Seeking Pilots(?) Squadron

Hello,
Am looking for the Squadron that this Pilot(?) was serving with at the time of his death.

WALLACE, Alfred Harold - Sgt(Pilot ?) - 791140 - RAF.
Date of death 24/12/1942.
Commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, Egypt.

Alex

According to the Index to Allied airmen Roll of Honour 1939-1945 on Ancestry he served on 1 Repair and Salvage Unit.

Chris

Hello Chris,
Would that indicate whether he was a Pilot ?
As he is linked to a Hurricane in the forums database?
Thanks
Alex

It gives no indication of trade but states he was based at Kilo 40, Egypt.

Chris

Alex,

Alfred Harold Wallace

b. c.1914 (not in E&W?) (NoK (Mother) Dorothy Wallace, Findon, Sussex).
e. mid-Nov 1940 791140 in Block 791100-791200 RAFVR Middle East from 01-Nov-40.
d. 24 Dec 1942 (aged 28). NKG - Alamein Mem Col 262. Lost in desert, or over sea?

HTH
Peter Davies

Hello,
Details from "Flying Training and Support Units Since 1912"

No.1 R & S Unit.
Middle East officially from 20/08/1940 at Kilo 40 on the Cairo Alexandria Road.
Reformed12/10/1942 in the Western Desert.
No.285 and 7 SAAF wings at LG162, Gazala
LG162 31° 24"N by 22° 23"E.
So most probably Sgt WALLACE would not have been a Pilot ?
Which beggs the question as to how/why he became linked to the loss of Hurricane BP503 of 80 Sqn.

Alex

Hello All,

The Block (791100-791200) in which our Alfred Harold Wallace Enlisted is a very strange one. It only has 101 numbers in it and was, apparently, only ‘open’ for a month in the Middle East. I have managed to attach 38 names to numbers in that Block (copied below). Of that 38 some 30 (79%!!!) were subsequently Commissioned into the GD Branch of the RAFVR from NCO rank. This would strongly suggest to me that the Block was specifically ‘invented’ for Middle East pilots/aviators?

Of the remaining 8 names, 2 were Cmd into A&SD, 1 Tech, 2 Eqpt, and the remaining 3 were medal recipients. So I have to disagree with Alex. I think there was a significant likelihood that our man was indeed a pilot (although where Basic Training and Flying Training were carried out I do not know – unless, of course, they were already qualified civilian pilots?).

I would also very much like to read the Citation for 791153 Cpl Francis Cassar on the award of the Greek Order of Phoenix Medal for Outstanding Services with Bar!!! (https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/...upplement/4455). But I suspect that this might stretch Hugh Halliday’s expertise to its limits?!!!

