430930 - Unaccounted Airmen - 30-9-1943

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

UK
F/Sgt(Pilot). Charles William FORDYCE - RAFVR - 1029731 - Minster in Sheppey(SS. Mary & Sexbuga), Kent.
AC2c. Stephen Alfred HUMPHRIES - RAFVR - 1629519 - Brookwood, Surrey.

FRANCE
LAC. Edward George TAYLOR - RAFVR - 997057 - Biguglia, France.
LAC. Henry WATSON - RAFVR - 1658293 - Biguglia, France.

MALTA
Cpl. Ronald AINSWORTH - RAFVR - 1149811 - Malta Memorial, Malta.
AC1c. Alan BOOTH - RAFVR - 1728879 - Malta Memorial, Malta.
LAC. James Edward CRONE - RAF - 613561 - Malta Memorial, Malta.
AC1c. Norman Robert TAYLOR - RAFVR - 1524435 - Malta Memorial, Malta.
LAC. Thomas Reginald WICKS - RAFVR - 1519645 - Malta Memorial, Malta.

ALGERIA
LAC. Raymond Walter CARRECK - RAFVR -1449181 - Bone, Annaba, Algeria.
Cpl. Brian Maurice CASSON - RAFVR - 1381280 - Bone, Annaba, Algeria.

EGYPT
Sgt. Clifford PLATT - RAFVR - 1199632 - Alamein, Egypt.
F/Lt. Francis Evelyn George RASHLEIGH DFC - RAF - 41064 - Alamein, Egypt.

All for now
Alex

[Mikkel Plannthin]

PRATT and RASHLEIGH
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/archive/index.php?t-28867.html

Mikkel

[dennis_burke]

The five men missing on Malta are listed on the GRO listings as
8001 AMES Ainsworth, Crone, Wicks
8003 AMES Booth, Taylor

8001 was based in Corsica from September 1943, 8003 was there also but UK NA makes not date entry.
i'd imagine

They are all listed in Cas Comm's as PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MISSING, BELIEVED KILLED ON ACTIVE SERVICE, NOW PRESUMED KILLED ON ACTIVE SERVICE

Presuming they were on on a naval vessel, I looked at
http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1943-09SEP.htm

And there was the loss of LST79, sunk by aerial torpedo in Corsica harbour.
http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/16/160079.htm

This book on google books mentions that LST79 was carrying 'secret' radar equipment for Corsica.
Targeted by the CIA: An Intelligence Professional Speaks Out on the Scandal that Turned the CIA Upside Down
by S. Peter Karlow

As Malcolm points out below, got to post just before me, E G Taylor and Watson are also 8001 AMES and are buried in CORSICA, some of the locals might have issues with it being French.

[dennis_burke]

Casson is listed as Died on Active service, its hard to imagine that Carreck is not the same, but his name does not appear in Flight magazine. Perhaps he was missed, or I'm unable to find him. Same unit same day.

[malcolm_raf]

F/Sgt(Pilot). Charles William FORDYCE - RAFVR - possiblt Oxford MP344 of 3 (P) AFU.
AC2c. Stephen Alfred HUMPHRIES - RAFVR - registered in Greenwich.

FRANCE
LAC. Edward George TAYLOR - RAFVR - also with 8001 AMES, so also possibly linked to LST79
LAC. Henry WATSON - RAFVR - 1658293 - also with 8001 AMES, so also possibly linked to LST79

ALGERIA
LAC. Raymond Walter CARRECK - RAFVR -889 AMES
Cpl. Brian Maurice CASSON - RAFVR - 889 AMES

Malcolm

[Ross_McNeill]

F1180 confirms Fordyce as only casualty on MP344.

Regards
Ross

[dennis_burke]

S A Humphries is DOAS,

others from Henk's spread sheet that may need a mention

He also had Sgt (Pilot) Donald R MacKay of 601 Sqn, cremated in London, death registered in Battersea. Henk noted he might have been recovered from the sea? Might also be a died from wounds maybe? Can't find him in Flight magazine.
Alex has asked the question on TOCH but I think this hypothesis was a guess by Henk.
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?p=170253

AC1 Robert Reeves of 936/7 Balloon Sqdn, Died on Active service, death in, probably Newcastle upon Tyne district aged 40

[angelsonefive]

Here is a possibility for Donald MacKay's Spitfire.

Mark IX MA473.

" Middle East 1-8-43 SOC 30-9-43 Salvage bboc Middle East 1-11-43..."

[Ross_McNeill]

MA473 is not one of the operational spitfires in No.601 Sqn ORB during the period August 1943 to Dec 1943.

So unlikely to have been assigned to this unit.

Regards
Ross

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
I did think it might have been JF446 but the AB Book JA100-JZ999 has the date as 29-10-1943.
Any chance that the month might be a typo error ?
Or can the date be confirmed ?
Alex