Desmond William Garland

Biography
Desmond William Garland was born, February 9th 1916, at Ballinacorr, Co.Wicklow, one of four brothers who had one sister. His father was a doctor, who had previously spent much of his working life in the British Colonial Service, a Medical Officer on the Gold Coast, West Africa. Dr. Garland had a medical practice in London and later in County Wicklow. Desmond William Garland was educated at the Cardinal Vaughan School in Kensington, London, as had been Donald, his young brother.
Desmond Garland gained his 'wings' with the R.A.F. at the outbreak of War, but was then invalided out of the service on medical grounds. Enlisting in the RASC as a private Desmond eventually transferred back to the R.A.F. as a pilot again. Extracts from R.A.F. Lists relating to 1939 [Sept. & Dec.] confirming Commission & his subsequent relinquishment are sources.
RAF Sqn. 50, Group 5: Avro Manchester 1 R 5833. DWG -of which P/O Desmond Garland, R.A.F Volunteer Reserve Service No. 115223 was the Captain took off at 22 27 from RAF Base, Swinderby, which was located to the South East of Lincoln, a short distance from No. 50 Sq's base, Skellingthorpe. The Manchester flew on a mission to lay mines in the vicinity of Quiberon, Brittany, France. The plane was hit by enemy fire and lost over the sea off the Quiberon Peninsula. Certain Recds. refer to the date for the Aircraft's loss and Desmond's death as the 5th. However, P/O Gill (RAF), the surviving crew member was taken P.O.W. and detained in Stalag Luft III. He recounted how, “the aircraft was shot down on 6th June and crashed into the sea off the French coast near Lorient. It hit the water and .. [he recalled] .. I remember nothing until I came to the surface and found blazing petrol on the water. No one else was to be seen. The Germans .. [later] .. told me there was only one survivor”. German documents stated that all were killed on 6 June, but the location of any graves was not stated. In 1948 it was officially concluded the missing crew members had lost their lives at sea.
Sources
[1] Ireland Civil Registration Birth Index: 1864-1958 : Name: Desmond William Garland
Birth Quarter Jan-Feb-Mar : Birth Date 1916 : Birth Place Rathdrum, Ireland : Birth Regn. Date Mar 1916 Vol. 2, p. 817. FHL Film Number 101076
Index accessed: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/7259284:2573
[2] (i) Desmond William Garland -Pilot Officer [P/O] 1938-39 : UK, British Air Force Lists 1938-1945 &c.
Service No. 41397 - 1st Commission in 1939
Military Date 3 Sep 1939 : Military Branch Royal Air Force : Organisation General Duties Branch
(ii) UK, British Air Force Lists, 1938-1945 &c. : Military Branch R.A.F.
Desmond William Garland : Rank P/O
Military Date 8 Dec 1939 : 1939 Commission Relinquished
[3] UK London Gaz : World War II Military Notices -Short Service Commission Dec. 1938 until Dec. 1939 &c. Service No 34792 -Lond. Gaz. Dec. 27 1938 Vol. 34583, page 8249
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/103063:62074?ti...
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/103063:62074?ti...
(ii) UK, British Air Force Lists, 1938-1945
Indexes created fro. images -National Library, Scotland: https://doi.org/10.34812/j7ny-ay57; Edinburgh, Scotland; Br. Air Force Lists; Reference: 96020902
Month: Nov. accessed: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/1064815:62383
(iii) Desmond William Garland -UK, London Gaz. World War II Military Notices, 1939-1945
London Gaz. Crown Copyright; https://www.thegazette.co.uk; Gaz. Official Public Record 1665-
Edition: 34752
accessed: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/103063:62074
and (iv) ↑ March 1942 : 35498 as Ldg. Acm.
Name: Desmond William Garland
Military Date: 23 Dec 1941 : World War II. RAF Service No. 115223
Publication Date & Place : 24 Mar 1942, London, England
Vol. No. 35498, p.1335
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/487843:62074?ti...
(v) D. W. Garland in UK, British Air Force Lists 1938-1945 &c.
D. W. Garland Rank Pilot Officer
Military Date 23 Dec 1941
Military Branch / British Air Force Organisation: General Duties Branch : Distinctions P. [Pilot]
[4] U.K. Wartime Recd. Books, R.A.F. 1939-1945 : No. 50 Sqn. Ops. Recds. N.A. Piece Nos. AIR 27/487/11 [Summary of Events] & AIR 27/487/12 [Recd. of Events]
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62393/
[5] UK, British Air Force Lists, 1938-1945 &c. for Desmond William Garland
Nov. 1939
Desmond William Garland
Rank P/O : Military Date 3 Sep 1939 : Military Branch : British Air Force : General Duties Branch
