Who's Ron Wheatcroft? Fount of all knowledge, Google, says he was a character in Goodnight Sweetheart. The time travel and Liverpool/Wirral bit fits I guess.

I had harboured a fantasy that Ron was actually Ron Weasley. One can dream.

I can find a Flight Sergeant Donald Moulton Watson 1316881 who along with the rest of his crew were reported killed in action when their Lancaster III serial JB175 Code MG-A from 7 Squadron took off from RAF Oakington at 1744 on 20/21.10.1943 on Ops to Leipzig and after being intercepted by a night fighter crashed at Oudleusen ENE of Zwelle Holland.

I can find a Sgt Donald Watson 1340421 from 50 squadron also listed as WW2 death in 1944 but no futher info.

I daresay IG can find a lot more!

quote:

Originally posted by Ann Wilkinson:
One of what Owain?

Christians.
I've had to stand among some pretty stupid individuals(who should know better) spouting anti gay,horridly sexist and on several occasions ridiculously ignorant anti Pagan tripe.
Lovely people to there 'own',but staggeringly ignorant of others who dont share their beliefs.

quote:

Originally posted by Ann Wilkinson:
I actually have a lot in common with the local pagans. Would rather have a pagan that reverences life than a christian who thinks the world is his/hers to plunder without responsibilty

The Christian God gave the Earth and all its animals to 'man' to use for himself in Genesis.
Its all down hill from there.
I'm a Pagan b.t.w

To be fair Owain you meet lots of none christians like that too, but I know what you mean especially the born again variety. A comic whose name I forget once wondered by they were born again when often you would wish they hadn't been born the first time. But I've also met some insufferable pagans too - fascistic hippies some of them. In fact people can be insufferable regardless of creed, colour, race or religion. Equality of insufferableness!

quote:

Originally posted by GreenRug:
But I've also met some insufferable pagans too - fascistic hippies some of them. In fact people can be insufferable regardless of creed, colour, race or religion. Equality of insufferableness!

Oh Goodness yes. The Seahenge threads come to mind. Great shame C4 forums never archived that stuff from F1, it was an absolute scream at times.

sorry Owain -or not sorry but only the old fashioned, not really a christian type believes that -read the Assissi Declaration from all faiths.

The belief is that man is steward -responsible for caring for creation -and what a mess we have made through greed and selfishness.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris D:
Oh Goodness yes. The Seahenge threads come to mind. Great shame C4 forums never archived that stuff from F1, it was an absolute scream at times.

It was the words of one of the archaelogists on that dig that completly changed my view of some 'acedemics' in this field and the help I should extend them .
Their loss sadly.

Academics in scare quotes Owain? Dim view of them? Me too and unfortunately I am one ( different field). I have to say most of the most repellent and ineffectual people I've ever met have been academics. Many experts leave their humanity at the door when they come in.

btw 12.8m what?

Thanks for that Jenni, I shall pass the information onto the old man in the morning..
However, he has it ingrained in his mind, that Watson was a Pilot Officer., but he could have been a sergeant pilot previously.
I have a business call in Liverpool tomorrow, after which I will follow his instructions and call at a few houses in the road where the pilot lived. There must be someone alive in the road who remembers him.

Ron

Those two I mentioned are the only WW2 Donald Watson deaths recorded by the RAF (my starting point). Perhaps the pilot officer in question actually survived?

quote:

Originally posted by GreenRug:
btw 12.8m what?

Its a lucky tide height

quote:

Its a lucky tide height

Eh? Is that like having a lucky wind speed?

Are you sure its not the number of alien residents certain forum members would like repatriating to wherever?

quote:

Originally posted by GreenRug:

quote:

Its a lucky tide height

Eh? Is that like having a lucky wind speed?

...no don't be silly,thats 15mph..

