Updated 1 September 2023
Comment
You already know much of this story but for any others who are still interested I offer the following:
Just picked up on this old thread. Hugh Boland was my late father’s navigator (W/C S P Russell) and he first appears in Dad’s log book at Little Snoring on 6 December 1944 as a Flight Sergeant.
They were involved with ASH training and operated GEE and UHF equipment as far as I can see. Hugh flew some 44 sorties with Dad, intruding, including bombing and dropping flares, and various training flights. I remember him telling me that Hugh was apparently quite fearless and when they were approaching enemy airspace and the ack ack would start up Hugh would grab his flute and start playing music to the beautiful light show the Germans were putting up! This really ticked Dad off as he thought Hugh should have been as frightened as every one else was! Perhaps it was his way of controlling his nerves.
The last references in the log book were on 24 August 1945 was with Hugh still as a navigator but now a Pilot Officer in a Mosquito and again on 28 August the last entry in Dad’s log book when they flew locally together in a Magister.
Post war Hugh worked for my father in S Russell & Sons Iron Foundry in Leicester for a while before opening a news agency in Leicester. I met him when he appeared at my sister’s 21st birthday and was the life and soul of the party. He enjoyed blowing things up and general pyromania!
I hope the person(s) who were seeking further information are still around.
I have produced a short booklet about my father’s flying experience entitled ‘One man’s love of flying’ in which the above stories of Hugh Boland appear. I still have one or two copies if they are interest to any of your blog readers
Kind regards and thank you again for the wonderful work you do.
Mike Russell
Adelaide, Australia
Updated August 28, 2023
This blog is all about paying homage to 23 Squadron pilots, navigators, and ground crew if ever someone would share with us memories of erks.
Erks was the nickname affectionately given to ground crew. Hugh Boland was just a name on Johnny Rivaz’s picture. I have never given second thoughts about this name.
Collection Johnny Rivaz
This is also how I found Eugene Gagnon in 2010. A picture Peter Smith sent me. Peter was a complete stranger. He has become a dearest friend.
He helped me in my search for Eugene Gagnon and I started writing a blog about a French-Canadian Mosquito pilot and 23 Squadron. The story is all here and more.
I wrote more than 250 articles on 23 Squadron because people cared and shared. I always answer when you write something. I always answer back except once two weeks ago when Dean wrote me the first time.
I just could not understand what he wanted and I forgot to reply.
Now I know what Dean wanted.
He wants to pay homage to Hugh Boland, the quiet and shy navigator…
Am I glad Dean wrote a second time…
RAF 23 Squadron 