I have been researching the wartime RAF career of my late father-in-law, Gordon TW Blake, DFC.

Gordon served in 582 Squadron, part of 8 Group (Pathfinder Force).

 

Clare’s in-depth knowledge and extensive archival resources have been invaluable to me in collecting, collating, and understanding the available material from his war record.

She has also provided me with very helpful advice for the organization and presentation of the results of this research.

 

I am extremely grateful for her help and expertise.

 

Brian Samuels, Eastsound, Washington, USA

 

I had been researching my partners Grandfather who was with 102 Squadron and sadly KIA on operations in December 1942.  I was keen and enjoying doing the research myself and came across Clare's website when searching about RAF Pocklington and 102 Squadron.

 

I'd managed to get so far, but seemed to hit a wall, not really knowing where to look to move forward.  Clare was brilliant. She was like a Genealogy Mentor, pointing me in the right direction and also undertaking research in areas that would have probably been very difficult for me to research.  

 

She was able to research and find not only reports and documents from the UK, but Canadian records (as some of the crew were Canadian)...and also German records that recorded the German attacks on planes that took part in that operation over Mannheim.

 

I would highly recommend Clare to help you with your research...she was bloomin brilliant!

 

R. Banfield, Wiltshire

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Clare, there will never be enough words to express my gratitude for all your assistance in discovering who my Grandfather was and what accomplishments he was able to achieve in his time with the RAF.

 

As my father was only a small child when he died, all my family knew of him was that he served and died during WW2 and living on the opposite side of the world I never thought we would find him.

 

We now have over 50 pages detailing his early life right through to the day he died, including photographs. accurate time lines and medals he received.

 

You have bought a sense of closure to my father and for my brother and I also, we finally feel like we know our Grandfather and are so incredibly proud of who he was.

 

Your service is nothing short of outstanding and I look forward to pulling more of our ancestry puzzle together with you. Thank you.

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Lucinda Shaw, Melbourne, Australia.

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I am very grateful to Clare Wilson for helping me to find a lot of information on Kenneth James Bolton, without her help I would be stuck. I recommend her as a wonderful guide to a huge amount of files which are about these crewmembers. Again thank you Clare!

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Espen Thronsen, Norway

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Clare, thank you for the very extensive information about the crew of the Halifax MZ871 (102 Squadron) and a brilliant piece of research about the crew members.

Peter Clermonts, Maastricht, The Netherlands

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Looking for information about a Bomber Crew who were shot down over Berlin in 1941, the Secretary of the Association of 102 Bomber Squadron, put me in touch with Clare Wilson. 

 

I could not have asked for a better result as after Clare got into the matter, I received a wealth of information about the three Scottish crew members & I now know more about them & their families.

 

What is particularly important to me are the approaches to further possible directions of investigation. I think it is these small, very important steps that are necessary to develop people's understanding of one another and to further promote the reconciliation of our peoples.

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Personally, I am very happy to have such an excellent specialist among my friends.

Thank you Clare! 

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Peter Reinhardt, Luftfahrt Archäologie Oderland e.V. (Aviation Museum) Finowfurt, Germany

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This year, I only learned about Flight Lieutenant Peter James Timmons of 107 Sqdn., Royal Air Force. He previously served with the Metropolitan Police, which he joined on 23 Aug 1937, and left on 15 Oct 1944.

Clare’s research found his service record in the RAF comprehensively covering his war training and operations up to his ultimate sacrifice. She provided details of his training in Canada and his return to fight in action in the UK. I now know what medals he was awarded.

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I can now explain to my family and friends the experiences of Peter James and be proud of his achievements. We will be forever grateful to Clare for keeping his memory alive and recording his life in such comprehensive detail.

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Jim, Ireland

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For many years now Clare has provided invaluable genealogy research material of a professional high standard, in support of our remembrance work in relation to the loss of fallen airmen.   This in turn has helped us to bring assistance and closure for many families.

 

Clare has been an important addition to the collective work of our international team, and we look forward to our future work in this partnership, unravelling mysteries and recording previously untold details from the past together.

David King, (Chairman) Aircrew Remembrance Society, Buckinghamshire, England

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Despite being involved in Family research for almost 20 years I had hit a brick wall when it came to my Great Uncle who had died serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force in WW2.

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Clare came to the rescue using her wealth of knowledge concerning the RAF, her professional networks linked to Canada and her vast experience in Genealogy.   And what a result, I couldn’t have imaged so much information existed.

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Thank you on behalf of my wider family for bringing to life a man we never knew, but who paid the ultimate sacrifice for us all.

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I can’t recommend the services highly enough, a first class service.

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Mark Purdon, Belfast, Northern Ireland

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Clare is the 102 (Ceylon) Squadron Association Archivist and carries out research for this World War 2 Association in her own time, beyond her professional work for client's researching their family history, to the benefit of our members and overseas researchers.

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She completed a detailed and in depth project into those members of Bomber Command buried in the Churchyard of St. Catherine's Church, Barmby Moor, Yorkshire. Something very much appreciated by the families and an important document for local history.

Her many hours of research, which produces professional work, which is of the highest standard, and the empathy she shows in the presentation of it to her clients is frequently commented on.

Harry Bartlett, Hon. Secretary, 102 (Ceylon) Squadron Association 

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Clare, made the impossible possible.

 

In my years of searching for family members of perished air crew members.  She is the one who finds it, with great care so that I can tell the story behind these heroes..so that they will never be forgotten.

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Jan Jolie, The Netherlands

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