Hi Jenni,
Following up the leads ref; Donald Watson, is proving both intriguing and interesting. After business in Liverpool, yesterday. I went to Railway Rd, Birkenhead, where he hailed from.
It is a long rd running alongside the railway. Hence the name. It is also known throughout the area as ‘the miracle rd’
During the severe blitz in ww2. The families sought shelter in brick above ground level shelter. Each shelter accommodated six families.
After utilizing it every night for two years, it was abandoned this one night due to an allocation dispute. That night, it received a direct hit and collapsed like a pack of cards. Not one life was lost. Needless to say, the remaining shelters were never used again.
The whole area, is a working class area, Yet this proved to be no handicap to some of the children. Many of whom, won scholarships then went onto university. One became an asst District Attorney of NEW York. Another, Professor of medical research at Liverpool University, another, President of a Canadian University, who has had a number of books published since he first arrived. He was also the subject of a two page article in the ‘Liverpool’ Echo’ and lastly, another became a scientist working for the Americans at Houston. I went to school with all of them and new Railway and the surrounding 5 roads well.
All the houses were well built red iron brick three and four bed roomed with a small garden area in front and a reasonable size rear. All the houses were privately owned I am back at work now, I shall therefore, continue the conversation, if, and when I can and well kept. It was never a slum area but it had a very strong community spirit an item that is easily destroyed, but cannot be rebuilt overnight, if at all.
You will therefore, imagine my surprise when I called yesterday to enquire about ‘Watson’
The whole rd no longer exists! A barren waste has replaced happiness and lives. Even Hitler’s blitzkrieg failed at this. I was really saddened to see such an important part of local history and community spirit destroyed at a blow.
I drove around the remaining roads, most of which had the doors and windows boarded up. Only 19 remain occupied. I called at all of them. It was the same story everywhere; no one wanted to move, but big brother council new better.
All the area is to be demolished and replaced with little box dwellings which no one wants. The people said that they protested and even marched on the Town Hall. All to no avail, no one was listening. Undoubtedly some civil servant sitting in an obscure office new better. It could have been stopped had they reverted to direct action, as did the people of Manchester. However, to recap. I learned that the Watsons were not English, but Scots, who came down here from the east coast during the depression. The father died soon after arrival, leaving his wife and two children.
All the people over 40 whom I spoke to, knew the Donald Watson Story, but could add no more. The whole community is scattered all around the town now, they have even been housed at the very bad north end. I was given a number of names and addresses to follow up, one being the RAFA club.
I visited the club, they were extremely obliging and I met some friends I hadn’t seen for years, which resulted in my unintentional ‘having a few’ Only one BoB pilot is a member now, the rest sadly have died(the last being the pilot that rammed the German plane in the Pall Mall, They promised to research their records for me. When I return home, I shall call back and also visit the local reference library when possible.


Ron.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris D: The Seahenge threads come to mind.

Who was the female archaeologist involved in that dig?......anyone remember??

Maisie Taylor - Francis Pryor's missus?

Ta muchly..

quote:

Originally posted by Owain Glyndwr:

quote:

Originally posted by Chris D: The Seahenge threads come to mind.

Who was the female archaeologist involved in that dig?......anyone remember??

Well there were several I think, but Maisie Taylor was the most prominant one on the TT Special

Ron - I'm not sure I've got the right chap then. CWGC has him listed as follows:

Casualty Details
Name: WATSON, DONALD MOULTON
Initials: D M
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Flight Sergeant (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 7 Sqdn.
Age: 20
Date of Death: 21/10/1943
Service No: 1316881
Additional information: Son of the Revd. Stanley E. Watson and E. Winifred Watson, of Willesden, Middlesex.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot B. Grave 773.
Cemetery: GIETEN GENERAL CEMETERY

CWGC entry

I have found a third Donald Watson on CWGC but he doesn't fit Scotland either:

Name: WATSON, DONALD AUSTIN
Initials: D A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Sergeant (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 57 Sqdn.
Age: 25
Date of Death: 11/12/1941
Service No: 1260187
Additional information: Son of George and Marguerite E. Watson, of Jersey, Channel Islands.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Row B. Grave 5.
Cemetery: FELTWELL (ST. NICHOLAS) CHURCHYARD


Which only leaves the second of my original choices:

Name: WATSON, DONALD
Initials: D
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Sergeant
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 50 Sqdn.
Date of Death: 12/04/1944
Service No: 1340421
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 240.
Memorial: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

At least nothing in his background to exclude him but I can't seem to locate anything further on what happened to him.

Help me, Ian, I'm running out of ideas!

Where's Ron? Bournemouth?

Come back soon!

Wherefore art thou Ron?

Bit worried about Ron. Think he might have put the 21st century on ignore.

Could somebody nip round to Ron's and see if there's lots of milk on his step!

Ron -please get someone to log in and say you are OK this silence is nerve-racking!