT carry and RCAF/RAF or other countries Air Force personnel on this ship

Source: https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/ooci ... c5609/2067


SO, as far as I can determine, if he travelled to England PRIOR to May 1941 he DID NOT sail on the Aquitania, as the records show only 2 sailing of this ship prior to May 1941.

[Temujin]

Another follow up.

I was able to find the “passenger lists” for the Aquitania for Sept, Oct, Nov and Dec 1944……..looked thru them, and his name was NOT in these manifest’s.

He “may” have been on a different ship……..or the dates may be wrong? Your info said he left England “late 1944”, hence my search in the final quarter of that year.

If you do come up with something that may indicate a date (such as his demobilization document etc) I can try again

Cheers

PS: my search doesn’t mean he WASN’T on this ship…….I just didn't find his name

[Paul Squires]

Hi Temujin,

Many Thanks. You've gone into this far more than I expected, and I'll read the references with interest.

My recollection of the Aquatania were his statements decades ago, and that he returned to Canada on the same ship 4 years later. But he also mentioned he was very sea sick both times (ironic, as his initial choice was the Navy, as a Sea Scout, but he was turned down when his best friend was accepted because he wore glasses, but the Air Force wanted him as a Fitter, and he added to that by talking Jim Floyd into taking him on as a draughtsman on the Jetliner project post-war, which led to a degree in engineering, and designing fuel tanks for aircraft including the Arrow, and gunshields for the St. Laurent class destroyers). But while I am fascinated by history, he never was. He never considered his life to be of interest, while I find it amazing, but too late to ask for details.

Any paperwork that might confirm this is in storage with a sister, who cannot access them.

Well, we will go with the serial number we have, and that's it.

Again, Many Thanks, and if I find any further questions doing the TSGNO Errata I'll post them.

Still puzzled by the pre-war western deployments to Alberta, though.

All the Best,

Paul Squires
Wetaskiwin