441116 - Unaccounted Airmen - 16-11-1944

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

441116 - Unaccounted Airmen - 16-11-1944

From Henk's List -

ALGERIA
CATON, George Arthur - F/O - 138390 - RAFVVR - Dely Ibrahim War Cemetery, Algeria.

BANGLADESH
JOHN, David Antony (India) - AC2c - 34136 -(RIAF Attd RAF ) - Maynamati War Cemetery, .Bangladesh.

ITALY
ROBSON, Dennis - LAC - 1682482 - RAFVR - Cagliari (St. Michele) Communal Cemetery, Italy.

UK
DONALD, Frederick ('Fred') - Cpl - 864001 -RAF(Auxiliary Air Force0 - 933 balloon Sqdn - Farlington (St. Andrew) Churchyard, Hampshire.
WILLIAMS, Robert Edwin - LAC - 1164943 - RAFVR - Cardiff (Cathays) Cemetery, Glamorganshire.

From CWGC & Geoff's sites -

CANADA
O'HANLON, Patrick Flood - F/O - 165612 - RAFVR - Kingston St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Cemetery, Nova Scotia, Canada. [ Hurricane XII - 5437 - 1 OTU ].

CYPRUS
COATES, Ronald - F/O (WoP-Air) - 175331 - RAFVR - Nicosia War Cemetery, Cyprus.
JAMES, Robert Keith - F/O (Nav/Bomber) - 162485 - RAFVR - Nicosia War Cemetery, Cyprus.
MORRIS, Neville Francis Nugent - F/O (Pilot) - 181171 - RAFVR - Nicosia War Cemetery, Cyprus.
O'SULLIVAN, Roy Leonard - Sgt(Radio Op-Air) - 1822042 - RAFVR - Nicosia War Cemetery, Cyprus.

SRI LANKA
DEW, Harold George - LAC - 1468573 - RAFVR - Kandy War Cemetery, Sri Lanka.

UK
GENNO, Eric Neil - Sgt(A/G) - 2222028 - RAFVR - Stoke-On-Trent (Hartshill) Cemetery, Staffordshire. [ Halifax II - JP128 - 1663 HCU ].
LEWIS, John Thomas - F/O (Nav) - 163556 - RAFVR - Drefach Baptist Cemetery, Carmarthenshire. [ Halifax II - JP128 - 1663 HCU ].
MATTHEWS, William John - F/L (Pilot) - 109492 - RAFVR - East Finchley Cemetery & St. Marylebone Crematorium, Middlesex. [ Halifax II - JP128 - 1663 HCU ].
RAYMER, Eric Andrew James - Sgt(WoP-A/G) - 2214194 - RAFVR - Hull Northern Cemetery, Yorkshire. [ Halifax II - JP128 - 1663 HCU ].
SMITH, Fred Gordon - Sgt(Flt/Engr) - 1593160 - RAFVR - Withernsea (St. Nicholas) Churchyard, Yorkshire. [ Halifax II - JP128 - 1663 HCU ].
STONE, Leslie Bernard - F/O (Air Bomber) - 153810 - RAFVR - Croydon (Mitcham Road) Cemetery, Surrey. [ Halifax II - JP128 - 1663 HCU ].

ZIMBABWE
KILLETT, Percy robert - AC1c (Pilot U/T) - 1292802 - RAFVR - Bulawayo (Athlone) Cemetery, Zimbabwe.
WOODHEAD, Charles James - LAC - (Pilot U/T) - 1077478 - RAFVR - Bulawayo (Athlone) Cemetery, Zimbabwe.

Alex

[wwrsimon]

ROBSON 1682482 - 63 Staging Post. I have him listed as being killed at Elmas Airfield, Sardinia, but have nothing further.

Regards

Simon

[Bill Walker]

Hurricane 5437 crashed following a collision with 5715 of the same unit, at 12:15 local time. This aircraft came down on a farm owned by Wilson Shafer, near Gaspereau Lake, and was disposed of on site. Mr. Shafer supplied a horse and wagon to remove large pieces of wreckage. Ownership of other remains this aircraft, and Hurricane 5715, passed to Mr. Fairn of Edmonton by Crown Assets Disposal Corporation on 12 July 1983, free of charge. Only small pieces of 5437 remained at the crash site by then. Mr. Fairn spent several years collecting the remaining wreckage from the crash sites. It appears both aircraft were being operated by No. 1 Advanced Tactical Training Detachment of 1 OTU at RCAF Station Greenwood, NS at the time of the collision. (The crash sites of both aircraft are near Greenwood.) This detachment was primarily involved in air to ground firing, using local ranges. 5715 was reported as coming down in Gaspereau Lake. Wreckage from both aircraft was being used in a "rebuilt" Hurricane in California in the 1990s.

