400921 - Unaccounted Airmen - 21-09-1940

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

400921 - Unaccounted Airmen - 21 - 09 - 1940

From Henk's List -

UK
CHAPMAN, Percy - Lac - 902898 - RAFVR.
Cranwell (St.Andrew) Churchyard, Lincolnshire.
Oxford I - L9693 - RAF Cranwell FTS.

EVERETT, George Sidney - AC2c - 1260103 - RAFVR - 13 MU.
Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey.
Died of injuries sustained in an Air Raid on RAF Henlow.

FOX, John Eric - AC2c - 934131 - RAFVR.
Ramsgate Cemetery, Kent.
Fell from the tower of Westminster Cathedral during an Air Raid.

KEIGHLEY, Edgar Arthur James - Sgt - 745306 - RAFVR - 20 OTU.
Lossiemouth Burial Ground, Moray.
Died at Grays Hospital, Elgin of burn injuries received some five days earlier.

QUILL, Philip - Sgt - 755038 - RAFVR - 106 Sqn.
Finningley (Holy Trinity and St Oswald) Churchyard Extension, Nottinghamshire.
Accidentally struck by an airscrew of a stationary aircraft probably at RAF Finningley.

STREIGHT, Robert Thomas McWilliam - AC2c - 976216 - RAFVR.
Carnmoney (Church of the Holy Evangelists) Church of Ireland Churchyard and Extension,
At night stepped into the road and was hit by a passing Bus. Declared dead on arrival at Hospital.

THOMSON, Forbes - AC2c - 977226 - RAFVR.
Newmachar Cemetery, Aberdeenshire.
Died in the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading. Cause of death ?

From CWGC -

CANADA
PORTER, Albert Edward - AC1c - R/56893 - RCAF.
Morris Cemetery, Manitoba, Canada.
Death caused by the mid air collision of two RCAF training aircraft.
Porter's Aircraft Fleet Finch II - 4449 in collision with Fleet Finch I - 1018.

UK
COX, Alex Robert Temple - P/O - 33509 - RAF.
Brentwood (Woodman Road) Cemetery, Essex.
SIMS, Victor William - Sgt - 903535 - RAFVR.
Barkingside Cemetery, Ilford.
These two airmen were crew of Lysander III - R9077 - 4 Sqn.

WARDEL - KNIGHT, Eric Cecil - Sgt - 742468 - RAFVR - 142 Sqn.
Littleover (St.Peter) Churchyard, Derbyshire.
Killed in a motorcycle accident.

TOPOLNICKI, Juliusz Jaroslaw - Porucznik(F/O) - P/76722 - PAF - KW, ML.
Exeter Higher Cemetery, Devon.
Hurricane I - L1894 - 601 Sqn.

PELZER, Gustav - GAF.
Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery, Staffordshire.
Cause of death ?

Alex

[alieneyes]

CANADA
PORTER, Albert Edward - AC1c - R/56893 - RCAF.
Morris Cemetery, Manitoba, Canada.
Death caused by the mid air collision of two RCAF training aircraft.
Aircraft type/serial number's ?

Porter's file states Fawn No. 2 No. 4449 (presumably Fleet Fawn Mk II). Pilot was F/O CC Moran. Accident occurred near Brighton, Ontario.

Porter suffered "compound fractures of middle right tibula, fibula and left humerus; fractures of both bones left ankle joint, femur through right knee joint, neck of right humerus, left radius and Ulna (lower third),
cervical spine, jaw, skull in right occipital region; multiple fractures of ribs bilateral and multiple lacerations head and face - death instantaneous"

"Passenger unable to get out of plane and use his parachute. Reason unknown"

C1063 S/Ldr Charles Cecil Moran went on to be awarded the DFC for his time on No. 418 Squadron. Hugh's database adds the following re this 1940 accident:

https://www.rcafassociation.ca/herit...d_all&type=all

Notes: Injured 21 September 1940 when he had to bale out of an aircraft near Brighton. This arose from the collision of aircraft 1018 and 4449 involving the death of AC2 Porter. The pilots were Moran and a F/O Hill, both of whom were deemed to have engaged in dangerous flying. Indeed, Moran was considered the more blameworthy. A memo dated 27 November 1940 (Air Commodore Robert Leckie to Air Officer Commanding, No.1 Training Command) was incredibly damning: (a) He was not authorized to undertake any formation flight. (b) When in the air he allowed two other aircraft, the pilots of which as far as he could tell were complete strangers and having done so not only did he carry out dangerous manoeuvres such as diving at the ground but was foolhardy enough to indulge in formation aerobatics, without ever considering if they were capable of doing so. (c) He purposely dived the formation dangerously low over his own home in order to show off. (d) He failed to make any provision for the proper equipment with which to communicate to his passenger with the result that the unfortunate AC2 Porter could not have been informed that the pilot was abandoning him and letting the aircraft crash to the ground.

Regards,

Dave

[wwrsimon]

Alex

PELZER, Gustav - the only casualty on board Do-215 W/Nr 0023 VB+KK of 2/Aufkalrungsgruppe 121, shot down near Trawsfynyedd by P/O/ Dennis A. Adams of 611 Sqn.

See:

https://www.pbase.com/gefailgof/image/104561354

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gefailgof/7788199384

Regards

Simon