430101 - Unaccounted airmen - 1-1-1943

[kenmorrison]

Re: WILLIAM BURT (129765) died 1 January 1943 and buried in Annan Cemetery in Dumfriesshire.
The Dumfries and Galloway Standard of 6 February has:
WAR CASUALTIES - ANNAN PILOT OFFICER’S DEATH. Pilot Officer William Burt, R.A.F., son of Mr and Mrs W. Burt, 28 Belmont Gardens, Murrayfield, Edinburgh, and grandson of Mr and Mrs John Richardson, The Bungalow, Annan, was reported missing after an operational flight in the North of England on Ist January. News has now been received that his ’plane was found wrecked in the North of England in the end of the week, along with the bodies of Pilot Officer Burt and his two comrades. The remains of Pilot Officer Burt were brought to Annan on Monday, and the funeral took place that afternoon to Annan Cemetery. The service was conducted by the Rev. A. D. Brown, St, Andrew’s Greenknowe Church. The bearer-party were under an R.A.F. Sergeant. Pilot Officer Burt was twenty-one years of age, and was a young man of much promise. He was educated at Daniel Stewart’s College, Edinburgh, and was engaged in the town clerk’s department before the war. He was also a student at Edinburgh University, and had taken part of the B.L, degree. His father was formerly English Master in Dumfries Academy, and afterwards at Langholm, before going Linlithgow, where he is presently engaged.

There has been an assumption (from the burial records) that he was based at RAF Annan rather that at RAF Silloth (just across the Solway) but it was obviously due to the family connections that he was buried in Annan.

However he is not named on the Annan War Memorial but is named on the Linlithgow War Memorial in West Lothian, on the Edinburgh University Roll of Honour and on the Edinburgh Old College Memorial.

Ken

[jonheyworth]

George Lonsdale 2200312 , died in the course of an operation to treat a brain tumour

[jonheyworth]

Michael Swift 1105569 , was injured on duty at 16:00 hours on 31 December 1942 at Souk El Araba in an air raid, dying off his injuries the following day

[jonheyworth]

Kenneth Speak 1684350 , attached to Number 2 ITW, died in RAF Hospital Ely of pericarditis

[jonheyworth]

Frederick Joseph Robson 1451331 , died in a native boat on the way from Subalong to Rangamati of unknown causes. A post mortem was carried out the following day by a civil surgeon, Dr Dewan, which found he had died of pulmonary tuberculosis

[jonheyworth]

Joseph Spence Walker 1550332 , suffered self inflicted gunshot wounds at RAF Wickenby at 23:59 Hours, dying in SSQ at 01:55 Hours

[jonheyworth]

John Francis Croft 1352031 , attached to RAF Ramleh, was killed in a road accident. 1155288 Cpl. W.F. Tucker was injured and admitted to Number 12 General hospital

[jonheyworth]

Raymond Frederick Wyatt 322827 , a Fitter Ii E attached to 29 OTU , died in a bicycle accident

[jonheyworth]

James Wilson 943575 , attached to 220 Squadron, was found dead at the side of the road at Newton Northumberland. A Post Mortem found he had died of haemorrhage and shock from a torn liver. It appears no one as found who had been involved in the accident

[jonheyworth]

Edward Louis Lewis 31351, was accidently electrocuted at Port Moresby