The back of this photograph is reproduced below showing signatures of the men in the picture. We thought it would be an interesting project to try to identify all the men and what happened to them. As you can see they are mostly initials and surnames so the first step was to try to identify their full names. Which we managed to do. We don't expect to be able to put names to the faces - but if we get lucky we might be able to do that for the odd one or two. 

Here are the names in the order they appear on the postcard, with their Service Numbers. Dad hasn't signed the card and his service number was 621812. As you might have expected all of the service numbers are fairly close to each other.

Edward Arthur Green 621821

Edward was born in Deptford, South London in 1921. His father was a Motor Transport Contractor.

He joined the RAF in September 1938 and became an Air Gunner.

On 28th August 1942 the Short Stirling in which he was a crew member was shot down by a German night fighter and crashed south west of Elst, Holland. Edward was sent to Stalag Luft 1 POW camp near the Polish border. In the Spring of 1945 the prisoners were forced to march to another camp out of the path of the advancing Russian army. The thousands of POWs were shot at by aircraft on 19th April 1945. Edward died of his wounds two days later on 21st April 1945 after losing both his legs.

John Eric Clay 621813

He was born on 26th August 1915 in Acton, West London. Apart from his time in the RAF he lived in the Acton area all his life.

His father was killed on 19th May 1918 serving in France with the Royal Fusiliers. It's probable that John never saw his father. John's mother remarried in 1919 and John lived with them throughout the 1920s and 1930s in Acton.

John joined the RAF in September 1938. He married in August 1940 and was posted to Canada from 1941 to 1943. At the end of war he divorced his wife for adultery. He remarried in 1951. They lived at the same address in Acton all their lives, and had no children.

He started work at the CAV Lucas factory in Acton in 1950, and stayed with them for at least 25 years, and probably until he retired in 1980.

He died on 15th May 1990.

William Percival 621831

William joined the RAF in 1938 and became a flight engineer. His Handley Page Halifax was shot down on the night of  21st January 1944, and all crew members were killed.