CWGC Errors

[Don Clark]

508631 Sgt John Joseph Kavanagh DFM: DOAS 18 October 1941

The CWGC entry for Sgt Kavanagh DFM records him in the printed register and the online db as of 241 Squadron.

At that time that Squadron was based variously in the United Kingdom, operating Lysanders and Tomahawks.
In Nov 1942 they were sent to North Africa, having re-equipped solely with Mustangs from March.

Sgt Kavanagh DFM, a decorated WOp/AG of considerable experience, served with Middle East bomber squadrons from early 1938.
By April 1940, Kavanagh was serving with 211 Squadron, in the Desert, then Greece, then Palestine and finally in the Sudan from June 1941.
The scant 211 Squadron record of June 1941, together with the photographs and recall of 211 Squadron aircrew (acting as Blenheim Operations Course instructors) and an RAAF trainee, show that he was in fact with the Squadron at Wadi Gazouza as an aircrew instructor up until his death that October.

My fuller accounts about 508631 Sgt John Joseph Kavanagh DFM:
http://www.211squadron.org/jj_kavanagh_dfm.html
and
http://www.211squadron.org/w_baird.html#WadiGazouza

A 1941 transfer back to a UK Squadron to a unit with Lysander WOp/AG aircrew is not impossible, however, in Kavanagh's case his continued service with 211 Squadron is clear (in my opinion).
A scanning error in CWGC register & db creation seems likely: his unit is not recorded on his headstone.
As the CWGC provides for amendments with fairly strict requirements for documentation, I am rather doubtful that the various copies I now hold (from contributors now themselves dead) are of sufficient weight, however, I shall at some point put in a request for amendment.

Don Clark
www.211squadron.org

[Jagan]

Flight Sergeant Walter JONES (404607) of the Royal New Zealand Air Force

http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...php?qnum=85871

CWGC has service number as 40467
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/c...jones,-walter/

Auckland Cenotaph Site says : Listed by Commonwealth War Graves Commission with incorrect number as 40467
https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-m.../record/C27647
SERVICE NUMBER
NZ404607 AWMM
40467 AWMM

[Jagan]

http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...php?qnum=17160

Flying Officer Arthur Gordon GOODWIN (513985) of the Royal Australian Air Force

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/c...arthur-gordon/


corrected Service Number 413985 https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/Sear...7&S=50&T=P&R=0

[Jagan]

Flight Sergeant Geoffrey GROVE (1270345) of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Death of Death 1942-11-06
Served in 94 Sqdn

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1810041/grove,-geoffrey/

Actually died on 1942-11-16 (Wrong by ten days)
https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...mageViewerLink Page 8 for 16 November Confirms

[Jagan]

This one has been contributed by Russell Guest.

Flight Sergeant Robson Coltish WEBB (420316) of the Royal Australian Air Force http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...php?qnum=48046
Circumstances of Death: Lost in aircraft Kittyhawk III FR843
Death of Death 1944-06-14 Age : 21 years.
Burial/Commemoration Details : X. E. 38. at Sangro River War Cemetery, Italy
More Details: SON OF THOMAS JOSEPH AND LILIAN FLORENCE MARY WEBB, OF HAY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA.



CWGC Page
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/c...obson-coltish/
Flight Sergeant
WEBB, ROBSON COLTISH
Service Number 420316
Died 14/06/1944


As per Russell: Accident at Cannae landing ground on 12th June 1944 at 1030, aircraft caught fire after crash, pilot burnt but conscious when pulled from wreck, by LAC P W Johnston, LAC A.H. Scott and Sqn Ldr M P Nash the C.O. but died from shock at 2030 that night and buried on 14 June 1944. The accident report and other evidence indicates Webb died on 12th June 1944 and not on the 14th, which was the date he was buried

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/Sear...28422&T=P&S=10 Or https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/Sear...28422&T=P&S=10
Burial Return gives date of death as 12/06/44 and Burial date as 14/06/44

Form 551 Confirms the same as well. He died 12/06/44
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/Sear...28422&T=P&S=16

[Jagan]

Contributed by Jonathan Hayworth:

Porucznik PETRUSZKA, ALEKSANDER
Service Number P/0319
Died 20/05/1944
Aged 27
60 O.T.U.
Polish Air Force
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/c...a,-aleksander/

Was apparently lost on 20th March 1944 in Mosquito HJ933 http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...php?uniq=HJ933
Maybe the 60 OTU ORB can confirm?

[Jagan]

Contributed by Glenda Godfrey

Pilot Officer Paul Steward STEPHEN (46557) of the Royal Air Force

Death of Death 1942-04-25



CWGC reports it as 01/02/1943
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/c...-paul-steward/Glenda had located a document that she posted on FB


This is the document


Singapore evacuation ships. The original document I posted was published on the Malayan Volunteers website in the section on evacuation ships.


The info apparently exists in https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...ls/r/C13444427


Presumption of death of missing personnel from ML 433, ML 1062, ML 311, Kung Wo, Giang...
Reference: ADM 358/2875
Description:
Presumption of death of missing personnel from ML 433, ML 1062, ML 311, Kung Wo, Giang Bee, Vyner Brook, Siang Wo, Redang, Fan Ling, Wo Kwang, Yin Ping, Pulo Soegi, Tanjong Pinang, Li Wo, Grasshopper, Dragonfly and Scorpion: fall of Singapore, February 1942


Date: 1942 Jan 01 - 1946 Dec 31

[paulmcmillan]

Hi Jagan - do you have the Facebook document It says link invalid -I suppose it is the basis of

https://www.malayanvolunteersgroup.o...ion-ships.html

[Jagan]

Hi Paul, I removed the FB link and added the photo back in my post

Thanks for that MVG link.. quite a bit of info in there.

The source for the above image seems to be this document https://www.malayanvolunteersgroup.o...0_april_20.pdf last four pages have a number of casualities for RAF related to Singapore.. will update the database based on it.

[Jagan]

A recent publication of an article about the grave of an Indian Airman in Belgium was published on my site http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/history/ww2/1396-fallen-airmen-in-france-and-belgium-plt-offr-rn-dastur-and-fg-offr-rc-datta.html

The airman in question Flying Officer Ramesh Chandra DATTA (130517) lost in Lancaster III ED923 Date of Crash: 09 Jul 43 97 Sqdn

This put me in touch with his family in UK, and they pointed out his correct name was Ramesh Chandra DUTTA

The last name is verified via multiple Gazette entries
1. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/...35795/data.pdf Page 5103 "1396693 Ramesh Chambra DUTTA (130517) " (Spelling mistake though - Chambra should be Chandra)
2. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/...36030/data.pdf Page 2368 "R. C. DUTTA (130517)."

CWGC's own page https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/fi...amesh-chandra/ features at least one document that shows that DATTA was corrected with DUTTA in red ink

Image: https://archive.cloud.cwgc.org/archi...doc1876705.JPG