440229 - Unaccounted Airwoman & Airmen - 29-2-1944

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

440229 - Unaccounted Airwoman & Airmen - 29-2-1944

From Henk's list -

WAAF
DAWSON, Dora Rhoda - ACW2 - 2037954 - WAAF - ashington (Holy Sepulchre), Northumberland.

EGYPT
DICKIE, Kenneth Dickson - LAC - 1651581 - RAFVR - Heliopolis, Egypt - DOAS

SOUTH AFRICA
GIBB, John David - AC2c (Pilot U/T) - 1672288 - RAFVR - Vereenining Old Town, Gauteng, South africa - (CWGC: David John ) - [ Harvard III - 7456 (ex - EX829) - 22 AS ].

UK
CAMPBELL, John Allan - Sgt - 1565316 - RAFVR - Cathcart, Renfrewshire.[DOAS].
CROUCH, Gordon M (RAAF) - F/S - 414655 -
FLYNN, George - F/S - 348108 - RAF - Ashington (St. Aidan's) R C, Northumberland.
GUEST, Edward H - AC1c - 1026799 -
HAYCRAFT, Thomas Adolphus - Cpl - 1140842 - RAFVR - Ilminster, Somerset.
JEPSON, Vincent - AC2c - 2201129 - RAFVR - Moston (St. Joseph's) R C, Lancashire.

From CWGC & Geoff's site's -

INDIA
ROMER, Jack Harry - Cpl - 1437796 - RAFVR - Kirkee, India.

PAKISTAN
DOYLEND, Angus Samuel - Cpl - 1153190 - RAFVR - Karachi, Pakistan.
MIDDLETON, Percy Edward - Cpl - 356470 - RAF - Karachi, Pakistan.

UK
JACKS, Alfred Ernest - Sgt - 1389970 - RAFVR - Runnymede Memorial, Surrey. [ Whitley V - LA787 - 10 OTU ].
LARNER, Ronald James - F/S - 1206400 - RAFVR - Runnymede memorial, surrey. [ Whitley V - LA787 - 10 OTU ].
LOUGHRIN, Robert Thomas Garth - Sgt (Flt/Engr) - 1796421 - RAFVR - Harrogate (Stonefall), Yorkshire.
MOY-THOMAS, James Alan - F/L - 66643 - RAFVR - Cambridge City, Cambridgeshire.
OWEN, John Trevor - F/L (A/G) - 108073 - RAFVR - Bangor (Llandegai Road), Caernarvonshire.
PROUTEN, Herbert John - Sgt - 902514 - RAFVR - Runnymede Memorial, Surrey. [ Whitley V - LA787 - 10 OTU ].
SHUTTLEWORTH, Robert Baxter - Sgt - 1522202 - RAFVR - Runnymede Memorial, Surrey. [ Whitley V - LA787 - 10 OTU ].
SMITH, George William - Sgt - 818186 - RAF (Auxiliary Air Force) - Runnymede Memorial, Surrey. [ Whitley V - LA787 - 10 OTU ].

Alex

[malcolm_raf]

Hi

EGYPT
DICKIE, Kenneth Dickson - LAC - serving at HQ Middle East- DOAS

SOUTH AFRICA
GIBB, John David - AC2 (Pilot U/T) - Harvard III - 7456 (ex - EX829) - 22 AS.

INDIA
ROMER, Jack Harry - Cpl - serving at 15 Signal School.

PAKISTAN
DOYLEND, Angus Samuel - Cpl - serving at 317 MU.
MIDDLETON, Percy Edward - Cpl - serving at 7 SoTT.

UK
DAWSON, Dora Rhoda - ACW2 - registered in Newcastle upon Tyne.
CAMPBELL, John Allan - Sgt - not Eng/Wales.[DOAS].
CROUCH, Gordon M (RAAF) - F/S -killed whilst flying in Hurricane, ? of No 63 OTU, which dived into the ground at Barton-on-the-Heath.
FLYNN, George - F/S - registered in Northallerton.
GUEST, Edward H - AC1 - registered in Westminster CWGC has death as 29 Jan 1944
HAYCRAFT, Thomas Adolphus - Cpl - registered in Newton Abbott.
JEPSON, Vincent - AC2 - not Eng/Wales?.
JACKS, Alfred Ernest - Sgt - Whitley V - LA787 - 10 OTU.
LARNER, Ronald James - F/S - Whitley V - LA787 - 10 OTU.
LOUGHRIN, Robert Thomas Garth - Sgt (Flt/Engr) - killed whilst flying in Halifax II, JD386 'T' of No 1666 HCU, which crashed in a spiral dive near Scunthorpe after control was lost during a daytime navigation exercise.
MOY-THOMAS, James Alan - F/L - registered in Norwich.
OWEN, John Trevor - F/L (A/G) - registered in Holywell.
PROUTEN, Herbert John - Sgt - Whitley V - LA787 - 10 OTU.
SHUTTLEWORTH, Robert Baxter - Sgt - Whitley V - LA787 - 10 OTU.
SMITH, George William - Sgt - Whitley V - LA787 - 10 OTU.

