Sgt Claude Terriere from Mauritius.

[Adrian Roberts]

I know the speciality of this site is the contribution of Commonwealth Forces to the war effort.

While looking on the Lost Bombers website to research my Lancaster model (progressing very slowly), I came across this young man, Sgt C Terriere. He was the navigator in Lancaster NF936, of 101 (Special Duties) sqdn, lost on 4-5/11/44, during a raid on Bochum. The entry states that he was from Mauritius, and at 19 years old was one of the youngest navigators in bomber command.

Cross-referencing to CWGC gave little other information other than that the C was for Claude. I wondered how many men volunteered from Mauritius, especially as although a commonwealth country it is culturally French, and whether Claude would have been white, of French ancestry, or of mixed race, European/Indian or African. Googling only brought up this link (needs translating from French), a biography of his uncle who was the first Mauritian to be Colonial Secretary to the Governer. Its difficult to tell if the man in the photo is white or non-white.

Any comments?


Biographies: Jean Orphée Terrière

[alieneyes]

In Bomber Command alone I count six, including Sgt Terriere, whom I have a little bit on

I also have a biography of F/O Pierre Ythier, with photograph, lost on 23/2/45 while on 150 Sqn which I'll post in the morning.

Dave

Edit: I will post the biography of P/O Ythier. It is longer than I thought and I must type it out. Due to copyright restrictions, which this site honours without fail, I cannot publish his photograph.

[Amrit]

There were a number of Mauritius Companies in the Pioneer Corps, as well as in other units and services. As for the RAF, there are 19 on the CWGC with a Mauritius connection:

[Adrian Roberts]

As for the RAF, there are 19 on the CWGC with a Mauritius connection:

How were you able to find this out - is there a way of sorting this information in a search?

[Oggie2620]

I can't help you with that but Jerome has a photo I sent him of someone from Mauritius that I sent him in error.
Dee

[Oggie2620]

I can't help you with that but Jerome has a photo I sent him of someone from Mauritius that I sent him in error.
Dee

[alieneyes]

How were you able to find this out - is there a way of sorting this information in a search?

Hi Adrian,

Just go here:

Geoff's 1939-47 Search Engine

Take your favourite beverage because when you first use Geoff Search Engine you will be there for hours.

You can sort by cemetery, regiment, date, country and a myriad of other options.

There is also another one for WWI.

Dave

[alieneyes]

There were a number of Mauritius Companies in the Pioneer Corps, as well as in other units and services. As for the RAF, there are 19 on the CWGC with a Mauritius connection:

Amrit, interesting how several of the Mauritian KIAs have service numbers starting with 168.

We'll have to get the list out and see where they enlisted and at what time

[Oggie2620]

Geoff's 1939-47 Search Engine


Dave

Have put the website on Rootschat as they regularly get requests from people on their about military stuff.

Dee

[Jerome]

As an addenda to Dave's post - Geoff also has a AFM search engine - for post war; and Adrian take a snack as well as a beverage when using Geoff's search engines! Be advised, the search engine will only turn up what the CWGC has on file - quite a few of my West Indians had no next of kin details and so never showed up using s specific country search term. And yep, Dee sent me a headstone pic of Largesse