There is a story in the Bible about a kindly lady where it is assumed that she gets by on very little. Her days may have consisted in sewing and knitting, reading, cooking and conversation with others. Though lacking in money, she does have some which are ten silver coins that are of great value to her. But one day she discovers that one is gone.
It can be imagined the heart of this woman skipping a beat and her gasping with shock when she learns the coin is missing. Has she mislaid it or dropped it? Has someone taken it? Where could it be?
The search is on. Out comes her broom, and carefully she begins a systematic and thorough search. Across the packed-earth floor and under mats and pottery vessels she searches. Nothing shows up. Again she goes back over the same area but instead of going right to left, she decides to go left to right in searching across the room. Just as she is about to end the second sweep without any success she sees a small glimmer. There it is! The coin is found! She then rushes out of her house calling to her neighbours: “Come, rejoice and celebrate with me! The coin I lost has been found!”
The mother of Clive Smith had a cousin called Jack Hougham who was part of a Lancaster bomber crew of 106 Squadron flying from RAF Metheringham, near Lincoln. He was one of many sergeants based there.
Clive has an inquisitive nature and has been interested in aviation since the age of 5. When it was found that the relative had been shot down and killed returning from an operation to Cologne on the 8th July 1943, Clive after seeing the log book, corresponding letters from the Air Ministry, and photographs, began searching for records as family members seemed to know nothing about him.
Clive spent a total of twenty years in his search which has taken him all over the United Kingdom, America and Canada in an effort to contact all the other crew members' family together with research and details looked at in France and Germany.
One visit led to the only surviving member of the aircrew but who died later in 2008. His name was Fred Smooker who originally came from Durham. It turned out that Fred was the Bomb Aimer for the Lancaster bomber while Sgt Hougham was its Wireless Operator, along with an American Pilot, two Canadian gunners and three other British crew members. Fred, a RAF war veteran, was 91 years of age when he passed away and had outlived the rest of his crew by more than 64 years and for his whole life had lived with the question "Why me?"
Like the story in the Bible, Clive was persistent in his search. He has rejoiced about his quest and what was found by writing a book called LANCASTER BALE OUT.
He currently works as a software consultant in the aerospace industry.
He gives an invitation for folk to attend his talk entitled "Missing Believed Killed - The Search for a 106 Squadron crew."
The lecture will be held in the WW2 gymnasium at the Metheringham Airfield Visitor Centre, Lincoln, on the Wednesday, 27th May, beginning at 7.30pm. Admission is £5.00 to visitors to include refreshments. It is free to Friends of Metheringham Airfield and veterans of 106 Squadron.
For further enquiries contact 01526 378270
John Shipton
Press Officer
Friends of Metheringham Airfield
Lincoln
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A STORY TO TELL - after searching for twenty years...
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