791103 Moon F L A/Flt Sgt Awd 01-Jan-43
791104 Usher Ray Watson W/O Cmd 25-Mar-42 A&SD 117817
791105 Watkins Albert William W/O Cmd 04-Mar-42 Tech 122545
791114 Le Poer Trench John Stapleton Sgt Cmd 31-May-41 GD 101496
791115 Wright Percy Dalton Flt Sgt Cmd 21-Feb-42 GD 121504
791118 McLeish D Flt Sgt Awd 01-Jun-44 MiD
791121 Bigwood Ernest Bramwell Sgt Cmd 22-Jun-45 A&SD 197393
791140 Wallace Alfred Harold Sgt
791142 Backhouse Edward Sgt Cmd 06-Jan-43 GD 142001
791143 Kydd Ian Murray Sgt Cmd 14-Oct-41 GD 112486
791145 Fletcher Robert Gordon Flt Sgt Cmd 14-Aug-44 GD 187477
791146 Kisch Kenneth Neil Sgt Cmd 14-Oct-41 GD 115587
791147 Callaja G Cpl Awd 02-Jun-43 MiD?
791150 Cooper Michael Hadley FrederickFlt Sgt Cmd 03-Oct-42 GD 133025
791152 Whittingham Ambrose Peter W/O Cmd 12-Oct-44 GD 186062
791153 Cassar Francis Cpl Awd 06-Sep-46 Grk Medal
791154 Mulcahy-Morgan John Anthony Sgt Cmd 07-Feb-42 GD 117961
791160 Proctor Roger Sommerville Flt Sgt Cmd 28-Jul-43 GD 158542
791162 Modera John Raymond Stewart Sgt Cmd 02-Dec-41 GD 118474
791163 Mclean John Anderson Sgt Cmd 02-Dec-41 GD 115627
791164 Carnegie John Fraser Flt Sgt Cmd 28-Mar-42 GD 118491
791165 Potter Charles Floyd Sgt Cmd 28-Feb-42 GD 116783
791166 Kettles-Roy Peter Flt Sgt Cmd 27-Mar-44 GD 174614
791167 Abrams John Neville W/O Cmd 25-Jan-45 GD 196771
791170 Besly Michael Richard Sgt Cmd 02-Dec-41 GD 115616
791172 Luck Rolf Cardale Sgt Cmd 04-Nov-41 GD 112349
791174 Matthias Maurice Neville Sgt Cmd 28-Feb-42 GD 119867
791175 Rowe Harold James Sgt Cmd 09-Jan-42 GD 118475
791178 Deller Alan William Sgt Cmd 02-Jan-42 GD 118146
791179 Ruck-Keene William Edmund Sgt Cmd 02-Dec-41 GD 115893
791183 Wilson John Dalton Sgt Cmd 31-Jan-42 GD 120659
791186 Wiles Charles William Sgt Cmd 27-Feb-47 Eqpt 204180
791188 Bastard Laurence George Aggitt Sgt Cmd 12-Feb-43 GD 142581
791191 Williams William Frederick Sgt Cmd 28-Feb-42 GD 116923
791192 Charter John Frederick Sgt Cmd 01-Jun-43 GD 149598
791195 Perry Peter Foy Sgt Cmd 31-Jan-42 GD 120658
791197 Elliott Anthony Maurice Scott Sgt Cmd 06-Dec-41 GD 115623
791199 Welton Jack Robert Sgt Cmd 31-Jan-42 GD 121114
791200 Norman Walter Tuff Sgt Cmd 20-Jun-42 GD 123241

Interesting little thread, this one. I would like to know more.
HTH
Peter Davies

At the time of his death in BP503 Wallace is listed as having 81 hrs on Hurricane, 261 Hrs total.

http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/sho...rections/page6

Ross

Thank you Gentlemen for your time and efforts. All now seems to have been made clear.

So we now have the following -

10th July 1942
SYKES = BN352
(HMAW vol 2) has BP503.
(AB's BA100 - BZ999 2nd Edition) has -
BN352
80
Missing near Abd el Rhaman, 10.7.42.

10th July 1942
HEMPSTEAD = BE358 - ( Pilot and aircraft were not lost on the 10th July 42 ).
(HMAW vol 2) has BN352
33 Sqn ORB for 3rd November42 has BE358 lost with Rennie over sea.
(AB's BA100 - BZ999 2nd Edition) has -
BE358
80/33
Missing from cannon firing test; presumed crashed in sea, 3.11.42.
And
BN352
80
Missing near Abd el Rhaman, 10.7.42.

24th December 1942
WALLACE = BP503.
(HMAW vol 2) has no mention.
(AB's BA100 - BZ999 2nd Edition) has -
BP503
80/40SAAF/1RSU.
Missing on Air test between Tmimi and Tobruk, 24.12.42 cause not known.

So looks like WALLACE's case has been solved .

The second loss with 80 Sqn on the 10th July 42 was P/O Wales(92 Sqdn) who Force landed in BE141,

Thank you all for the combined effort.
Alex

F1180 confirms Rennie in BE358 on 3/11/42 - card originally had BE909 but this has been ruled out, BE358 added with tick sign to denote amendment checked.

no further matching F1180 for 10/7/42 archived

Ross