Harold Dryhurst Service biography

Harold Dryhurst Service biography

Covers personal details and dates of postings, training, aircraft flown. Details of capture and prisoner of war.

Three page printed document

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MDryhurstHG1332214-160608-08

HAROLD DRYHURST, RAF
Service No.: 1332214
Date of Birth: 07 JANUARY 1923
Joined the RAF in: AUGUST 1941 age 18 1/2.
[underlined] 17 EFTS [/underlined]
Joined [underlined] 17 EFTS [/underlined] at [underlined] RAF Peterborough [/underlined] (Westwood): 27 AUGUST 1941
Started flying training at 17 EFTS on: 29 AUGUST 1941
Aircraft: De Havilland – DH 82A – Tiger Moth
Cross Country Solo Test Flight: 12 OCTOBER 1941
Aircraft: DH 82A Tiger Moth, T7356, 83666
Single Engined Training ended: 15 OCTOBER 1941
Left 17 EFTS, RAF Peterborough: 17 OCTOBER 1941
[underlined] RAF COLLEGE FTS [/underlined]
Joined [underlined] RAF College FTS [/underlined] at [underlined] RAF Cranwell, [/underlined] (No. 2 Sqn): 24 OCTOBER 1941
Started flying training at RAF Cranwell FTS on: 27 OCTOBER 1941
Aircraft: Airspeed Oxford
RAF Cranwell FTS Training ended: 25 MARCH 1942
Left RAF Cranwell FTS: 27 MARCH 1942
[underlined] BAT CONINGSBY [/underlined]
Joined [underlined] BAT [/underlined] at [underlined] RAF Coningsby, [/underlined] Lincolnshire: 12 APRIL 1942
Started flying training at BAT, RAF Coningsby on: 14 APRIL 1942
Aircraft: Airspeed Oxford
Twin Engined Training ended: 19 APRIL 1942
Left BAT, RAF Coningsby: 20 APRIL 1942
[page break]
[underlined] 26 OTU [/underlined]
Joined [underlined] 26 OTU [/underlined] at [underlined] RAF Cheddington, [/underlined] Tring, Hertfordshire: 21 APRIL 1942
Started flying training at 26 OTU on: 03 MAY 1942
Aircraft: Vickers Wellington IC
Wellington Training ended: 06 JULY 1942
Left [underlined] 26 OTU, RAF Cheddington [/underlined]: 08 JULY 1942
[underlined] 12 SQUADRON [/underlined]
Joined 12 SQUADRON at RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire: 22 JULY 1942
Started flying at 12 SQN. on: 16 JULY 1942
Aircraft: Vickers Wellington II
Finished flying at 12 SQN. on: 26 JULY 1942
Left 12 SQN., RAF Binbrook: 07 AUGUST 1942
[underlined] 103 SQUADRON [/underlined]
Started flying at 103 SQN. on: 02 AUGUST 1942
Joined 103 SQUADRON at RAF Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire: 07 AUGUST 1942
Aircraft: Handley Page Halifax II, BB214, PM-H (4 x Rolls Royce Merlin engines)
Finished flying at 103 SQN. on: 27/28 AUGUST 1942
Shot down near Koblenz, Germany by an NJG1 Bf 110 Night fighter at 0010 Hrs.
[underlined] PRISONER OF WAR [/underlined]
Sergeant Harold Gainsford DRYHURST, 1332214, POW No. 26826, Age 19 1/2.
Taken into captivity by civil police as a POW on 28 AUGUST 1942.
Detained at Dulag Luft (POW Air Force Transit Camp) on 1 SEPTEMBER 1942, 94 km from the crash-site. “Dulag-Luft” was located at Oberursel near Bad Homburg, 14 km NW of Frankfurt am Main.
Left Dulag Luft I (POW Camp) on 11 SEPTEMBER 1942.
Arrived at Stalag VIII-B (POW Camp) at Lamsdorf on 12 SEPTEMBER 1942.
[page break]
Notification of capture and detention sent by telegram on 14 SEPTEMBER 1942.
Later renamed Stalag Luft VIII-B for airmen, then later renamed Stalag 344.
Remained at Stalag VIII-B/Stalag 344 until January 1945. Evacuated westwards on the “Long March”. The Soviet Army arrived at Lamsdorf on 17 March 1945.
AIRCRAFT FLOWN BY HAROLD DRYHURST
29 Aug – 15 Oct 1941:
De Havilland DH82A – Tiger Moth II (1 engine)
49 Flights – T.7356, 83666, 1940, E-6, G-ASPZ, D-EDUM, G-EMSY (Photo)
40 Flights – T. 7355, 83665, 1940, Damaged beyond repair, Booker, 6.4.1945
40 Flights – T.6400, 84774, 1940 or later, Sold/disposed, 27.4.1952
17 Flights – N.9312, 82399, 1939 or 1940, Sold/scrapped, 28.3.1950
15 Flights – T.5855, 83591, 1940, Scrapped, Portsmouth, 28.3.1951, G-AMIR
8 Flights – T.6719, 84627, 1941 or later, G-ANKE, F-BHIP
6 Flights – T.5680, 83377, 1940, Damaged, Water Newton, 29.9.1941
4 Flights – T.6703, 85003, 1941 or later, Damaged, Barton, 7.4.1950
4 Flights – N.6803, 82073, Before 1939, Damaged, Holwell Hyde, 14.8.1942
3 Flights – T.7040, 83370, 1940, Sold, 1953
2 Flights – N.6934, 82178, Before 1939, Sold, 29.3.1951
2 Flights – N.6969, 82207, 1939, G-AMDK, Sold to Thai Navy
1 Flight – T.6125, 84592, 1941 or later, Damaged, 8.1943
27 Oct 1941 – 20 Apr 1942:
Airspeed AS.10 – Oxford I (2 engines) “Ox-box”
3 May – 6 July 1942:
Vickers – Wellington IC (2 engines)
16 July – 26 July 1942:
Vickers – Wellington II (2 engines)
2 Aug – 28 Aug 1942:
Handley Page – Halifax II (4 engines)
No aircraft accidents were sustained by Harold Dryhurst until shot down.