Thanks

Many people and organisations around the world have helped us gather all this information. Some have worked many hours on our behalf and we are very much in debt to them for the help they have provided. If we've forgotten anybody please let us know.

We're very grateful to the families of the airmen. They are most helpful and it is always lovely to meet them at the remembrance services.

Ella Whear, sadly now no longer with us, was absolutely inspirational - her letter to Camborne Council and the help she gave us was fantastic.

Lewis Walter in sunny South Africa worked tirelessly to find out everything he could about John Campbell Atkinson and provided us with much detail about the training establishments in Southern Rhodesia and South Africa as well as locating a fellow pupil of John's from Milton High School.

Allan Hurrell, formerly of 86 Squadron, was wonderful. He supplied photographs of the cadre in training at George in South Africa and the crews at OTU RAF Chivenor and gave us much detail about John's background. Allan also is no fortunately with us. His son, David, deserves a mention for the high quality scans of the old photos that he made for us.

Michael Richardson researched much of the detail regarding the other trainees at Chivenor.

S/Ldr Andy Hulls (Rtd) helped us get the ball rolling.

Robert Franks, alumnus of Milton High School in Bulawayo, kindly told us about John's schooldays and family background.

Mrs Lesley Perry, former Chairman of Chesham Museum, is carrying out her own independent research on all the men on Chesham War Memorial. As Frank is not commemorated there she was very pleased to hear from us & Frank will be included in her book, which she hopes to publish in 2014, to coincide with the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. Another local researcher, Ian Garland, has helped her with research on Frank & some other elusive casualties. Frank's father, Nat, lived in Chesham in the Fifties and the CWGC website erroneously lists Frank as being from Chesham.

Stephen Stray, then editor of the Boston Standard, published an article that eventually got us in touch with the Twelvetrees family.

Sheila Bent of New Bolingbroke read that article and put us in touch with Orford's brother Wally in Sussex and sister Margaret in Australia.

Paul Mannion of the Shropshire Star, wrote an article that was seen by an anonymous friend of Paul Taylor's and drew it to his attention.

Camilla Goodman and the Bucks Examiner for leading us to Lesley.

Patrick Hassell, yet another sadly no longer with us, and the Rolls-Royce Heritage team for the background information on the production of the aircraft. Patrick managed to unearth enormous amounts of detail very quickly; he was amazing!

Ross McNeill, of the RAF Commands website, helped us research the operational history of our chaps.

"Foldingwings" from the pprune website put us in touch with Ronald Bramley, who proved most enlightening about what it was actually like to fly in a Beaufort. Bram in turn helped us contact Lawrie Evans, a former flier with 86 Squadron.

Edward McManus, of the Battle of Britain London Monument website, sent us a great photo of the plaque on the monument.

Bob Marchant, secretary of The Guinea Pig Club, was able to correct our misapprehension that Frank Day had been treated by the pioneering plastic surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe. We think this misunderstanding arose because of a Canadian airman with a similar name who was treated by the great man later in the war.

Ivor Corkell for his "A bombshell from the Camborne Old Cornwall Society" file on the wartime history of Camborne. It's fascinating and we'd like to see it published.

Jean Charman, former Mayor and councillor of Camborne, for being the person in Camborne who made sure that things happen.

Reg Bennett, former Clerk of Camborne Town Council, for his help in retrieving Council records and getting the ball rolling early on. We were so green; we had no idea where to start.

Priscilla Ubysz of Pratt and Witney for information about the Twin Wasp engines used in the aircraft. Priscilla is yet another that is no longer with us.

Glyn Hughes, of the Met Office National Meteorological Archive, provided the most detailed records we've ever seen and help in interpreting them.

The Air History Branch of the RAF provided us with much information about the circumstances of the crash.

Ben's mum Lorraine lent us her dictation machine and transcribed the Ella Whear interview. It wasn't easy and she deserves applause.

Thank you very much to Sandra Rogers of The War Graves Photographic Project for permission to use their photograpgh of Charles Taylor's grave.

The following people and organisations also travailed on our behalf

Terry Baldwin

RAFA

Commonwealth War Graves Commision

Cornwall Records Office

The Devon and Cornwall Constabulary

The Avon and Somerset Constabulary

Cornwall County Fire Brigade (Camborne)

Dave Newnham

Eddie Norris and all at ORAFs

Deborah Samson