431229 - Unaccounted Airmen - 29-12-1943

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

431229 - Unaccounted Airmen - 29-12-1943

From Henk's list -

BANGLADESH
GIBNEY, Thomas Michael - AC1c - 1354605 - RAFVR - Maynamati, Bangladesh.

SOUTH AFRICA
SMITH, John C - Air Sgt - 45637V - SAAF - Potchefstroom, North West, South Africe.
WRIGHT, John Ernest - Cpl - 1067908 - RAFVR - Johannesburg (West Park), Gauteng, South Africa.

UK
BRYAN, James - AC2c - 3000728 - RAFVR - Uppingham (SS.Peter & Paul), Rutland.
FOG, John Howard Peel _ Cpl - 636311 - RAF - Plymouth City, Devon.
GIBSON, Ronald - F/O - 151559 - RAFVR - Runnymede memorial, Surrey.
GUTHRIE, Thomas - F/O - 156316 -RAFVR - Runnymede Memorial, Surrey.
HILLIER, Victor Wilfred - LAC - 1317989 - RAFVR - Fleur-De-Lis Church, Monmouthshire.
JOHNSON, William Henry Fagan - P/O - 53063 - RAF - Liverpool (Allerton), Lancashire.

From CWGC & Geoff's sites -

SOUTH AFRICA
Hudson, Edward - Sgt - 520525 - RAF - Durban (Stellawood), Kwazulu Natal, South Africa.

UK
DEAN, Eric Alfred - Sgt (A/G) - 2211152 - RAFVR - Stafford, Staffordshire..[Wellington III - X3883 - 30 OTU ].
JONES, John Morgan - F/S (Pilot) - 1313908 - RAFVR - Bwlchygroes Independent, Cardiganshire.
JOYCE, Thomas Baden - Sgt (A/G) - 1323846 - RAFVR - Stafford, Staffordshire..[Wellington III - X3883 - 30 OTU ].
KELLEY, David - F/O (Pilot) - 151206 - RAFVR - Streatham Park, Surrey.
LUPTON, John - F/S (Pilot) - 1381331 - RAFVR - Sheffield Crematorium, Yorkshire.
MILLER, Horace William - Sgt (WoP/A/G) - 1470915 - RAFVR - Burrough Green (St. Augustine), Cambridgeshire.[Wellington III - X3883 - 30 OTU ].
MILLS, Terence Frank Henry - Sgt (Pilot) - 1337341 - RAFVR - Hastings, Sussex.
SUNDERLAND, Harold - F/S (Nav) - 1450708 - RAFVR - Bradford(Scholemoor), Yorkshire.
WHITEHEAD, Joseph - Sgt(Nav) - 1456667 - RAFVR - Sheffield (City Road), Yorkshire.[Wellington III - X3883 - 30 OTU ].

ZIMBABWE
BELL, Norman Robert - AC2c (Pilot U/T) - 1685654 - RAFVR - Harare (Pioneer), Zimbabwe.

Alex

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

UK (I) - GIBSON & GUTHRIE

29-12-1943
No.12 Radio School
Anson I EG220

Briefed to search for a missing Oxford* from a morning training flight on 29 December 1943. Took off 1335, and proceeded on a square search around a position 12 miles from St Athan on a bearing of 260deg. (the last known position of the Oxford).

After searching this area EG220 was ordered to search the northern edge of the Radio School flying area, which extended to the St Govan lightship south of Pembroke Dock, and return to base by 1630. At 1615, the weather was cloudy 6/10ths with a base of 1/2000 feet. Visibility 6-10 miles.

Various messages were received from EG220, with the final message sent at 1622 "l am closing down now", which is the normal closing down signal prior to landing. As the aircraft did not land, flying control was notified at 1645, and search procedures instituted. The following day all available aircraft conducted searches without success.

151559 F/O (Pilot) Ronald GIBSON RAFVR +
156316 F/O (2nd Pilot) Thomas GUTHRIE RAFVR +
AUS402890 P/O (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Francis Frey STOKES RAAF +

All commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

See: http://www.awm.gov.au/catalogue/rese...9125z019_1.pdf

See: p.471 of 535. (per: Alan Storr).

* No.12 RS Oxford II AS901 - Engine cut; ditched in the Bristol Channel 29-12-1943.

Col.

[malcolm_raf]

Hi

BANGLADESH
GIBNEY, Thomas Michael - AC1 - serving with 169 Wing.

SOUTH AFRICA
WRIGHT, John Ernest - Cpl - DOAS with 52 AMES
Hudson, Edward - Sgt - serving at Air Depot Pretoria.

UK
DEAN, Eric Alfred - Sgt (A/G) - confirmed in Wellington III - X3883 - 30 OTU.
JONES, John Morgan - F/S (Pilot) - not Eng/Wales.
JOYCE, Thomas Baden - Sgt (A/G) - confirmed in Wellington III - X3883 - 30 OTU.
KELLEY, David - F/O (Pilot) - not Eng/Wales.
LUPTON, John - F/S (Pilot) - registered in Truro.
MILLER, Horace William - Sgt (WoP/A/G) - confirmed in Wellington III - X3883 - 30 OTU.
MILLS, Terence Frank Henry - Sgt (Pilot) - killed whilst flying in Oxford I, LW730 of No 11 (P) AFU, which flew into the ground at Ryton Croft during a night training flight.
SUNDERLAND, Harold - F/S (Nav) - registered in Truro.
WHITEHEAD, Joseph - Sgt(Nav) - confirmed in Wellington III - X3883 - 30 OTU.
BRYAN, James - AC2 - registered in Fylde.
FOGG, John Howard Peel _ Cpl - registered in Newton Abbott.
HILLIER, Victor Wilfred - LAC - not Eng/Wales?.
JOHNSON, William Henry Fagan - P/O - not Eng/Wales?.

