Letter to Arthur Woolf's father from OC 630 Squadron
Title
Letter to Arthur Woolf's father from OC 630 Squadron
Description
Writes to confirm that his son Arthur was a member of an aircraft of the squadron that failed to return from an operation. Goes on to comment on capability of crew and they may have been able to abandon or forced land the aircraft.
Creator
Date
1944-07-25
Temporal Coverage
Spatial Coverage
Language
Format
One page typewritten letter
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
EBlumeJonesHWWoolfAS440725
Transcription
No. 630 Squadron,
Royal Air Force,
East Kirkby,
[underlined]Nr. Spilsby. Lincs[/underlined]
[underlined]25th July, 1944[/underlined]
Ref: 630S/1802/50/CA.
Dear Mr. Woolf,
It is with deep regret that I have to write to confirm my telegram informing you that your son, Flying Officer Arthur S. Woolf, was a member of an aircraft of this squadron which failed to return from an operational mission last night.
The aircraft was detailed for operations against the enemy but, as is usual, radio silence was maintained after take-off and therefore it is not possible to determine the cause of its failure to return.
Your son was a most capable Wireless Operator and a member of an excellent crew. I have every confidence in the captain, Flight[?] Officer Adams, who would I know, do everything in his power to ensure the safety of his crew both in the air and on the ground in the event of a forced landing. There is, of course, the possibility that the crew were able to abandon the aircraft and land safely in enemy territory. If, as we all sincerely hope, this was the case then news will reach you from the International Red Cross Committee. May I express the very sincere sympathy which I personally and all members of my Squadron feel for you during this most distressing time.
I would like to explain that the request in the telegram notifying you of the casualty to your son was included with the object of avoiding his chance of escape being jeopardised by undue publicity in case he was still at large. This is not to say that any information about him is available but is a precaution adopted in the case of all missing personnel.
Arrangements for his personal effects to be taken care of by the Committee of Adjustment Officer at this Station have been made and they will forward to the R.A.F. Central Depository at Colnbrook who will communicate with you in due course. This is the normal service arrangement.
Again with my deepest sympathy to you.
Yours very sincerely,
[signature]
Wing Commander, Commanding,
[underlined]No. 630 Squadron, R.A.F.[/underlined]
Mr. C. Woolf,
31, Ismere Road,
Erdington,
Birmingham 24.
Royal Air Force,
East Kirkby,
[underlined]Nr. Spilsby. Lincs[/underlined]
[underlined]25th July, 1944[/underlined]
Ref: 630S/1802/50/CA.
Dear Mr. Woolf,
It is with deep regret that I have to write to confirm my telegram informing you that your son, Flying Officer Arthur S. Woolf, was a member of an aircraft of this squadron which failed to return from an operational mission last night.
The aircraft was detailed for operations against the enemy but, as is usual, radio silence was maintained after take-off and therefore it is not possible to determine the cause of its failure to return.
Your son was a most capable Wireless Operator and a member of an excellent crew. I have every confidence in the captain, Flight[?] Officer Adams, who would I know, do everything in his power to ensure the safety of his crew both in the air and on the ground in the event of a forced landing. There is, of course, the possibility that the crew were able to abandon the aircraft and land safely in enemy territory. If, as we all sincerely hope, this was the case then news will reach you from the International Red Cross Committee. May I express the very sincere sympathy which I personally and all members of my Squadron feel for you during this most distressing time.
I would like to explain that the request in the telegram notifying you of the casualty to your son was included with the object of avoiding his chance of escape being jeopardised by undue publicity in case he was still at large. This is not to say that any information about him is available but is a precaution adopted in the case of all missing personnel.
Arrangements for his personal effects to be taken care of by the Committee of Adjustment Officer at this Station have been made and they will forward to the R.A.F. Central Depository at Colnbrook who will communicate with you in due course. This is the normal service arrangement.
Again with my deepest sympathy to you.
Yours very sincerely,
[signature]
Wing Commander, Commanding,
[underlined]No. 630 Squadron, R.A.F.[/underlined]
Mr. C. Woolf,
31, Ismere Road,
Erdington,
Birmingham 24.
Collection
Citation
OC 630 Squadron, “Letter to Arthur Woolf's father from OC 630 Squadron,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed April 16, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/30941.
Item Relations
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