Thanks Simon!

Simon Sommerville has very kindly given us a link and a plug on his fantastic 75(NZ) Squadron RAF website:   https://75nzsquadron.wordpress.com/2019/05/02/the-jn-dog-boys-new-website/  

I’ve mentioned before how much Simon’s work has helped my own research, but it’s well worth mentioning again.  

First and foremost, his website is a tribute to his Dad, Air Bomber F/L Robert Douglas “Bob” or “Jock” Sommerville DFC and the crewmates that he flew with on his two operational tours.  

Out of all its air bombers, 1940-45, Bob completed the second-highest number of op’s with the squadron!  

Bob’s second tour at Mepal began in January 1945, at the same time the Johnny Wood crew was there and, yes, Bob qualifies as one of the JN-Dog Boys – his first op’ back on the squadron was with the “Taffy” Zinzan crew in HK601 JN-D “Dog”!!  

So that also makes Simon part of the JN-Dog family.  

He has put a tremendous amount of time and research into his Dad’s impressive and complex history, trying to answer the many questions he wished he had asked while his Dad was still around.  

However he hasn’t stopped there.  

Simon is researching and databasing the details of EVERY airman who served with the squadron between 1940 and 1945, every crew, every operational sortie and every aircraft.   The site has a full Nominal Roll, listings of all POWs, Evaders and Escapers.   He is now finalising a complete Roll Of Honour – every squadron member lost during the war, with details.  

The website also carries transcripts of the Operational Record Books (Form 540s) for the whole war, Combat Reports, and a collection of logbooks and other memorabilia.  

It is now THE definitive record of those that flew with 75(NZ) Squadron RAF.

The JN-Dog boys get their own pages:  

The Sam Wilson crew: https://75nzsquadron.wordpress.com/s-wilson-crew-30-7-44/

The Johnny Wood crew: https://75nzsquadron.wordpress.com/j-h-t-wood-crew-8-12-44/

We hope to add more to these pages, and something about the ground crew as well.

Listen to a radio interview that Simon did a few years back where he tells how he came to build the website:

Have a look at the site, it has some amazing stories, some fascinating photos and some impressive data.  

Thanks Simon!