Following the Echoes: The Others

See also:

Following the Echoes: Into the Abyss

On behalf of my brother Lance Fox and myself, I begin this post with a big thanks to everyone so far who has purchased a copy of our book, Following the Echoes: The Quest to Uncover a True Wartime Story of Love, Loss, and Legacy. We have received a number of messages from readers who were touched by the story, and who appreciated our research and attention to detail. Your messages of praise and gratitude mean a lot to us. Thank you!

I would also like to thank The RAF Pathfinders Archive for publishing an article about Flying Officer Wendell Pierce Drew and our book as a follow-up to their earlier articles about Sgt. Derek Carrott and Wing Commander Charles Gray. All three men were part of the Townsend crew aboard Lancaster JB707, which went down over the North Sea on the night of July 28/29, 1944. Our book is the first to give an in-depth analysis of the final movements and moments of this crew, the only crew from Group 8 to not return on a night of heavy casualties for Group 6 of RAF Bomber Command.

With the publishing of Following the Echoes, and with Remembrance Day/Armistice Day just around the corner, we would like to issue a call for help in searching as we hope to continue “following the echoes.”

Even though we never knew him, after dedicating two years of our life to uncovering his story, not to mention the fact that he was engaged to our grandmother, Wendell “Del” Drew has become an honorary family member to us. Therefore, we would love to connect with anyone who still remembers others named in the book, including Del’s crewmates and friends.

Our question is, are they still remembered?

First, we would like to find those who know anything about the six other members of Lancaster JB707, all of whom perished together with Del. They were as follows:

• (Pilot and Captain) Flying Officer Elwood Albert Townsend of Toronto, Ontario, son of William H. and Ida May Townsend

• (Air Gunner) Pilot Officer Colin John Blyth of Winnipeg, Manitoba, son of Frederick and Emily Blyth (see my earlier post “Echo from the Dunes” for more information)

• (Navigator) Flying Officer William Clifford Morrow of Peterborough, Ontario, son of William Gordon and Susan Sophia Morrow, husband of Lilian Morrow

• (Air Bomber) Flying Officer Elwood Cameron Pomeroy of Prescott, Ontario, son of Cecil Benjamin and Hazel Alice Pomeroy (née Strout)

• (Air Gunner) Wing Commander Charles Gray of Vancouver, British Columbia, son of Frank and Iris Irene Gray

• (Flight Engineer) Sergeant Derek Charles Carrott of North Finchley, Middlesex, England (the only non-Canadian crew member), son of Samuel Charles Frederick and Jessie Fraser Carrott

Second, we would like to know if anyone still remembers the crew of Wellington HX726, of which Del was the only survivor after their plane crashed at Luqa, Malta, on February 13, 1943. The crew members (two of whom were fellow Saskatchewanians) who were killed were as follows:

• (Pilot) Pilot Officer Lawrence Harry Gleason of Canora, Saskatchewan, son of Harry and Agnes Myrtle Gleason (née Pollock)

• (Second Pilot) Sergeant Eric Ansell Brown of Tottenham, Middlesex, England, son of Ernest Stanley and Grace Brown

• (Observer) Flying Officer Maurice McAllister Kempton of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, son of Clifford Forge Kempton and Mary Kempton

• (Wireless Air Gunner) Warrant Officer Class II Peter Edwyn Elkford Brown of Chilliwack, British Columbia, son of Peter John and Gladys Beatrice Baron Brown

• (Wireless Air Gunner) Sergeant Harold Ernest Stanley of Minna, Nigeria, son of Frank X. Stanley and Eva May Stanley

Left to right, top to bottom: Lawrence Harry Gleason (25), Maurice McAllister Kempton (29), Peter Edwyn Brown (32), Sergeant Harold Ernest Stanley (22). Photo of Eric Ansell Brown (21) unavailable. Photos: Canadian Virtual War Memorial; International Bomber Command Centre; and Commonwealth Air Training Program Museum.

We would also love to connect with any relatives of James “Norman” Lillico, who passed away in 2011 in Ottawa. In our search, we learned that Mr. Lillico was a dear friend of Wendell during their time together in the RCAF. We would like his relatives to know how important he was to preserving Wendell’s legacy, and to our being able to tell his story.

Finally, we would love to know more about the mysterious Miss Haville, whom we believe to be Joan Haville, born February 12, 1927, in Knaresborough, Harrogate, England. Married to Wallingford Joseph George de Blois, she died in Cochrane, Ontario, in 1948.

Following the Echoes is available worldwide through major online booksellers. Your favourite bookshop can also order it in for you. Just give them the title or ISBN number: 9781039188396 (paperback) or 9781039188402 (hardcover). For news, updates, and excerpts from the book, follow us on Facebook and Instagram. For other enquiries, contact me at claudiareppen@gmail.com.