Research Updates

# 10/9/05 Greg spends the day with Allan and his family at their Gympie home and conducts a video interview with Allan talking about his time with 462 Sqn.

# 12/9/05 Information received from John Williams, who with the help of his overseas contacts has found the identity of the German pilot who shot down Allan's aircraft. The pilots name was Heinrich Schmidt, his claim was 10km N of Gablingen at 03.44 it was his 17th kill.

# 17/9/05 New pages added to the website, including crew photos, and a page about Allan Lodder, also added is a page describing the loss of MZ-467 over Germany in 1945.

# 18/9/05 Information added to crew details of Errol Tisdell, Cecil Foster, Edward Windus, Robert McGarvie. Added photos of pilots from 462 Squadron to website and starting to gather information on the pilots. History of 462 Squadron page added.

# 25/10/05 Photo of Errol Dallas Tisdell & Edward Windus added to crew page of website, more information about Errol to be added soon. Details of John Gray added to crew details.

# 29/10/05  Assorted photos page added.

# 11/12/05  More information added to the 462 pilots page, thanks to Leo Britt for his help

# 12/12/05  Information on Flying Officer Alfred Ball added to 462 Sqn pilots page.

# 20/12/05  New page added (Mission Crew of MZ-461) that were lost on the 24th Feb 1945.

# 20/12/05  New page added (Mission Crew of NA-420) that were lost on the 10th April 1945.

# 28/12/05  Photos of mission crew (NA-420) added.

# 29/12/05  Added details of mission crew (MZ-461)

# 29/12/05  New pages added (Mission Crew of MZ-448 & PN-429)

# 16/01/06  Greg travels to Melbourne to meet and interview Leo Britt

# 29/10/06  Added details of Stewart Pegram from mission crew (MZ-447)

# 05/01/07  Greg receives email from A. Newstead regarding his fellow crew members from 462 Sqn

# Nov 07  Leo Britt contacts Greg and advises him that Prof. Leon Kane-Maguire would like to make contact him as he is writing a book on 462 Sqn. Greg shares all his research material and video interviews of Allan Lodder to help with his research.

# 17/11/07 Greg continues the search for the crash location of MZ467 in Germany. Current research from different sources points towards the village of Ahlingen. Greg has narrowed down the location using Google Earth but very much needs someone in Germany to assist with the research on the ground. Greg sends a few emails off to locals Mayors in the hope that he may be able to find some witnesses that are still alive.

# 12/02/08 ****MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH***** Information received from Rolf Ebnet in Germany who has located the crash site and recovered some remains of the aircraft. From Rolf's first email it seems that he has been researching the crash of MZ-467 for about the same time as myself, three years. This is a major breakthrough in the search. Rolf has just received an email from the local Mayor whom I sent an email two months earlier, but because the Mayor didn't read english he didn't know what the email was about. Thankfully the Mayor and his friend contacted Rolf and contact has been made with myself. I'm very much looking forward to talking with Rolf and finding out more information about this crash which happened such a long time ago. Rolf is in touch with an eyewitness to the crash back in 1945 so I'm very interested to hear anything he has to say. Updates will be posted here as they happen.

# 12/02/08 Added image from Google Earth to the assorted photos page, late last year I looked around on Google Earth and marked on the map what I though might be the general location of the crash site going on all the different bits of information from American and Australian military reports of the time. I will update this image once the exact location has been confirmed.

# 16/02/08 Added image from Google Earth to the assorted photos page which shows the exact location of the crash site, many thanks to Rolf Ebnet. Without Rolf's research from the other side of the world this story might have been lost forever. Thank you Rolf.

# 17/02/08 Received information from Rod M that Ofw, Schmidt made two attacks upon MZ467 from behind and at the same height and fired 200 rounds at a range of 150 metres from the four frontal MG 151/20 cannon on his Ju88 G6. the claim was Schmidt's 15th victory. Source is the combat report (Abschussmeldung) filed by Schmidt on 19-4-45, countersigned by Peter Spoden.

# 18/03/08  Email received from Sgt. Craig Rowland (Unit Historian 462 Sqn) regarding the research that has been carried out regarding the loss of MZ-467. I'm thrilled to hear back from the RAAF after my initial enquiry some time ago and I'm looking forward to sharing all the information gathered with 462 Sqn.

# 22/03/08 Spent the day searching for relatives of the crew of MZ-467 in particular Errol Dallas Tisdell, after many hours of searching and phone calls and the help of many local Taree people I have tracked down a family researcher in Taree who is related to Errol, her name is Tina McCarthy and she is filling in the missing pieces of information regarding Errol. Tina has advised me that Errol has a brother and sister still living in Taree and she will catch up with them in the next day or so and bring them up to date with the research into MZ-467. Great Result !!!!!! Many thanks to the people who helped steer me in the right direction.

# 24/03/08 Family researcher Tina McCarthy from Taree visited Errol Tisdell's brother and sister who are alive and well. Tina said it was a great visit and quite emotional for everyone.

# 5th & 6th May 2008 Greg visits Taree and together with Tina catch up with Errol's brother and sister at their homes, Greg takes photographs and does some short video interviews with the family.

# 11/05/08 Greg receives an email from Diane Fitzmaurice (Sheffield Newspaper) that the request for information notice in their paper that was published on the 3rd May has had a response. The Gentleman who came into the newspaper office was Mr. Fred Kirkland and he was a  friend of Peter Naylor's. Fred informed Greg that Peter and his wife were killed in a plane crash at Innsbruck, Austria in the early fifties. Greg rings and speaks with Fred who was very helpful and friendly. Mr Kirkland used to work with Pete at Queens Road Goods Depot (LMS Railways)  till around 1949, Fred speaks highly of Pete and said he had a great sense of humor.