Little is known of F/L Gamble at this time. He was a WAG when he and his crew failed to return from an A/S patrol near Ireland. view details

update 04/01/2011:

I have recently been contacted by F/L Gamble's nephew Graham, who has submitted the following information.

I am currently doing some research on Flying Officer Ray Gamble, who went missing while flying with 59 Sqn on 24 Feb 1944. My mother was one of his 3 sisters.

Ray was not with 59 Sqn in mid 1941 - he flew in Hudsons mostly out of Scotland and Iceland with 269 Sqn where he was posted from Nov 1940 to April 1042. He joined 59 Sqn at Aldergrove in the second half of June 1943.

The pilot for most of his operational flights was Sqn Ldr Sisson, with Flt Lt Williams as co-pilot. As Sisson does not appear on the CWGC records, I assume that he survived the war. On 17 Oct 1943 they were flying FL 975 / B on a convoy escort mission lasting 161/2 hours, taking off at 0750.According to the log book, they sighted and attacked a U Boat, which seems to have made some use of its  AA armament.

At the end of June 1943 Ray's crew was detached to Davidstow Moor in Cornwall, returning to base on July 17. during this time they had 3 anti submarine flights - 2 over the Bay of Biscay and 1 off Potugal. They subsequently had a few stopovers at St Eval in Cornwall and in Iceland

Ray appears to have changed crews (or at least pilot / co pilo)t in early February 1944. His first flight with (the then F/O - he seems to have been promoted to F/Lt by 17 Feb) F / Lt Rhodes and F/O Moxham was on Feb 6) - this was Ray's 16th Operational flight. Three short non -operational flights followed on Feb 17. 20 and 22 before the mission from which they did not return (this would have been Ray's 17th)..