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Family of Crew of Halifax JD204
The Long Wait
"like seven brothers"

It Begins - Overseas Chaplin Service to Mr..Dale October 6th. 1943


The Service worked quickly and within two days of the loss of his son's aircraft, a hand written letter was prepared for Mr. Dale. The letter informed Mr. Dale that his son Jack Dale was Missing. The letter then went on expressing that he, S/L W.B. Jennings, Padre, knew what an anxious time this will be for Mr. Dale and his family.

"Be assured that everything possible is being done to find out what happened.
The Padre continued, " It was my privilege to know him in the Mess and to have been out with the lads just before they took off" and that "I have learned to love and respect them for the way they run such great risks with a quiet courage". "Now is our time to be brave and hopeful. We can be that because we know he was with a very fine pilot and the whole crew was keen and capable."

He goes on to say "We can be encouraged by the knowledge that we hear from a great many who were first reported missing. Nearly every week we learn that more of our lads are prisoners of war, interned in a neutral country, or on their way back to the United Kingdom".

He gives encouraging words on how they are trained and equipped for every emergency. And perhaps discussed among themselves what they would do in such an emergency. The letter goes on with further encouragement.

Mrs. Hamilton to Mr.Dale October 28th.


The mother of JD204's Pilot writes to Mr.Dale. A small circle of hopeful family members begin to write to one other. With each member reaching out to other families of the crew. All impatient and restless while awaiting news on their sons as weeks roll by.
Mrs. Hamiltons letter indicates that her heart goes out to the Dale's and she knows their feelings as she too awaits news on her son Bill. With an explanation, that sometimes one crew member may be found before the others and she is writing to see if any word on Jack Dale has been received.
For the Hamilton family this is not the first time they have gone through the agony of waiting for word on a Missing son. Their son, Bud Hamilton, had also be listed as Missing and eventually a telegram reached the family that he was a POW, wounded, but no longer listed as Missing.
Mrs. Hamilton had some good news to pass on to the Dale family. A friend had passed on the word from overseas that there were reports that the crew had parachuted and as far as they knew should be safe. Although it would take time for it to be confirmed.
She mentioned how her son Bill had loved his crew and that they loved him and that meant a lot. That they will have to wait about three weeks, providing they are prisoners and "not hitch hiking home under cover". She asks for forgiveness for hoping they are prisoners as the suspense of not knowing how they are "Is too much to almost stand". Promising to keep in touch with any news and asking the same of the Dale family.

Mrs. Griffin's reply to Mrs.Dale November 3,1943


By this date the Griffin family knew that the crew had time to parachute and as far as was known all chutes had opened. No mention of how she knew, just mentioned it as coming as news from overseas, or if the knowledge was common amongst all the other families.
She expresses that Mrs. dale's letter brought comfort and added strength. The mother of Edward Griffin wrote about how her son had sent her the names of all the crew to her and was he was anxious for her to know "they were a fine crew" and "Gee Mom they are a swell bunch, so don't you worry, I will be safe"

The letter also expresses Mrs. Griffin's thanks for the comfort and added strength Mrs. Dale's letter had given her. And that her hopes as Edward's mother that they are all safe, even if PoWs, it was better then loosing them all together.
Her letter continues that she knows that she is not alone that so many other mothers are going through the grieve and waiting as time crawled by so slowly. And to let the Dale family know if any other news comes her way.

Mr. & Mrs. Bortolussi letter to Mr.& Mrs.Dale November 5,1943


Once again the Dale's have written to one of families of their son's crew, the Bortolussi family, and their words of comfort and sympathy are well received.
The Bortoluusi family also still wait news of their son and hope they all show up safe. "These are very anxious days for us all an I know you hope and pray as I do that all will turn up safely." They mention how their son Aldo often spoke of the others in the crew and "what a swell bunch of fellows he was with and how proud he was to be a member of the crew".

With one son also overseas with the Canadian Army, with another son still in High School. Two daughters, one married to an aircrew man. Mr. Bortolussi explained that he has looked after the family while his wife has been very ill, and the blow he felt at knowing his son was Missing is felt pretty severe.
He too promises to pass on any information that comes his way. He closes as all the letters passing between the families with words of sympathy and with hope that all will turn up safely.

Mrs. Griffin's letter to Mr. and Mrs.Dale November 22,1943


(By now the families know F/O Riley is safe.)
Her letter opens by asking if Mrs. dale has received any more news on her son. With the next sentence she tells of her family receiving a telegram from the International Red Cross advising her that Edward Griffin had lost his life on October 4th. The information she explained had come through from German Information. No particulars were contained in the telegram.
The telegram still is no final touch to it as it states "that he(Edward Griffin) to be considered missing, believed killed". The message is taken heavily by the family and Mrs. Griffin expresses her hope that it is a mistake that her son is safe like F/O Riley.

Mrs. Hamilton's letter to Mr. & Mrs.Dale November 27,1943


The mother of the pilot F/O Hamilton finds herself unable to know what to say to the Dale family, "that will heal your heart" even knowing how she, Mrs. Hamilton, feels it is hard to place into words.
From this letter is can be assumed that the news of Jack Dale's death has reached his family.
Mrs. Hamilton continues on to tell Mrs. Dale that she has heard no word on Bill Hamilton. She tells of the heart breaking suspense as she waits and asks forgiveness for still hoping news will come that he is still alive while she hangs on to any "little thread" of hope.
With words not to give up hope yet that the news could be wrong and promising to keep in touch. The letter goes on to explain how the Hamilton family had received the information she received and had passed on.
F/O William Hamilton had become engaged to a local girl and she was keeping in constant contact with the Casualty Officer in England. The fiancé had been cabling the Hamilton's, any information she could find out. It appears this was the first or maybe the only source of the information earlier that three of the crew were known to be PoWs.

What was known by November 27th 1943


According to the November 27th letter from Mrs. Hamilton to Mrs. Dale, three of the crew were Prisoners of War, Jack Dale and Edward Griffins were dead. No word was yet know on Aldo Bortolussi or William Hamilton.
In time the official notice of the deaths of Hamilton and Bortolussi was sent to their families. But I have no dates on when that occurred.

James McEwan to Dale family November 2nd 1945


The former Flight Engineer and PoW wrote to the Dale family telling them what he remembered of that night back in 1943 when the crew were attacked and the aircraft was abandoned. He gave details of how he was pushed through the escape hatch by the pilot Bill Hamilton and it was he who said they were all "like seven brothers' It would not be until October 14th 1949 that letters from Missing Research and Enquiry Service would tell the families that the grave sites of their sons had been found at Schren, 72 miles from Mannheim. The airmen were then removed and re-interned at Rheinberg War Cemetery in Germany.