I have a list of all the names enscribed on the Mirror in Betty's Cafe, York, most of you should know about this.
A moving testament to the popularity of Bettys York during the war years remains to this day Bettys mirror. During the 1940s Bettys housed many mirrors, including a huge picture mirror behind the bar. Here the Bomber Boys, often thousands of miles away from home, used to engrave their name before flying off on dangerous missions. No one is entirely sure how the practice started. One story tells of airman using a waitresss engagement ring to scratch their names on the mirror.
By the end of the war the mirror featured over 600 names. Sadly many of the young men who signed their name never returned from their dangerous missions overseas. Today several sections of the mirror hang in the downstairs Oak Room, as a reminder of Bettys wartime patrons.
Hi, can't see him on my list, but they say their are 600 names on the mirror and no whare near that on the list they sent me, i know some sections were damaged in a bomb blast and lots of names are unrecognisable, so maybe he is somewhare, just out of interest did he train with 1663 hcu or 1658 hcu.
Hello, my father served in 433 Sqdn. He mentioned the bar and scratching his name --- I think he either scratched Butsy 433 or L.J. Butson 433 or just Len Butson --- could you check --- My father was a W/AG in 433 Porcupine Sqdn. Skipton-on-Swale -- not too far from Betty's when on his leaves. Thank you Rod
thanks Jim, That 'Betsy Butson' could be it,... as my dad made many side bets on craps games with groups of airmen while off duty ... they also called him lucky Lenny as he won most times ... he also had luck with him by surviving 36 Ops scattered between Oct. 7 /43 to Oct 15 /44 - 1 op at OTU Wellesbourne on Wellington a/c - with S/L Tait aboard for low level drop at Bois, France and 35 ops aboard Halifax III's out of Skipton-on-Swale, York's. Rod
Hi, Jim,
Can you tell me if the name Jack Ross McCollum appears on your list? He was my brother and he was killed in action piloting MZ907 6U-P on 25th March 1945.
Hello Jim,
Could you please check if my uncles name is on your list. He was Sgt Norris Mervyn Harrison(might have used Sgt Mervyn Harrison)of 76 Squadron Holme-on-Spalding Moor.
I'm looking for a cousin of mine and his crew from 102 Squadron and would be grateful if you could trace any of them:
Sgt Len Starbuck
Flt Lt Ken Wright
W/O Richard Bradbury
Flt Sgt Illtyd Lewis
Sgt Peter (Jack) Fernie
Sgt Ernest Taxeira de Mattos
We visited Betty's (now Tea rooms) recently but could not spot my fatther in law's name so I wondered if you could check for me please? He is F/Sgt Gordon Babbage of 102 Squadron stationed at Pocklington March to November 1943.
I was wondering if my granddad's name is one your list. the name is A.J.Casey and he was in 462 squadron from 1944-1945. He was based at Driffield for a period of time so i am curious to see if he ever wrote his name there.
I was wondering if my granddads name is on your list? His name is A.J.Casey and he was a flight engineer in Halifax's on 462 squadron RAAF. This was from 1944-1945 and i am curious because he was at Driffield for a period of time and was therefore in a position where he could have gone and wrote his name there.
In 2001, I discovered my dad was John Campbell, a Warrant Officer at RAF Dishforth, who as a Flight Sergeant, was a Flight Engineer in 298 Sqn on Halifax LL293 or 4 depending on the source, who was shot down with his Canadian crew plus one Welshman over Stavoren in Holland on Oct14-15th 1944. They were dropping supplies for the Dutch Resistance and their codename was Rummy 6. They flew from Tarrant Rushton in Dorset as part of SOE operations. All survived save the bomb aimer, Harold Ferguson, who drowned as he could not swim, but the rest were hidden by the Dutch Resistance until liberation. The question is:"Did you know this crew, and, if so, do you have any further information about them after 1945?"
Thanks
Cathy Gillespie
P.S. Can you see if his name is on the mirror please, thanks?
Jim, my father "Ray Fournier" and his brother "Roger Fournier" were both over there at the time and were known to frequent the bars. Would you mind checking if there are any FOURNIERS {Roger or Ray} on your list. Thank You.
Hi Jim, My father served with 49 Sqn. and 424 Sqn during the war. I would be interested if the name Allan Harpell is there. He often scratched the initials AH or ARH on his tools. My wife and I will travel from Canada to England and France this July to retrace my fathers path. On July 18, 1944 he was shot down over France and evaded capture with the help of the underground. thanks for help, cheers, Tom
If you are not snowed under from all of the requests could you perhaps see if W/O or P/O Luke Holoway (Pilot of "E" Easy LW674 420 Sqn Tholthorpe) is written at all on the Mirror please?.
