1(C)OTU Silloth Cumbria

[Roundhead]

Hello

Any connection between these airmen who seemed to have died on the same day (Hudson).?

28.07.41

Sgt (WoP/A/G) Brynmor Jones 1006261
F/O(Inst) CT Dacombe 43199
Sgt(Pilot) LBE Larsen 922979

Thanks all.
Rol

[wwrsimon]

Rol

I understand Dacombe and Larsen were killed on board Hudson T9268, but were the only ones aboard. Can anyone confirm?

Jones has been mentioned on here in the 'Unaccounted Airmen' series of posts, but seems to have remained unaccounted:

http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/sho...rmen-28-7-1941

Regards

Simon

[Roundhead]

Thanks Simon for that info'
It is a bit of a puzzle, as all three deaths are Reg in Sept 1941 at Wigtown. And according to CWGC they died on the 28.07.41 with 1(C)OTU

Regards & Thanks to all.

[John Dacombe]

Hi Roundhead. Charles Thomas Dacombe was my uncle. He was a sergeant with the RAF then commissioned as a Pilot Officer on the 1st April 1940. He flew with RAF coastal command before transferring to no 1, Coastal operational Training Unit based at Siloth as a pilot, training new airman. My information is that on the 28th July 1941, he was (presumably) training aircrew in a Lockheed Hudson, T9268, a popular aircraft with Coastal command. I believe there were a total of seven on board when the aircraft received a bird strike, family info was that it was into the cockpit and the plane crashed into a cliff. I believe all seven are buried in a church yard in Siloth. My Uncle had a wife and three children. His wife remarried and the family moved to America. P.S. you should call yourself Parliamentarian as calling anybody Roundhead would have gotten yourself thrown out of the Parliamentarian army. Cheers John Dacombe.

[dennis_burke]

The AIR81 index search of the site here confirms the three names on that Hudson. https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...ls/r/C16757235

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello John Dacombe,

Not quite sure how much you know about your uncle's RAF career, whatever, here are a few notes I have:

563865 Charles Thomas DACOMBE RAF, was an "Old Haltonian" (No.1 School of Technical Training, Halton), he was part of No.20 Entry (563425-564042), arrival date: September,1929.

He later served on No.220 Squadron, Coastal Command. On 16th February, 1940, he was aboard one of three 220 Sqn Hudsons (K, M & V), that discovered the German vessel, "Altmark", in Jossingfjord, Norway. The "Altmark" had aboard over 300 British prisoners of war, who had been captured earlier in the war.

Your uncle was aboard 220 Sqn Hudson "M", piloted by 39380 P/O J J K Fleetwood RAF (later A/W/C, DSO). The "Altmark" was subsequently boarded by a naval boarding party from the RN destroyer "Cossack", and after a skirmish, the prisoners were released.

Some brief, albeit incomplete, information, here:

http://www.unithistories.com/officer...icers_d01.html

Are you aware that your uncle's log books (2), are held by the National Archives?

http://discovery.nationalarchives.go...ils/r/C3002847 - make interesting reading!

Col.

[John Dacombe]

Hi Col.

Brilliant information and thank you.

I knew about the Altmark incident from my father, Charles brother.

I didn't know about the Old Haltonian and especially not his log books which I will certainly look up.

My thanks. John

[John Dacombe]

Thanks Dennis - family info letting me down.