ZIMBABWE
BELL, Norman Robert - AC2 (Pilot U/T) - not listed in GRO lists.

Malcolm

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

UK (2) - LUPTON & SUNDERLAND.

29-12-1943
No.1 OADU
Boston III W8370

Flew into ground 2m S of St.Agnes after take-off from Portreath.

1381331 F/Sgt (Pilot) John LUPTON RAFVR +
1450708 F/Sgt (Nav.) Harold SUNDERLAND RAFVR +
1 - Seriously injured - name ?
1 - Slightly Injured - name ?

http://www.rafdavidstowmoor.org/cras...943-crash-log/

Col.

[dennis_burke]

its not an answer really but the casualty list that give Lupton and Sunderland as KOAS has the following injured:
WOUNDED OR INJURED ON ACTIVE SERVICE —
P/O. G. D. Bain;
F/O. C. F. Hall;
A/C.2 R. W. Hallam;
Flt. Sgt. C. A. E James.

So, maybe ignoring Hallam, three to chose from or maybe none of the above.

1238927 George Dunwoody BAIN (161481). i6th Oct 1943. was only just published in the London Gazette, but served on into the 1970's.
While the name is more common maybe there was a fresh officer with rank and initials matching, surprisingly only one match for initials in the London Gazette.
Cpls. 960780 Charles Frederick HALL (136434). 18th Dec. 1942.

[dennis_burke]

T M Gibney, J E Wright, J Bryan, Sgt E Hudson, Act. P/O. F. W. H. Johnson; (note the sequence of initials)
All DOAS per
http://www.skynet.ie/~dan/war/flight...nscription.htm

No sign of Fogg, Hillier,

There is a Fagan W H JOhnson aged 25 registered in Oxfrod District in Q4, 1943. Wills Calender gives place of death as Radcliffe Infirmery, Oxford.

There is a 23 yr old Wilfred V Hillier registered in Haverfordwest district, Q1 1944

I cannot find the SAAF J C Smith in a casualty list

The name David Kelley aged 21 appears in Beith district, Ayr Scotland during 1943

Jones does seem to be in Scotland, there is a 49 year old in Sutton COldfield district but i would guess thats a bit too old for the candidate, no age on CWGC to assist.

[AL90]

F/O David Kelly Typhoon JR218 186Sqn

Alan.

[dennis_burke]

We discussed the Typhoon once before: http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/sho...crashes-in-Ayr

[Martyn A Critchlow]

GIBNEY, Thomas Michael - AC1c - 1354605

Accidentally killed India. Died from a skull fracture as a result of a motor cycle accident.

Martyn

[wwrsimon]

Hello

SOUTH AFRICA
WRIGHT, John Ernest - Cpl - 1067908 - the Manchester Eveing News of Janaury 4th 1944 carried the follwoing announcement:

WRIGHT - On December 29, 1943, at Baragwanath Military Hospital, Johannesburg, S.A., L.A.C. JOHN ERNEST WRIGHT, aged 34.

Hudson, Edward - Sgt - 520525 - the Clitheroe Advertiser of January 14th 1944 reported the following:

TWISTON AIRMAN'S DEATH
Sergeant Instructor Edward Hudson, of Twiston, Downham, only son of Mrs. Tarn, Wood Farm, Rimington, has died following an illness in Durban, South Africa. Sergt. Hudson, who was 29 years of age, had been in the R.A.F. for more than eight years. After serving in Iraq for two years he went to Egypt, and it was while in the latter country that he was taken ill. He was taken to a South African hospital, where he died.

UK
JONES, John Morgan - F/S (Pilot) - 1313908 - a family tree on ancestry.co.uk records that he died in a flying accident in Scotland. The Graves Registration Report Form lists his unit as 2 T.E.U. The tree includes the following information:

John Morgan Jones, Flight Sergeant (Pilot), 1313908, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. John was the Brother of Tom Jones, Post Office, Pentrecwrt. He volunteered to serve with the Royal Air Force, and was posted to No. 58 Operational Training Unit at RAF Tealing near, Angus, Scotland, for training as a fighter pilot. On 29 December 1943, John was flying Spitfire P8650, when he hit some trees during a low flying exercise, and crashed. John was killed in the accident, and was brought home for burial at Bwlchygroes Independent Chapel graveyard. Source: Llangynllo War Memorial - Cardiganshire.

KELLEY, David - F/O (Pilot) - 151206 - the Statutory Deaths Register on the Scotland's People website records that he died at 12.00 noon, 300 yards west of Nettlehirst Farm, Beith, due to an aircraft accident. The Graves Registration Report Form lists his unit as 56 O.T.U.


Regards

Simon