Letter to F Ditchford's father from RAF Record Office
Title
Letter to F Ditchford's father from RAF Record Office
Description
The letter advises that his son, Sergeant Ditchford (551653) of 139 Squadron is missing believed killed.
Date
1941-06-05
Temporal Coverage
Coverage
Language
Format
One typewritten sheet
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
ESaundersHWDitchfordF410605
Transcription
Telephone No: [deleted number] Springwell 2261
and direct lines from Air Ministry.
Telegraphic Address:
RECORDS TELEX. [deleted word] Gloucester
Any communications on the subject of this letter should be addressed to:-
AIR OFFICER i/c RECORDS,
[italics] Address as opposite, [/italics]
and the following number quoted:- C7/551653
RECORD OFFICE
ROYAL AIR FORCE.
[deleted] RUISLIP [/deleted]
GLOUCESTER [deleted] MIDDLESEX [/deleted]
Date 5th June 1941
Dear Sir,
It is my painful duty to confirm my telegram of to-day’s date informing you that your son, No. 551653 Sergeant DITCHFORD of No.139 Squadron, Royal Air Force, is missing and believed to have been killed.
The aircraft of which he was a member of the crew failed to return to its base on the 3rd June 1941 after an operational flight.
I will communicate with you again immediately I have any further news and would be obliged if you, on your part, would write to me should you hear anything of your son from unofficial sources. If no definite news is received it will in due course become necessary to take action to presume his death for official purposes. Before this is done, however, a further letter will be addressed to you.
In conveying this information to you may I assure you of the sympathy of the Royal Air Force with you in your great anxiety.
I am,
Dear Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
H W Saunders S.Ldr
for Air Commodore,
Air Officer i/c Records,
ROYAL AIR FORCE
F. Ditchford Esq.,
41 Broadley Road,
Kingsway,
MANCHESTER.
and direct lines from Air Ministry.
Telegraphic Address:
RECORDS TELEX. [deleted word] Gloucester
Any communications on the subject of this letter should be addressed to:-
AIR OFFICER i/c RECORDS,
[italics] Address as opposite, [/italics]
and the following number quoted:- C7/551653
RECORD OFFICE
ROYAL AIR FORCE.
[deleted] RUISLIP [/deleted]
GLOUCESTER [deleted] MIDDLESEX [/deleted]
Date 5th June 1941
Dear Sir,
It is my painful duty to confirm my telegram of to-day’s date informing you that your son, No. 551653 Sergeant DITCHFORD of No.139 Squadron, Royal Air Force, is missing and believed to have been killed.
The aircraft of which he was a member of the crew failed to return to its base on the 3rd June 1941 after an operational flight.
I will communicate with you again immediately I have any further news and would be obliged if you, on your part, would write to me should you hear anything of your son from unofficial sources. If no definite news is received it will in due course become necessary to take action to presume his death for official purposes. Before this is done, however, a further letter will be addressed to you.
In conveying this information to you may I assure you of the sympathy of the Royal Air Force with you in your great anxiety.
I am,
Dear Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
H W Saunders S.Ldr
for Air Commodore,
Air Officer i/c Records,
ROYAL AIR FORCE
F. Ditchford Esq.,
41 Broadley Road,
Kingsway,
MANCHESTER.
Collection
Citation
Great Britain. Royal Air Force. Record Office, “Letter to F Ditchford's father from RAF Record Office,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed November 9, 2025, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/collections/document/42543.