431222 - Unaccounted Airmen - 22-12-1943

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

431222 - Unaccounted Airmen - 22-12-1943

From Henk's list -

UK
BOWEN, Gerald Matthew - AC2 - 3005597 - RAFVR - Halstead (St. Margaret), Kent.
COCKBURN, George Younnie - W/O - 344580 - RAF - Thornaby-On-Tees, Yorkshire.
REYNOLDS, Norman - AC2 - 1665275 - RAFVR - Neath (Ynysymaerdy), Glamorganshire.

From CWGC & Geoff's sites -

CANADA
CRAIG, Charles Fairweather - Sgt - 1266276 - RAFVR - Ottawa Memorial, Ontario, Canada.
MORTON, Hugh Weir (USA) - F/L - C7289 - RCAF - Toronto (Prospect), Ontario, Canada.
SWIRE, William - Sgt - 1337191 - RAFVR - Ottawa Memorial, Ontario, Canada.

Alex

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

CANADA - CRAIG & SWIRE.

22-12-1943
No.111(C) OTU
Mitchell II FR376

Took off Oakes Field, approx. 2000Z, captained by P/O J. C. McLean RCAF, or P/O A J Wilcox RAAF, on a non-operational flight with a pupil crew to do a routine 2.5 hour navigational night exercise. A ground test of the radio before take off was the last contact with the aircraft which did not use R/T after take off.

Three weeks later, the wreck of the aircraft was subsequently discovered in 10 feet of water, seven miles east of Nassau, Bahamas, and about 6.5 miles from the airfield. The aircraft had completely disintegrated, and there was no trace of any survivors. There were strong tides running in the crash area.

AUS424499 P/O (1st Pupil Pilot) Arthur Jack WILLCOX RAAF +
J/28658 P/O (2nd Pupil Pilot) John Charles McLEAN RCAF +
J/13257 F/O (Pupil Nav.) Hibbert Douglas FRYE RCAF +
1266276 Sgt (Pupil W.Op./Air Gnr.) Charles Fairweather CRAIG RAFVR +
NZ421988 F/Sgt (Pupil W.Op./Air Gnr.) Bernard Norman PETERSEN RNZAF +
1337191 Sgt (Pupil W.Op./Air Gnr.) William SWIRE RAFVR +

All commemorated on the Ottawa Memorial.

See:

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

See: p.521 of 535. (per Alan Storr).

and... FYT2/173.

[malcolm_raf]

Hi

BOWEN, Gerald Matthew - AC2 - registered in Weston-super-Mare.
COCKBURN, George Younnie - W/O - registered in Bucklow.
REYNOLDS, Norman - AC2 - registered in Swansea.

Malcolm

[dennis_burke]

H W Weir RCAF died of Natural causes, leukemia.

Bowen, Cockburn are both DOAS. Died on active service
http://www.skynet.ie/~dan/war/flight...nscription.htm

Norman Reynolds is not appearing the Flight or Aeroplane magazines.

[Martyn A Critchlow]

BOWEN, Gerald Matthew - AC2 - 3005597
The Western Daily Press in several issues from Dec 1943 report he was at the West School of Technical Training, and that his body was found on the railway line.

via British Newspaper Archive

Martyn

[malcolm_raf]

I suspect Bowen was at 5 SoTT at Locking as there wasn't a West SoTT.

Malcolm

[jonheyworth]

I have Bowen, who lived at new stables farm sevenoaks, being found 2 miles from 5 SOTT in the road suffering from a head injury believed to have been caused by a vehicle, dying in hospital nearly 3 weeks later