I would love to hear from anyone who knows the name and status of the pilot of 5715, and the current status of the California rebuild project.

[wwrsimon]

Bill

Reginald BELLHOUSE, AUS 436712, died in the other Hurricane:

http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/11725.php

Regards

Simon

[COL BRUGGY]

Bill,

Take it, or leave it, but have a look at this:

http://www.theoddbods.org/2006_04/oddsnends11.htm

Col.

[Bill Walker]

Thank you Simon. Don't know how I missed that the first time around.

Col, thanks as well. The comment about 10,000 foot mountains in Nova Scotia does cast a bit of doubt on the rest of the article. The highest point in that province is actually 1,755 feet ASL, on Cape Breton Island which is some far ways away from Greenwood (as the locals might say).

[malcolm_raf]

Hi

ALGERIA
CATON, George Arthur - F/O - 1 BPO.

CYPRUS
COATES, Ronald - F/O (WoP-Air) - killed whilst flying in Wellington XIII, JA563 of No 78 OTU, which crashed near Polis in Cyprus. 4 other killed.
JAMES, Robert Keith - F/O (Nav/Bomber) - see Coates.
MORRIS, Neville Francis Nugent - F/O (Pilot) - see Coates.
O'SULLIVAN, Roy Leonard - Sgt(Radio Op-Air) - see Coates.

SRI LANKA
DEW, Harold George - LAC - RAF Vineriya

UK
DONALD, Frederick ('Fred') - Cpl - registered in Portsmouth.
WILLIAMS, Robert Edwin - LAC - registered in Droitwich.
GENNO, Eric Neil - Sgt(A/G) - Halifax II - JP128 - 1663 HCU ].
LEWIS, John Thomas - F/O (Nav) - Halifax II - JP128 - 1663 HCU ].
MATTHEWS, William John - F/L (Pilot) - Halifax II - JP128 - 1663 HCU ].
RAYMER, Eric Andrew James - Sgt(WoP-A/G) - Halifax II - JP128 - 1663 HCU ].
SMITH, Fred Gordon - Sgt(Flt/Engr) - Halifax II - JP128 - 1663 HCU ].
STONE, Leslie Bernard - F/O (Air Bomber) - Halifax II - JP128 - 1663 HCU ].

ZIMBABWE
KILLETT, Percy robert - AC1 (Pilot U/T) - probably killed whilst flying in Oxford I, V3324 of No 23 SFTS, which collided with V3174 near Heany Junction.
WOODHEAD, Charles James - LAC - (Pilot U/T) - see Killett.

Malcolm

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

CYPRUS - COATES, JAMES, MORRIS & O'SULLIVAN.

One other casualty aboard 78 OTU Wellington XIII JA563:

J/23878 F/O (Pilot) Lloyd John ADAMS RCAF +

Col.

[wwrsimon]

Hello

DONALD, Frederick ('Fred') - Cpl - 864001 - the Hampshire Telegraph of November 24th 1944 reported his death. He died at his home, 28, Rectory Avenue, Farlington. He had been a member of staff at Portsmouth and Sunderland Newspapers for 17 years, and had joined the R.A.F. in the early years of the war before being invalided out in 1941. He had returned to working in the commercial department of the newspaper before his health failed some 12 months prior to his death.

Regards

Simon

[Davers]

My Father was part of this flight when he lost two good friends that day

Hurricane 5437 crashed following a collision with 5715 of the same unit, at 12:15 local time. This aircraft came down on a farm owned by Wilson Shafer, near Gaspereau Lake, and was disposed of on site. Mr. Shafer supplied a horse and wagon to remove large pieces of wreckage. Ownership of other remains this aircraft, and Hurricane 5715, passed to Mr. Fairn of Edmonton by Crown Assets Disposal Corporation on 12 July 1983, free of charge. Only small pieces of 5437 remained at the crash site by then. Mr. Fairn spent several years collecting the remaining wreckage from the crash sites. It appears both aircraft were being operated by No. 1 Advanced Tactical Training Detachment of 1 OTU at RCAF Station Greenwood, NS at the time of the collision. (The crash sites of both aircraft are near Greenwood.) This detachment was primarily involved in air to ground firing, using local ranges. 5715 was reported as coming down in Gaspereau Lake. Wreckage from both aircraft was being used in a "rebuilt" Hurricane in California in the 1990s.

I would love to hear from anyone who knows the name and status of the pilot of 5715, and the current status of the California rebuild project.