PEOPLE I'VE MET ON THE WAY

(Last updated: 12.11.09 - Ted Nelson)

WWII Wireless Operator / Air Gunners: Part III

Here's the ever growing list of Wireless Operator / Air Gunners...

William Rundle by Sonia Johnson (Nov 2009)
Flew in Ken's crew in 206 Squadron. Sonia is the daughter of William Rundle

Ted Nelson by Ted (Nov 2009)
Flew with Ken in 206 Squadron

 

 

William Rundle

Rank: Warrant Officer
Number: 755188
Joined 206: 08/02/1943
Flew with Ken: 33 times
Born: 21/09/1919
Died: ??/??/????

In October 2008 Sonia Johnson left a message on the Guest Book about her late father William Rundle who had flown with 206 Squadron during WWII. I immediately recognised the surname and checked Ken's logbook, sure enough Rundle was mentioned on 33 flights in 1943 with 206 Squadron in Benbecula.

Sonia has been able to provide all the following photographs and explained that William was known as Bill Rundle.

William Bate Rundle

                        November 11th 1939 Upavon                    1945

 

Investigation

Sonia had spoken to her mother and established that William was in the Air Training Cadets before the war started. He had a friend called Brooks who was also with the Cadets and they enlisted into the RAF together. William completed his initial training at Upavon in Wiltshire and according to Sonia he was stationed at other places such as...

  • Cranwell
  • Bedruthan Steps in Cornwall
  • Aldergrove in N.Ireland
  • Lagens, Praia de Victoria in the Azores
  • Renfrewshire billeted with the Macleans family

To find out more information Sonia obtained William's RAF Service Record which I reviewed and can provide the following overview.

William Rundle was born on the 21st September 1919 and was originally from Redruth in Cornwall but when he enlisted he was living in Exeter, Devon where his profession was book binding. He was a tall chap at 6ft 1" with a 34" chest, he had dark brown hair and brown eyes.

Postings

  • 05/07/1939 - Date of enlistment
  • 03/09/1939 - Officially enlisted RAF Voluntary Reserve
  • 25/10/1939 - Posted to Exeter
  • ??/01/1940 - Wireless Course in Scotland
  • 15/09/1940 - OTU
  • ??/11/1940 - Joined 233 Squadron
  • 19/12/1940 - Posted to Aldergrove with 233 Squadron
  • 06/03/1942 - Joined 1441 Flight
  • 08/02/1943 - Joined 206 Squadron
  • ??/10/1943 - Lagens, Azores with 206 Squadron
  • 21/03/1944 - Posted to Bircham Newton with 206 Squadron
  • 25/08/1944 - S.F.U with 206 Squadron
  • 21/12/1945 - Released

Promotions

  • 05/07/1939 - Enlisted as an Aircraftman Number 2 Class (AC2)
  • 06/09/1939 - Leading Aircraftman (LAC)
  • 05/10/1940 - Temporary Sergeant
  • 31/12/1941 - Sergeant
  • 01/04/1942 - Temporary Flight Sergeant
  • 31/12/1942 - Flight Sergeant
  • 01/03/1944 - Temporary Warrant Officer
  • 31/12/1944 - Warrant Officer

We're not sure about the order of these photographs but attempted to place them chronologically.

Adamson House, Scotland

'C' Squadron Number 4 Flight - Wireless Course

William - 2nd row from back, 1st on the right

Jan 15th - May 10th 1940

William - 3rd from left standing

When William was in 233 Squadron in Aldergrove he photographed an incident with a Hudson. You can tell these relate to that period because the Lockheed Hudson has markings of 'ZS' which is 233 Squadrons code. The photograph below has Sgt Ballentyne and Rundle written on the back, whether they were the crew at the time of the crash I'm not sure, but I did find reference to it in 'Ours to Hold' which states the Hudson was damaged beyond repair in a crash at Aldergrove on the 13/02/1943 where the pilot overshot the landing and the undercarriage collapsed.

Hudson N7372 'B' of 233 Squadron

Aldergrove 0840 hrs on 23rd February 1941

 

Inside an Aircraft

Lockheed Hudson likely to be from 233 Squadron

233 Squadron: Aldergrove

William has the white hat on

206 Squadron: Benbecula

We're unsure how Gibraltar fits in but William has clearly labelled this photograph from there.

William in Gibraltar

When William went out to the Azores with 206 Squadron he was part of the first group there, he assisted in the construction of the airfield and base. The photograph below has the Squadron in front of a Flying Fortress.

206 Squadron in Azores 1944

Possibly Cornwall

 

Links to Ken

Having checked through Ken's logbook I found 33 entries of flights with William Rundle in 1943.