Malcolm

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

(UK) - AUS414655 CROUCH, Gordon Maxwell RAAF.

29-2-1944
No.63 OTU
Hurricane I 327 (originally L2021, to Canada, returned to UK - serial confused with AG327/RCAF 1369).

Took off Honiley on a non-operational night training flight. Dived into the ground and exploded 0230, at Village-on-the-Heath, Warwickshire. The aircraft was engaged in VHF homing vectors and bombing practice at time of loss.

AUS414655 F/Sgt (Pilot) Gordon Maxwell CROUCH RAAF +

See: http://www.crashsiteorkney.com/BAAC_Code_of_Conduct.doc

Col.

[Martyn A Critchlow]

HAYCRAFT, Thomas Adolphus - 'died in a Military Hospital in the South West'.

No indication as the which hospital or cause of death.

Source - Taunton Courier, and Western Advertiser - 11 March 1944
via British Newspaper Archive

Martyn

[malcolm_raf]

Possibly Torquay as that falls into the Newton Abbot registration dsistrict

Malcolm

[Bill Walker]

One comment and one question on the 63 OTU Hurricane:

It was still carrying the RCAF 3 digit serial when it crashed.

Another source lists the crash location as Barton-on-the-Heath, Warwickshire. Can anyone confirm which name is correct?

[alclark]

F/L J.T. Owen - Mustang AG535, No.41 OTU, crashed at Nannerch, Flintshire.

[Markshu]

Hi George Smith is my grandfather and he was shot down over France possibly ???? I wish i knew more. He died 24 days before his first and only child (my mum) was born leaving a 19 year old widow. She had a wonderful upbringing in South Wales , a large loving supportive family full of cousins , uncles and aunts . Does anyone know how i can find out who else was on the plane , two names above his have the same reference number , thanks

[Resmoroh]

Markshu Hi, and welcome.

This might be yr Grandfather's crew (from Malcolm's RAFWEB)

This looks like the crew
29-Feb LARNER, RONALD JAMES (1206400) age: 32 RAFVR Flt Sgt He was killed whilst flying in Whitley V LA787 of No 10 OTU, which was lost without a trace during a Nickel raid to the St Quenton area. He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial
29-Feb SMITH, GEORGE WILLIAM (818186) age: 31 AuxAF Sgt
29-Feb JACKS, ALFRED ERNEST (1389970) age: 23 RAFVR Sgt
29-Feb PROUTEN, HERBERT JOHN (902514) age: 33 RAFVR Sgt
29-Feb SHUTTLEWORTH, ROBERT BAXTER (1522202) age: 21 RAFVR Sgt

If there are any acronyms , etc, you don't understand then just shout. Somebody will know!

HTH
Peter Davies

[jossleclercq]

Hello Markshu

Welcome to the board.

Your grandfather was flying a twin engined bomber, Whitley V serial number LA787. He was still in the training syllabus, in No. 10 Operational Training Unit and had not yet joined an operational Squadron. But crews under training in OTUs sometimes carried out missions, like leaflets dropping. These were codenamed "Nickel". On the night 29 February / 1st March 1944, your grand father was flying such a mission. The CWGC register doesn't show his trade, but I suspect he was an air bomber. The pilote was Sgt R.J. LARNER, the rest of the crew were Sgt R.B. SHUTTEWORTH (Navigator ?), Sgt A.E. JACKS (Wireless operator air gunner ?) and Sgt H.J. PROUTEN (air gunner ?).

They took off at 1902 from Abingdon and set course for St Quentin area (indeed, that's in France). The crew was lost without trace and they are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

All details from W.R. Chorley's book Bomber Command Losses 1944. This author adds that unusually, 3 of the crew were in their 30s, a quite senior age for aspiring crews.

Hope this helps

Joss