NEWMAN, F/L Dennis Alfred (J6641) & FO Hugh Bilborough, RAF, 158424

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georgetanksherman
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NEWMAN, F/L Dennis Alfred (J6641) & FO Hugh Bilborough, RAF, 158424

Post by georgetanksherman » Mon Apr 27, 2020 8:51 am

Thank You Temujin for clearing P/O Tucker's status up for me. I appreciate all your help with this and all the others that you have helped me with. I was wondering if I could get some help with another one that I have been having issues with. This Warrior was a P.O.W. from Fort Worth, Texas, a homeboy :-) Flt Lt D.A. Newman, I can not find any info on what aircraft and date he was on when he was shot down, he and a fellow crew member Flying Officer Hugh Bilborough, 158424 were awarded a DFC on March 20,1945. the info I have found so far, he made Flt Lt while a P.O.W., and that he was a pilot.

Pilot: Flt Lt Dennis Alfred Newman (DFC), J/6641, RCAF, Fort Worth, Texas, P.O.W., I also found out through the Awards page that he was with R.A.F. No. 103 Squadron, flying the Vickers Wellington bomber, in July of 1942 were replaced by the Handley Page Halifax, and a short time later switching to the Avro Lancaster in October of 1942

According to the RCAF Association the info on P.O.W.'s in 1945 was at best, not kept as the P.O.W.'s were constantly being moved with the German retreat

Appreciate any thing you can share on this Warrior

Cheers, looks like we are going to have a "HOT" summer down here in Texas !

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NEWMAN, F/L Dennis Alfred (J6641)

Post by Temujin » Mon Apr 27, 2020 10:20 am

georgetanksherman wrote:
Mon Apr 27, 2020 8:51 am
Thank You Temujin for clearing P/O Tucker's status up for me. I appreciate all your help with this and all the others that you have helped me with. I was wondering if I could get some help with another one that I have been having issues with. This Warrior was a P.O.W. from Fort Worth, Texas, a homeboy :-) Flt Lt D.A. Newman, I can not find any info on what aircraft and date he was on when he was shot down, he and a fellow crew member Flying Officer Hugh Bilborough, 158424 were awarded a DFC on March 20,1945. the info I have found so far, he made Flt Lt while a P.O.W., and that he was a pilot.

Pilot: Flt Lt Dennis Alfred Newman (DFC), J/6641, RCAF, Fort Worth, Texas, P.O.W., I also found out through the Awards page that he was with R.A.F. No. 103 Squadron, flying the Vickers Wellington bomber, in July of 1942 were replaced by the Handley Page Halifax, and a short time later switching to the Avro Lancaster in October of 1942

According to the RCAF Association the info on P.O.W.'s in 1945 was at best, not kept as the P.O.W.'s were constantly being moved with the German retreat

Appreciate any thing you can share on this Warrior

Cheers, looks like we are going to have a "HOT" summer down here in Texas !
Here’s some info, I think you may already have this....

NEWMAN, F/L Dennis Alfred (J6641) - Distinguished Flying Cross - No.103 Squadron - Award effective 20 March 1945 as per London Gazette of that date and AFRO 625/45 dated 13 April 1945. Born 22 January 1911 in Maidstone, Kent (birth date on MI.9 report); home in Buffalo, New York or Fort Worth, Texas (the latter is given as home address in March 1944). An engineer by profession. Enlisted Ottawa, 1 November 1940. To No.1 ITS, 17 March 1941; promoted LAC, 10 April 1941 and posted that date to No.7 EFTS; to No.5 SFTS, 28 May 1941; graduated and commissioned 8 August 1941. Warned for embarkation, 9 August 1941; to RAF overseas, 28 August 1941. Promoted Flying Officer, 9 August 1942 and Flight Lieutenant, 9 August 1943. Missing 11 July 1942 (reported POW). Evaded or escaped as he was repatriated to Canada, 4 December 1943. Departed for overseas again, 13 January 1944, arrived in Britain 21 January 1944. Repatriated to Canada 9 July 1945; released 10 September 1945. Died ar Del Mar, San Diego, California, 30 October 2004. Medal sent by registered mail, 2 February 1949. Cited with Flying Officer Hugh Bilbrough (RAFVR).

