Flying Officer Geale W. Hewson (1944)

Photo courtesy of G.W. Hewson Copyright © 2005

A few years ago,  I had the great pleasure of corresponding with the late Geale W. Hewson who graciously provided me the photos and commentary of his sojourn with 439 as a Flying Officer, Typhoon pilot  and POW for the last 8 months of the war.

Also provided are copies of his flying log and  letters his mother and sister received from the the Squadron's wartime  Chaplain H.E.D. Ashford; his Squadron CO S/L Ken Fiset; and  his Flight Commander , F/O Babe Swingler, and one of his wingers, F/O Royce Johns. Also include is a letter from one J.C. Weststrate, a Dutch civilian who witnessed his bailout and subsequent capture by the Germans and who at some personal risk retrieved some letters that Geale had  hurriedly dropped just before his capture.

This then is his story in pictures.