Letter to Ron Bartlett's wife from 61 Squadron
Title
Letter to Ron Bartlett's wife from 61 Squadron
Description
The letter advises that Ron is missing.
Creator
Date
1945-02-12
Language
Format
Two typewritten sheets
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
EOC61SqnBartlettML450212-0001, EOC61SqnBartlettML450212-0002
Transcription
[crest]
[underlined] Ref: 61S/802/6/P.1 [/underlined]
No. 61 Squadron,
Royal Air Force,
England,
12th February 1945.
Dear Mrs. Bartlett,
It is with the deepest regret that I have to confirm the sad news which I passed to you by telegram that your husband Flight Lieutenant R.W. Bartlett is reported missing with all his crew, from air operations on the night of 8/9th February 1945.
He was detailed that night to attack POLITZ and after the aircraft left this Station nothing more was heard of it nor has any information yet come to hand. This in itself is not necessarily final, since wireless silence has to be maintained during operations to prevent the enemy from ascertaining the position and intentions of our aircraft. There is therefore every reason to hope that your husband and his crew may have escaped by parachute, in which case there should be good news of him. Usually it takes from six to eight weeks for such news to come through, but in the meantime the International Red Cross will be doing all they can to hasten such news. We must therefore, hope and pray that we may soon receive reassuring new of your husband.
This was your husband’s 15th operational sortie, the others having all been highly successful. We valued him as a very fine Officer and as a highly skilled Pilot. His loss is indeed a great blow to the Squadron.
The request made in our telegram that you should not give any information to the press was made with the object of avoiding any chance of his escape being prejudiced by undue publicity in the event of him being still at large. This does not imply that any information is available but is purely a precaution adopted in the case of all missing personnel. In addition for reasons of security, it is not permissible for the names and address of the next of kin of the remainder of the crew to be divulged. You may rest assured that any news of your husband which may be received will be transmitted to you immediately.
[page break]
The deep sympathy of all members of this Squadron is with you during this anxious time of waiting, which we all earnestly hope will soon be terminated by good news.
Believe me,
Yours sincerely,
[signature]
Wing Commander, Commanding,
[underlined] No.61 SQUADRON. [/underlined]
Mrs. M.L. Bartlett,
Tytherleigh,
Raymonds Drive,
Thundersley,
ESSEX.
[underlined] Ref: 61S/802/6/P.1 [/underlined]
No. 61 Squadron,
Royal Air Force,
England,
12th February 1945.
Dear Mrs. Bartlett,
It is with the deepest regret that I have to confirm the sad news which I passed to you by telegram that your husband Flight Lieutenant R.W. Bartlett is reported missing with all his crew, from air operations on the night of 8/9th February 1945.
He was detailed that night to attack POLITZ and after the aircraft left this Station nothing more was heard of it nor has any information yet come to hand. This in itself is not necessarily final, since wireless silence has to be maintained during operations to prevent the enemy from ascertaining the position and intentions of our aircraft. There is therefore every reason to hope that your husband and his crew may have escaped by parachute, in which case there should be good news of him. Usually it takes from six to eight weeks for such news to come through, but in the meantime the International Red Cross will be doing all they can to hasten such news. We must therefore, hope and pray that we may soon receive reassuring new of your husband.
This was your husband’s 15th operational sortie, the others having all been highly successful. We valued him as a very fine Officer and as a highly skilled Pilot. His loss is indeed a great blow to the Squadron.
The request made in our telegram that you should not give any information to the press was made with the object of avoiding any chance of his escape being prejudiced by undue publicity in the event of him being still at large. This does not imply that any information is available but is purely a precaution adopted in the case of all missing personnel. In addition for reasons of security, it is not permissible for the names and address of the next of kin of the remainder of the crew to be divulged. You may rest assured that any news of your husband which may be received will be transmitted to you immediately.
[page break]
The deep sympathy of all members of this Squadron is with you during this anxious time of waiting, which we all earnestly hope will soon be terminated by good news.
Believe me,
Yours sincerely,
[signature]
Wing Commander, Commanding,
[underlined] No.61 SQUADRON. [/underlined]
Mrs. M.L. Bartlett,
Tytherleigh,
Raymonds Drive,
Thundersley,
ESSEX.
Collection
Citation
Officer Commanding 61 Squadron, “Letter to Ron Bartlett's wife from 61 Squadron,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed January 25, 2025, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/48233.
Item Relations
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