Flight Lieutenant Newman and Flying Officer Bilbrough were pilot and navigator respectively in an aircraft detailed to attack Stuttgart one night in January 1945. When nearing the target area the aircraft was attacked by a fighter. Almost at the beginning of the fight, owing to an electrical failure, the mid-upper turret was rendered inoperative while at the same time the guns in the rear turret became jammed. Despite this, Flight Lieutenant Newman manoeuvred with great skill and finally evaded the attacker. The port inner oil tank had been badly pierced and the affected the running of the port inner engine. Attempts to feather the propeller were unavoidable. Despite this Flight Lieutenant Newman continued to the target. During the bombing run another fighter was encountered but a successful run was made. As the target area was left both the inner engines became unserviceable and some height was lost. Almost all the navigation aids had been rendered inoperative and the navigator, Flying Officer Bilbrough, was faced with a difficult task. Although compelled to work by the light thrown on to the compasses by a torch, he plotted his way across enemy territory. Eventually the compasses became unserviceable. Nevertheless, using the stars as his guide, he navigated the aircraft to an airfield near the English coast where a safe landing was effected. That this sortie was successfully accomplished reflects the greatest credit on the skill, determination and devotion to duty shown by these officers.

NEWMAN, F/O Dennis Alfred, DFC (J6641) - Mention in Despatches - No.148 Squadron - Award effective 14 June 1945 as per London Gazette of that date and AFRO 1478/45 dated 21 September 1945. Unit identified in AFRO only as "Overseas"; found in DHist file 181.009 D.1711 "Honours and Awards - Awards to RCAF Personnel in Middle East" (NAC RG.24 Box 20605). Public Records Office Air 2/9230 has recommended citation, noting that the War Office had recommended an MBE and citing Interrogation report No.M.I. 9/S/PG (It) 1815. It would appear that this award was delayed until the war was so advanced that the chances of his recapture were minimal.

On 10th July 1942, this officer was one of the crew of a Wellington which was detailed to bomb Tobruk. Whilst over the target the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and a crash landing was made on the beach. After walking for four days and nearly reaching Sidi Barani, the crew were about to commandeer a German truck at the point of a gun when another truck came up and they were taken prisoner. An attempt to escape was made at Mersa Matruh but they were almost immediately recaptured. At Campo 21 (Chieti) Flight Lieutenant Newman assisted in a tunnel scheme but he managed to escape with two comrades before it was completed by crawling through the barbed wire. Some days afterwards, an Italian provided them with civilian clothes and took them to Francavilla where they hoped to be evacuated by boat with a large number of prisoners of war. The scheme failed and they were all ordered by a British officer to leave the district and go overland to the British lines. Flight Lieutenant Newman and his companion reached the British lines near Guglionesi on 28th October 1944.

The above gives the date incorrectly - it should read 28 October 1943. Public Record Office WO 208/3318 has MI.9 report of Lieutenant Ernest F. Lodge, 7 Royal Tank Corps, who had been captured at Tobruk on 20 June 1942 and was held at Campo 21 (Chieti).

He had also been involved in the tunnel project. Interviewed on 25 February 1944, he stated: On 18 September 1943 the first two PoWs to escape left the camp. There were Americans. On the night of 20 September I escaped with an American pilot serving in the RCAF, F/O D.A. Newman, 178 Squadron, RAF. We left the camp just as the Germans were arriving to take over from the Italians. After passing the guard of British and American officers which had been put on by the SBO [Senior British Officer], we crawled through the barbed wire and climbed the wall. It took us about two hours to get out, and during this time a German and an Italian officer examined the sentry boxes along the wall.

After leaving the camp we went into the hills and reached Rapino where we hid in a cave for five days, hoping that British troops would come through. For a time we lived on food we had brought with us, and on grapes and tomatoes from the fields. Later we got in touch with an Italian who gave us civilian clothes. We head from this Italian that a boat was coming to Francavilla, and went there with the Italian as a guide. We found a party of SAS troops under Captain Bailey who had collected about 250 ex-PoWs over a period of four days. The boat had so far failed to arrive, and this was the fourth and last night of the scheme.

During the night a German patrol boat came in, and a dinghy came ashore with four Germans, two of whom were shot by SAS men. The two others ran away. Captain Bailey then ordered everyone to leave the district and make for the British lines by land. Newman and I waited around for a few hours, and during that time the SAS men shot the other two Germans.

From Francavilla our route was: Migluinico - Guliano - Arielli -between Lanciano and Castel Frentano near Caporali. Newman had injured his knee, and we remained fr four days near Caporali, being looked after by an Italian who guided us across the River Sangro. From this point we followed a drove road, across country till we were within sight of the River Trigno near Montalfano. We lay up for a day in a river bed and a night went due south between Montenero and Mafalda, and then struck eastwards, meeting British troops near Guglionesi on 28 October.

