Museum wishes to honour brave wartime pilot who died in 1944

THE search for news of a Formby airman continues after his identity was queried this week.
Last October, Times Past publicised the quest of Surrey’s Wings Museum to track down the relatives or next of kin of Formby airman Ernest Fleetwood Street Till, in a plan to honour him with a plaque.
Serving under the name of Pilot Officer EFS Travis, he died aged 34 in June 1944 at Surrey’s Redhill Aerodrome when the guns of a Spitfire standing on the airfield were accidentally fired by the pilot. The aerodrome claimed records showed he was the son of Mabel Till and Pte Alan Gordon Till, who was in the Australian Infantry and was killed in action at Gallipoli in 1915, aged 29.
However relatives of Alan Gordon Till have got in touch to tell us that he had no children, and could not be PO Travis’ father. Irene Gordon Till from Dorset spotted the mistake online. She said: “The Alan Gordon Till who was killed in Gallipoli was single and his next of kin was his mother when he died. My father-in-law is Alan Gordon Till’s younger brother and there’s nobody in the family who have ever heard of him having a son.”
However, part of PO Travis’ Formby roots were uncovered by history researcher John Rowlands from Formby in December.
He says the airman, who signed up to the RAF in October 1942, is listed as one of the fallen on Formby’s War Memorial.
After trawling through newspapers from 1944, plus the archives of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, he also uncovered evidence of his life in Southport.
Reports suggest that he worked in Southport’s evacuation office prior to the RAF and was a member of Churchtown Conservative Club and North Meols Tennis Club.
Mr Rowlands also discovered that PO Travis, who is buried in Birkdale Cemetery, achieved the more senior rank of flying control officer.
Records also show that he listed his home as Formby and was also married to a Formby woman named Elizabeth Everard Travis.
If you can help the Wings Museum honour PO Travis, or have any information about his family, let us know at Times Past.
If you recognise anyone on this week’s photos or have a tale for Times Past call Emma on 872 237, e-mail newsdesk@formbytimes.co.uk or write to Formby Times, 17 Elbow Lane, Formby L37 4AD.

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