Brian Williams – Wop/AG – 103 Squadron – 1940
Yorkshireman Brian Williams was a pre war regular airman who had a most interesting WW2 career from start to finish. He was one the the early war Blenheim Boys. He spent a couple of days with 103 Squadron during the Battle of France however.
Born Rotherham 9 March 1920 he attended a Quaker Boarding School at Ackworth near Wakefield as a teenager from 1930 to 1936 and distinguished himself as an excellent cricketer.
School photo of Brian 1935
He must have enlisted around 1937/38 and qualified as a Wireless Operator 16 May 1939 and Air Gunner 2 September 1939. He was posted to 105 Squadron at RAF Harwell on the 10 June 1939 and then to Villeneuve on the 13 September 1939 when 105 were sent to France as part of the Advanced Air Strike Force
Noted in his log book that at 1545 on 14 May 1940 he flew from Villeneuve with 105 Squadron Fairey Battle K9186 with Pilot Sgt L Wilson, Observer and Sgt Hancock in an attack on the German pontoon bridges at Sedan and was wounded.
A 105 Squadron Fairey Battle P2200 which force landed during the attack on German troop columns 10 May 1940. All 3 crew survived and were take prisoner
After the horrendous losses they experienced that day, 6 out of 11, 105 Squadron was withdrawn from France on the 17 May 1940 but according to his log book Brian was still officially on the strength of 105 Squadron at Echemines from the 17 May 1940 to the 23 May 1940 and then to Bougenais until the 5 June 1940 when he was transferred to the reserve pool at Nantes where he was allocated to 98 Squadron at that airfield
Interestingly he flew on Handley Page HP42 Hadrian from Nantes to Le Mans to take up his posting with 103 Squadron on 12 June 1940. Hadrian was the only aircraft of this type used by the RAF during WW2 and was written off in a gale at Doncaster later that year.
A Handley Page HP42 of Imperial Airways in happier times pre war
Another marvelous Handley Page HP42 of Imperial Airways pre war
He joined 103 Squadron at Ouzouer le Doyen and flew with P/O Thoroughgood whose own Wop/AG, P/O Webber, had been wounded in a combat. 103 Squadron left Ouzouer le Doyen on the 14 June 1940 for another airfield at Souge and then returned to the UK on the 15 June 1940.
However according to his log book Brian left for RAF Honington in the UK on the 14 June 1940
On return to the UK he remained on the strength of 103 Squadron at Newton until the 27 July 1940 and was then posted back to 105 Squadron at RAF Honington where this unit was re-equipped with the Bristol Blenheim as part of 2 Group and their offensive against the invasion ports and German shipping. The squadron suffered many losses particularly from the highly effective German Flak ships.
An early war Bristol Blenheim IV. This example is a 102 Squadron machine
He then joined 114 Squadron flying Blenheims in a similar roll and was then posted to 13 Operational Training Unit training wireless operators for Blenheim crews on daylight bombing and night intruder operations. He was then posted to North Africa and later Italy but contracted malaria and never flew again.
Another interesting type in Brian’s log book when he was transferred to North Africa was the venerable Vickers Valentia transport which gave good reliable service in the transport role in the Middle East from the early 1930s until 1944.
Brian was married briefly during the War and had a son who was an early computer specialist and later emigrated to Australia. Post war he joined the Inland Revenue in Rotherham and later Hull, married again and had two sons and a daughter. He never flew again but always retained an interest in the RAF and was a regular visitor to the Farnborough Air Show. Sadly Brian passed away in 1987
Compiled by David Fell with thanks to Ian Williams and the Williams family for their input. Photos of Brian courtesy of Ian Williams. Others from my archive.
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