Public Record Office Air 2/920 includes Newman’s own MI.9 report, dated 8 March 1944, stated he had been captured near Sidi Barrani, 14 July 1942, escaped from Campo 21 (Chieti) on 20 September 1943, left Algiers at the end of October 1943, and arrived Glasgow on 5 November 1943.

It read thus:
1. CAPTURE
I took off from Kabrit in a Wellington aircraft on 10 July 1942 to bomb Tobruk. While we were over the target we were hit by flak. One engine was set on fire and shortly afterwards we crash-landed on the beach.

After four days’ walking we had almost reached Sidi Barrani. We commandeered a German truck that was manned by two soldiers and while we were holding them under the point of a gun another truck passed by and we were taken P/W.

We were taken to Mersa Matruh and tried to escape from here, but we were caught almost immediately.

2. CAMPS IN ITALY
Bari (Transit Camp), 1 August 1942 - 1 December 1942
Campo 21 (Chieti), December 1942 - 20 September 1943.

3. ATTEMPTED ESCAPES
I was engaged on a tunnel scheme in Campo 21. The tunnel was completed a few hours before I escaped from Chieti although I did not use it.

4. ESCAPE FROM CAMPO 21 (CHIETI)
I escaped from Campo 21 on 20 September with Lieutenant Lodge (M.I.9/S/PG (It) 1790) and my story is as related in his report.

Source: https://rcafassociation.ca/heritage/sea ... e&type=all

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NEWMAN, F/L Dennis Alfred (J6641)

Post by Temujin » Mon Apr 27, 2020 10:44 am

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NEWMAN, F/L Dennis Alfred (J6641)

Post by georgetanksherman » Mon Apr 27, 2020 11:24 am

Wow, I have been searching for months on D.A. Newman, all I had was his name, every once in awhile, I would get a piece here and there, so I finally had to give up and ask for some help, it's amazing with the right info, what you can find, this is what I was finally able to get, Thank You for the help Temujin ! Cheers

11-12 July 1942 148 Sqn. Wellington Ic T2749 was damaged by flak over Tobruk. An engine caught fire due to this damage and the aircraft was force landed on the beach behind enemy lines, Sgt A.L. Hall RAF being injured. The pilot, P/O P.W. Hoad RAF, elected to stay with the injured gunner while the rest of the crew attempted to walk back to Allied held areas, and they were both taken PoW. The other crewmen, P/O D.A. Newman RCAF (USA), F/O R.W. McNichol, Sgt T. Greggs RAF and Sgt L.L. Horsman were captured 4 days later when they tried to steal a truck. P/O Newman managed to escape Italy in September, 1943.

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NEWMAN, F/L Dennis Alfred (J6641)

Post by Temujin » Mon Apr 27, 2020 11:53 am

Your welcome George. I have “split” this part of the topic into a new post if you don’t mind George.

This allows people who “may” be researching F/L Dennis Alfred Newman to find in a little more easily if they are doing a google Search

And added the Medal information, if you don’t have it
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Re: NEWMAN, F/L Dennis Alfred (J6641) & FO Hugh Bilborough, RAF, 158424

Post by Temujin » Mon Apr 27, 2020 12:23 pm

POW Info

WO 392 POW Lists 1943-1945
Description
21: Imperial Prisoners of War Held in Italy, Italian-Occupied Territory: British & Commonwealth Army
Year
1943
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georgetanksherman
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Re: NEWMAN, F/L Dennis Alfred (J6641) & FO Hugh Bilborough, RAF, 158424

Post by georgetanksherman » Mon Apr 27, 2020 12:41 pm

Temujin, I got "NO" issues with separating, getting the info out to others, after all, is what this forum is about I believe ! :-) It is amazing to me, that I spent so much time looking and researching for this Warrior. finding small bits here and there, and then to actually come across him through your help and get a story like this, and then to know, he did not throw in the towel, he kept going !

Really do want to Thank You for all your help, I know that I can be a pain, my wife keeps telling me that, :-) but I do appreciate the help !

Cheers !

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Re: NEWMAN, F/L Dennis Alfred (J6641) & FO Hugh Bilborough, RAF, 158424

Post by Temujin » Mon Apr 27, 2020 12:45 pm

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Re: NEWMAN, F/L Dennis Alfred (J6641) & FO Hugh Bilborough, RAF, 158424

Post by georgetanksherman » Mon Apr 27, 2020 1:25 pm

With the clippings, it gets one to ask where does Fort Worth, Texas come into the picture. Maybe seeing as he was an Engineer, and Consolidated aircraft was in Fort Worth, and then transferred out to San Diego. I guess that might be another story :-)

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