441107 - Unaccounted Airmen - 7-11-1944

[jonheyworth]

David Postlethwaite 1022686

Leslie Patrick Orrom 1281687

Archibald Cyril Coward 1354119

All attached to Number 3 AA Practice camp, died when an aircraft crashed into the cottage in which they were billetted near Debden Airfield

They are NOT Associated with the loss of Oxford LX683

[Madcat11]

I think Coward, Orrom and Postlethwaite need looking at again. Their death is registered at Deben (one time district in Suffolk) and not Debden (Essex). This fits with 3 AA Practice Camp being at RAF Ipswich.

42-97561 B-17 Flying Fortress 42-97561 | American Air Museum in Britain

Delivered Denver 21/12/43; 1SAG Langley 12/1/44; Scott 18/1/44; Langley 21/1/44; Assigned 413BS/96BG Snetterton (H2X) 3/2/44; transferred 349BS/100BG [XR-S] Thorpe Abbotts 4/2/44; on practice mission 7/11/44 with John Dyatt, co-pilot: Capt Stan Clark, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Don Gustavson, passenger: LAC Archie Coward (RAF clerk), passenger: LAC Les Orrom (RAF ord), passenger: Cpl Dave Postlethwaite (RAF armorer) (6 Killed in Service); Navigator: Ralph Bohisson (WIS), Bombardier: Preston Wallace, lead nav-Harry Tennebaum, Radio Operator: Nelson McClain, Waist gunner: Gus Kienitz, Tail gunner: Cornelius Romano WIS, passenger: Fl/Lt Duck King (i/c RAF party) WIS (7 Returned to Duty); recorded that flare set off to indicate lead ship exploded in fuselage, aircraft caught fire and crashed Felixstowe, Suffolk, UK. destroying cottages and a chapel, salvaged 9/11/44.

[jonheyworth]

I think Coward, Orrom and Postlethwaite need looking at again. Their death is registered at Deben (one time district in Suffolk) and not Debden (Essex). This fits with 3 AA Practice Camp being at RAF Ipswich.

42-97561 B-17 Flying Fortress 42-97561 | American Air Museum in Britain

Delivered Denver 21/12/43; 1SAG Langley 12/1/44; Scott 18/1/44; Langley 21/1/44; Assigned 413BS/96BG Snetterton (H2X) 3/2/44; transferred 349BS/100BG [XR-S] Thorpe Abbotts 4/2/44; on practice mission 7/11/44 with John Dyatt, co-pilot: Capt Stan Clark, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Don Gustavson, passenger: LAC Archie Coward (RAF clerk), passenger: LAC Les Orrom (RAF ord), passenger: Cpl Dave Postlethwaite (RAF armorer) (6 Killed in Service); Navigator: Ralph Bohisson (WIS), Bombardier: Preston Wallace, lead nav-Harry Tennebaum, Radio Operator: Nelson McClain, Waist gunner: Gus Kienitz, Tail gunner: Cornelius Romano WIS, passenger: Fl/Lt Duck King (i/c RAF party) WIS (7 Returned to Duty); recorded that flare set off to indicate lead ship exploded in fuselage, aircraft caught fire and crashed Felixstowe, Suffolk, UK. destroying cottages and a chapel, salvaged 9/11/44.

Coward etc are definitely right . I did that one and it’s from original sources . Not to say the original sources got the location exactly right

[Madcat11]

Coward etc are definitely right . I did that one and it’s from original sources . Not to say the original sources got the location exactly right

With respect, if the location is incorrect then its not definitely right is it. The IWM link above could be inaccurate in saying the the RAF party were passengers on the aircraft but the lead I got from Archibald Cyril Coward's probate calendar entry identifies the serial number of the aircraft and the location of the crash as Coastguard Cottages, Felixstowe, which is an original source too. What was the source of your information?

[jonheyworth]

Ford 1188857 , his actual unit was Number 105 TSP , and his injuries consisted of a fractured skull

[jonheyworth]

M Haq 20449 , a radio operator attached to Number 139 R&SU , was thrown from a truck and killed at 17:30 Hours. The driver AC Arjun Das, was awarded 28 days detention for driving at excessive speed

[malcolm_raf]

Correction to

POSTLETHWAITE, DAVID (1022686) age: 36 RAFVR
ORROM, LESLIE PATRICK (1281687) age: 23 RAFVR
COWARD, ARCHIBALD CYRIL (1354119) age: 24 RAFVR

They were serving with No 3 AA Practice Camp, RAF Regiment and were killed when B-17 Flying Fortress, 42-97561 of the 349th BS/100th BG, USAAF, caught fire and crashed into his billet, a cottage and chapel, near Felixstowe, Suffolk NOT Debden, Essex. Their deaths were registered in Deben.

https://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/10636

Malcolm

[jonheyworth]

Leslie Benson 1035648 , attached to Number 344 Wing , died in Number 1 MFH at 11:45 Hours of encephalitis