  • Feb - 18th
  • Mar - 1st, 3rd, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st
  • Apr - 3rd, 9th, 13th, 17th, 23rd
  • May - 3rd, 13th, 14th, 18th, 22nd
  • Jun - 19th, 20th, 26th
  • Jul - 1st, 1st, 1st, 5th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 13th, 16th, 21st, 22nd

The interesting link on from these dates is that 28 of the flights above were with Eric McIlwrick; all the ones in black. Eric's story is covered in the 'Pilots: Part I' section.

After studying one of the crew photographs I realised that Ken (Grandad) was in the photograph. Not only that but I also recognised Ken Roberts and Hunt who appears on other photographs I have of Ken's crews. I checked through Ken's logbook for any records of flying in a Fortress with aircraft number 'D'.

Sure enough there were 7 flights in total in FL541, 5 of these had William Rundle listed. On each those 5 flights the following men were also all present along with Ken and William: Eric McIlwrick, Ken Roberts, Hunt, Justice.

  • 1st and 2nd Sept 1942 - William not listed
  • 13th April 1943
  • 19th and 20th June 1943
  • 16th and 22nd July 1943

I initially recognised 4 of the men in the photograph, there was high probability that Eric McIlwrick was on it along with Justice and another. After posting a blown up copy to Eric in Edinburgh he telephoned me confirming it was indeed him standing next to William! 

With this information I am able to name 5 of the 7 crew members below.

Flying Fortress FL451 'D'

Benbecula 1943

William Rundle - Eric McIlwrick - Unknown - Hunt

Ken Roberts - Ken Bass - Unknown

I'm sure this story will continue.

 

 

Ted Nelson

Rank: ?
Number: ?
Joined 206: ??/??/194?
Flew with Ken: 5 times
Born: ??/05/1923
Died: Lives in England

I first contacted Ted in December 2007 and we exchanged several letters throughout 2008 and 2009. In July 2009 I had learned that Ted was writing a book about his time during WWII and I was able to supply his publisher with a number of photographs of the period. This photograph is taken from a flyer that Ted sent to me in November 2009.

Ted Nelson

Ted and Ona Nelson

Stand Up Parade: June 2009

The book is entitled 'A Survivor's Tale' and I have the following information taken from the back of the same flyer.

A Survivor's Tale

Ted Nelson was born in Hazel Grove, Stockport in May 1923 and despite attending six different schools in Lancashire, London and Southampton between the ages of 4 and 11 he still managed to obtain academic scholarship to King Edward Vi Grammar School in Southampton in 1934.

To avoid becoming and evacuee when the Second World War began he 'ran away' from school and later enlisted in the RAF as aircrew at just 17, recording his age s 18, despite signing a declaration that any untruth could result in 2 years imprisonment with hard labour!

In completion of his training as a Wireless Operator / Air Gunner he survived 87 operational flights spread over 698 operation flying hours.

In total he completed 717 flights covering 1658 hours, flew with 125 different pilots in 25 different aircraft. He landed or was stationed at 75 airfields during his service, with 206 Squadron, the Coastal Command Development Unit and the Air/Sea Warfare Development Unit.

He was demobilised in 1946 and finally wrote 'A Survivor's Tale' in the Autumn of 2008 at the age of 85. He is married to Ona and has 3 children and 7 grandchildren and has lived in Corfe Mullen, Dorset for the past 46 years.

118 Pages

ISBN: 978-1-906183-12-7

Please see the 'Useful Info' section for details on where to buy the book.

Links to Ken

In Ted's first letter to me on the 21st December 2007 he confirmed that he had flown with Ken (Grandad) five times as it was recorded in his logbook. Those flights were as follows.

March 17th 1942

Four of the five flights were on this date in Lockheed Hudson's. They were all compass swing operations between Langford Lodge and Aldergrove.

  • Hudson AM706 - Ken was pilot, Weir, Marriott, Nelson
  • Hudson AM706 - Ken was pilot, Weir, Marriott, Nelson
  • Hudson AM785 'C' - Marriott was pilot, Ken Bass, Weir, Nelson
  • Hudson AM785 'C' - Weir was pilot, Ken Bass, Marriott, Nelson

November 17th 1942

The fifth flight was in a Flying Fortress IIA on an operation out to 22 degrees west on a creeping line ahead search for a Uboat known to be in the vicinity. A ten and a half hour trip where Ken was a Warrant Officer with Ranald Anderson as his second pilot.

  • Fortress FK210 'E' - Ken was pilot, Anderson, Miller, Morgan, Clemson, Roberts, Nelson