PEOPLE I'VE MET ON THE WAY
(Last updated: 12.04.08)
The thirteenth person to include within this section is Joe Doyle
PERSON No. 13: Paul Banks on Joe Doyle (F/O)
Paul contacted me in November 2007 after seeing the website, he had been doing some research on his friend and neighbours war service from WWII: Joe Doyle. I hear Joe has a daughter and grandchildren out in Alaska and a son and grandchildren out in Los Angeles. Joe served in the RAF from March 1941 to June 1946. Following training and then a period as an instructor in Canada (Medicine Hat No. 34 SFTS) he joined 206 Squadron on the 19th October 1944 where he served until June 1946.
Joe Doyle
Non Commissioned Officer (NCO) Flight Officer 1946
Joe has a photograph of him 'passing out' on the award of his Flying Badge
8th May 1942
Front Row - 3rd from left - Joe Doyle
There is also an instructor's photograph that's taken in Medicine Hat flying training school in Canada, Joe's instructor is also in the photograph, a F/Lt Stubbs
Back Row - 5th from Left - Joe Doyle
Front Row - 7th from Right - F/Lt Stubbs
Joe had an old typed manuscript on the squadron that Paul has kindly posted a copy of to me. It's really interesting as it contains some history about the squadron, a long list of awards and sadly a long list of the casualties. I was excited to find a section that was written about Ken (Granddad) as follows...
"Another example of co-operation with the Navy is provided by the Squadron log for the 23rd of January 1943, 3 aircraft on patrol 'B' (P/O Hill), 'G' (P/O Weir), 'E' (P/O Bass), were making independent anti-submarine searches when they received a message to the effect that the convoy 'Laconic' had scattered and was proceeding independently. The aircraft were instructed to 'get particulars' of all merchant vessels sighted. So the Navy's aerial sheep-dogs got to work, backwards and forwards through the area allocated and to such good effect that, by the end of their patrol 21 merchant vessels had been sighted, identified and their positions logged. Throughout the next few days the ships were watched and guarded, until the convoy had completely reassembled and the surface escorts were once more in position" - I was able to check this in Ken's log-book and confirmed that on this Operation it was listed as a Anti Submarine Sweep and Shipping Search, he was piloting Fortress FK210 'E' with the crew listed as Anderson, Morris, Morgan, Hunt, Roberts and Dalton.
Joe completed 90.35 day operational hrs and 49 night operational hours over 13 operational sorties. Paul also confirmed Joe completed 820hrs / 255hrs of non operational flying hours.
Joe had been shot up quite badly on a few occasions and there was one time when he crash landed at Banff airfield after a raid over Norway and nearly hit Max Aitken's house who was the then CO of that airfield.
Here's the names of a couple of Joe's Crew:
Davy Gow - Navigator / Walter Bryson - Wireless Operator, Air Gunner
'Hawkeye' Hawkins -(thought to Austrailian, died 02.12.1944) / 'Dumbo' (Tail Gunner, died on a raid)
Joe remembers a raid on a U-Boat base in the Skagerak, Bornholm Island in Norway which was a really dangerous raid. He also talks about a ride up the Skagerak and 'Hawkeye' Hawkins calling for a 'Dummy Run skipper?' Joe's response is too raw to print but the request was swiftly denied and the bombs were dropped on the U-boat and they turned for home after taking fire. There were serveral attacks on U-Boats at the enterance of the Skagerak with a few sunk, U-319 was attacked and sunk by a Liberator of 206 Squadron on the 15.07.1944. A further 8 U-Boats were sunk in the Skagerak itself by various Squadrons. On the map below you can see where Joe was flying - between Denmark and Norway
Here are more photographs of Joe and fellow crew members
Liberator: Marco Polo
Left to Right (Feet dangling is Flight Engineer Dave Weeks) - Navigator - Joe
Jimmy Gribben (Joe was his best man, died 2007) Harry Balmain
Paul and Pat Banks
