661 Squadron (AOP) Pilot Sidney George Dawson.

[Falschirmjager]

Hi Guys,

Found a quite fantastic old photo album at our local House Clearance shop a few days ago. The album containing 93 photographs belonged to a Sidney George Dawson who served with 661 Squadron Air Observation Post in Western Germany, though i believe he was with the unit assisting the Canadian 1st Army through France and Normandy in 1944 and was serving with the 661 beyond into the 1960's. Sidney was born in Bedfordshire on 20th February 1929. One of the many photographs in the album shows Auster aircraft serial number 567 lying on its back in a field with Sid and some mates standing by it. I believe Sid was the pilot on this occassion when during take-off the engine failed and the aircraft struck a fence near the end of the runway ending up on its back, Both crew walked away unhurt! Sid also worked for the BBC and a brass plaque on his ink stand retirement gift states he was with them from 1944 to 1984 as a TCPD (Transmitter Capital Projects Department). He died 2nd June 2016 but can find no record of his wifes passing and apparently the couple had no children. They lived in Berryfield Road Evesham. Does anyone know how to access any RAF record?? As i am trying to produce a local tribute for Sid which can then be displayed in the Evesham Almonry museum. Any help would be gratefully appreciated and take a look at some of the pics from Sids album. Thanks Tim.Attachment 1030762Attachment 1030775Attachment 1030774Attachment 1030773Attachment 1030772Attachment 1030776Attachment 1030771Attachment 1030762Attachment 1030775Attachment 1030774Attachment 1030773Attachment 1030772Attachment 1030776Attachment 1030771

[Auster44]

Hi. I appreciate that your post regarding the 661 Squadron photo album is a few months old, but as my father was also in 661 Squadron I'm extremely interested to learn more about what you have. I have my father's old wartime photo album and in it is a photo of an overturned Auster. I will examine the photo closer to see if it is the same incident. One thing puzzles me though and that is that having looked through the squadron's operations record book I can trace no record of Sidney Dawson as a pilot in any of the three flights within the squadron. However, it is possible that he was on board as an observer when the Auster crashed. As Auster pilots were primarily occupied in looking for hostile batteries and troop movements on the ground they were in danger of not seeing an approaching enemy aircraft. To help minimise this risk observers, who were often ground crew, accompanied pilots to act as a lookout. It is therefore possible that he was not a pilot but was instead ground crew.