New Recruit here.

[Claire]

Hi and Hello to all,

I am thrilled to have found this site. I am the daughter of F/sgt George Robinson, Navigator,Squadron 514 RAF who was shot down over France, en route to Stuttgard on July 29 1944. He was taken captive outside of Chateauneuf. I have found some very interesting stuff online about this and am very keen to find out if the " Merlin engine can be seen at the French Airforce Museum St Dizier" is still there. I would love to be able to get some pictures for him. If any one has any info please could you let me know.... or if I should be starting a new thread or if the answer is already somewhere in the forum.

[Kai-Petri]

Hello Claire!

Great to have you here! I am sure some other members can help you alot on this! Welcome!

[Wessex Wyvern]

Hello Claire,
Welcome to the forum.

[krieg]

welcome claire
a fine place here i'm shore you will enjoy your stay
cheers krieg

[PzJgr]

Howdy Claire and welcome to the forum. We shall see what we can do.

[PzJgr]

Tried looking but could not find any photos of the engine. I did find many references of the engine being at the museum. Best bet is to do a search using French of which I do not speak. Good luck

[MontE]

Welcome! Can't wait to here stories about your dad.

[Claire]

Thanks for the great welcome everyone. Thank you PzJgr for researching, I have found the number for the tourist office at Diziers and will inflict my bad french upon them and hopefully prevail.. Keep you posted as to what I find.

[Skipper]

hello Claire, welcome to the forum. It is great to meet you! I know quite a lot about this Operation. Lancaster LM206 was shot down by Heinz Rökker and crashed near Coussey NW of Neufchateau (not Chateauneuf) . Thomas Harvell and Heinz Rökker have been there together to lay a wreath on the crew's graves (G. Robinson survived as a pow ) . They have become very good friends and are both Honor citizens of the city of Neufchateau since 2006. The story is mentionned in a small book published by Herr Rökker in 2006 called: Ausbildung und Einsatz eines Nachtjägers im II Weltkrieg (VDM) ISBN 3-86619-008-5. I have studied this story because Herr Rökker has shot down another Lancaster the same night above my hometown. Besides we have a great thread for another 514 crew (Alex Campbell) whose pilot is a RCAF WWII Vet and member of this forum. You may jump in and post at our thread there. (Easy to find in the Europe at war section) .
Ps: I will be on a holiday for a week as off tomorrow, but when I return I will tell you all about it and give you my email. I have pictures of the graves too.

[Skipper]

Here a re a few links related to your father's crew.

BBC - WW2 People's War - Adventures of Tom Harvell Part 1

BBC - WW2 People's War - Adventures of Tom Harvell part 2

Aviation Prints, Graeme Lothian

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgur...LD:en%26sa%3DN

[Claire]

Dear Skipper,

Thank you so much for the information. It is very much appreciated and I know my father will be delighted. It is quite sad that my father missed the wreath laying. I went with my father in 1999 to visit the graves of his fellow crew. He was so pleased to find them, he flew all his missions with them.
He was taken POW and sent to Stallag 7 and released at the end of the war. He does not know he was shot down by Heinz, he thought it was anti aircraft fire, he could not remember Thomas's name but he guessed he may have made it as he could not find his body in the wreckage, he saw all the others. My father came down near the wreckage, his boots blown off in the explosion, along with his eardrum being blown out, and being concussed for a period. He was quickly picked up and detained. It will be the anniversary of this event next week, my mother and I have ordered him a copy of the painting, which we would like him to sign as well, and will give him all the information. I know he will thrilled to find out what really happened and what happened to Thomas. He is now 87 and lives in South Africa. This will be a delight for him. Do you have a contact for Thomas? and where is the museum with engine? I am in Brussels at the moment and want to make a mad dash to photograph the engine before the anniversary next week. once again Thank you and have a good holiday
Regards
Claire

[Skipper]

I'm still around for a few hours (until I go to bed as I get up at 05.30am) Yes I know the whereabouts of Mr Tom Harvell. I have never contacted him though, so he does not know me personnally. I will put your father in touch with him as soon as I have your email. If it works out, I would be tremendously proud for you, this is why I like this forum!. Otto , the forum administrator will activate your private message box when he sees this , so we will be able to exchange our emails. I don't know where the engine is, but I can find out by asking the locals, I suppose Mr Harvell knows where it is too. I have a friend in Neufchateau who is into aviation.

[Claire]

Dear Skipper, thank you so much for your help. much appreciated. Hopefully we will be able to swop emails soon. I have been reading the thread about the other plane that came down on the same night nearby, fascinating and I agree this site is amazing. I look forward to hearing from you.
Claire

[Skipper]

Made it! slipdigit, a fellow moderator and a friend has just forwarded the email you used for your registration and I have just sent the coordonates to your email box.

[Slipdigit]

Claire, Skipper asked to set up a thread for your father. Tell me what you want it called and I will get it going and move some of these threads to it.

[Claire]

Wow, you are all amazing, lets call it " Squadron 514 July 29/44 Heinz Rokker' , I am new at this so if you have a better headline, fire away. This is amazing all this inforamtion and help and my Father has no clue this all all taking place! He will be bowled over when we reveal all on the 29th, Thank you so much.

Admin Edit:

See this link:

Lancaster LM206 crash from 514 Squadron

[Skipper]

May I suggest a more neutral name? People could think this is a Heinz Rökker thread only whereas it's dedicated to an entire Lancaster crew too. What about "The Lancaster LM206 crash from 514 Squadron"?

Admin Edit:

See this link

Lancaster LM206 crash from 514 Squadron

[Slipdigit]

Claire, you now have full member rights. It make take an hour for the permission to propigate.

[Claire]

That's a great idea Skipper, lets go with that one...

[Otto]

Cheers and welcome Claire.

I'm glad you are making good progress with your research. We have another section specifically dedicated to this sort of research if you are interested: Military Service Record & Genealogical Research - World War II Forums