(ii) Desmond William Garland
UK, London Gaz. World War II Military Notices, 1939-1945
Desmond William Garland
Military Rank P/O
Military Date 8 Dec 1939 : War World War II : Military Regiment No. 41397
Publication Dte. & Place 12 Dec 1939 : London, England
Vol. No. 34752 Ref. No. 34752 Page number 8247
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/103063:62074
[6] N.A. U.K. Ref. Piece No. AIR 81/14955
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/C16484
... "P/O D W [Desmond William] Garland, F/Sgt. J J Nixon (RAAF), F/Sgt. A. Moth, F/Sgt. R.W. Ogilvie (RAAF), F/Sgt. W. Gray, F/Sgt. W. R. West: killed; & P/O R.T. Gill -latter, P.O.W. ; Manchester 1 R. 5833, 50 Sqn. enemy fire, aircraft shot down & crashed off coast of Quiberon, France -minelaying mission near Lorient, France, 6 June 1942"
Date: 1942 Jan 1 - 1950 Dec 31 : Misc. Casualty, investigation &c.
[7] International Bomber Command Centre Losses Database: https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/108400/
[8] C.W.G.C. accessed: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/12...
[9] FindaGrave -P/O Desmond William Garland
Birth: unknown : Death: 5 Jun 1942
Monument : Runnymede Memorial, Englefield Green, Runnymede Borough, Surrey, England
Panel 69; Memorial ID. 15253175
accessed: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15253175/desmond-william-garlan...
[10] Extract, Guide C.W.G.C. Memorial, Runnymede relating to Desmond William Garland -Panel 69 of the Memorial
[11] Ashcroft, M. Band of Brothers, Sun. Times Mag. Sept.16 2018 -cc. source
[12] Extract, email: Sept. 11 2023 from Ralph S. Research team, 'Aircrew Remembered' :
"Hello ... 'Thanks for ...
... I have sourced some additional information regarding the Garland brothers.
'... [and] done some further research regarding P/O Desmond William Garland 115223 RAFVR (which has been added to the Report*) but additionally you might like to know the following.
'Two of his crew were in the RAAF and their records, in most cases, are available on-line and for free.
'The two RAAF crew were Sgt. John Joseph Nixon 405135 and F/Sgt. Robert William Ogilvie 402670
'It is possible that a copy of the PoW report for P/O Reginald Thomas Gill 107931 (PoW No. 286, Stalag Luft 3) may be in their repatriation records, These can be found on N. Archives of Australia, for one of the two RAAF airmen who were F/Sgt. John Joseph Nixon 405135 and F/Sgt. Robert William Ogilvie 402670 but unfortunately they are not digitised at this time. - 'Just enter Nixon 405135 or Ogilvie 402670 in the Keywords for their record details on the following page:
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScr...
You can request for particular record to be digitised but it will cost a fee and take some time
Best Wishes Ralph S. " ... End of E-Mail
[*The Report, referred to in the email from Ralph S. : "12.05 1940 12 Sqn. Battle B.I P2332 F/O Norman M. Thomas" [was] attached [to the email] -in pdf. relating to the mission to the Albert Canal Bridges, on May 12 1940 led by F/O Donald Garland, which contains additional information relating to Donald's brothers [a source document.] : : https://aircrewremembered.com/thomas-m-norman.html
[13] (i) On Stalag Luft III, where P/O R.T. Gill was POW, refer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalag_Luft_III
Int. Bomber Command Memorial Archive: https://losses.internationalbcc.co.uk/loss/108400/
(ii) Reginald Thomas Gill in UK & Allied Countries, World War II Liberated Prisoner of War Questionnaires, 1945-1946l : Rank F/Lt.
Birth Date 8 Nov 1917 : Enlistment Date 3 Aug 1940 : Capture Date 6 Jun 1942
Capture Place Nr. Lorient : Imprisonment Force Germany
Service Number 107931
Escape Attempt Y
[14] Attendance at 10 O.T.U. RAF Station, Abingdon for training on night flying with training sqs. : 97 Sqn. & 116 Sqn. : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._10_Operational_Training_Unit_RAF

Other Links to info. re: 10 Operational Training Unit (OTU)
http://www.rafweb.org/Organsation/OTU_1.htm
https://aircrewremembered.com/bridson-allan.html
https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/uk/raf/whitley/whitley-10-o...
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4100347
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4100348

A painting, signed by Reg Payne, of Lancasters banking over RAF Skellingthorpe. On the reverse:
'QR-O 61 Sqn. (City of Lincoln) Squadron
VN-D 50 Sqn. - Skellingthorpe airfield, Lincoln
61 Sqn. Middle left to Top left over to …'