Thorpe St Andrew schoolboys who became RAF flight engineers

Authors Dale Wiseman and John Balls with the new book Thorpe St Andrew 1939-45 The War Memorial (Image: Richard Balls)
 
As a result of the article they received messages from Jill Harvey and one from a family member about a gentleman called Ray Parke.
 
It turned out these two were connected by one name, David Jessie Dowe.
 
Jill was David’s niece and Ray had been a great friend of his when they were at school together. They met up for the first time and were able to share memories and photographs.

Ray and Eva Parke, seated, with John Balls and Dale Wiseman, either end. David Dowe’s niece Jill Harvey and her husband Keith are in the middle (Image: Nick Wahlberg)
 
Both David and Ray joined the RAF in 1943 and while Ray survived….David died.
 
They had been Thorpe boys who were pals at the National School on School Lane. They then went on to Hillside Middle School and loved larking about in Thorpe – and at Jenner’s Boatyard.
 Three lads messing about on a boat hired from Jenner’s at Thorpe. David Dowe is on the left and Ray Parke on the right. (Image: Family Collection)
But times were changing…we were at war. Fighting for our freedom.
 
Sgt David Dowe joined the RAF and became part of the 463 Squadron RAAF which was a Royal Australian Air Force heavy bombing squadron.
 
The motto for 463 Squadron is “Press on Regardless.”
 
The young Flight Engineer was engaged on bombing raids across Germany, France and Norway before being killed with other members of the crew when their Lancaster was attacked and crashed over France on June 1944.
 Remembrance Day 2022. Ray with Fraser Gambling and Dale Wiseman at Thorpe Memorial (Image: Dale Wise)
His school friend Ray also joined the RAF saying: “My best friend at school David Dowe, who was four months older than me, joined the RAF as a flight engineer, so I wanted to be a flight engineer.”
 
He was involved in more than 40 missions in a Lancaster across war-torn Europe…and there is one training flight he remembers well. Flying over parents’ house at 190 Yarmouth Road – so low he could see the washing on the line.
 Ray on Remembrance day 2022 with Dale Wiseman (Image: Dale Wiseman)
Ray went on to became an instructor at RAF Silverstone teaching the next generation about life in Lancaster and Bomber Command.
 
After the war he got a job with Norwich Union and settled down with his wife Eva and they had two children.
 
Then, following our story, Ray, became part of the Thorpe WW2 project when Dale Wiseman and John Balls were researching the war memorial book in Thorpe.
 
“Since then,” said Dale, “Ray has been visiting ATC centres, libraries and social events to spread the word about his experiences in WW2 and his life after that.

Ray Parke with Fraser Gambling at the Remembrance Service (Image: Paul Green)
 
“Ray had the wonderful experience to lead the Remembrance Parade on River Green. This was a special day for him, his family, and the town of Thorpe,” added Dale.
 
This was the first time he had had the chance to honour his school friend David Dowe.
 
But then…
 
“In March a group of seven members of the History Group had the pleasure to take Ray to Duxford and experience their Lancaster experience.
 An emotional moment for Ray when he took a look inside a Lancaster bomber at Duxford (Image: Jared Gambling)
“The team at Duxford made Ray feel very special and when he was able to actually enter the Lancaster for the first time in 79 years, there were tears to behold, The day before this visit was the anniversary of the last trip he made in a Lancaster during the year, he said.
 
Now that is community spirit at its very best.
 
Ray will be 98 years old on April 22. Happy birthday Ray…and thank you.
 
A handful of copies of Thorpe St Andrew The War Memorial by John Balls and Dale Wiseman are for sale at City Books in Norwich.