34 Squadron casualties Dec 1941 to end Feb 1942

**Kevin Mears** · 3rd January 2009, 16:23

I rather suspect that there isn't an easy answer to my question but will ask anyway. Is there any resource which would allow me to identify those who were killed in action, or later died in captivity, who were members of 34 Squadron from the time of the Japanese invasion and the withdrawal of the Squadron to India?

I am presuming this may be possible from the ORB, should it exist in its entirety, but was just wondering if there was any way of circumventing that route?

Regards,

Kevin Mears

**brian** · 3rd January 2009, 17:00

Hi Kevin

Have you checked 'Bloody Shambles' Volumes I and II?

Cheers
Brian

**Kevin Mears** · 3rd January 2009, 19:06

Hi, Brian.

No, I haven't checked them as I don't have them. They are now on the shopping list but God only knows when I'll be able to obtain them. Do they contain a definitive list of all those killed with 34 Squadron, both during the period up to March 1942 and those who died either in PoW Camps or during enforced labour on the railways etc.?

Regards,

Kevin Mears

**brian** · 3rd January 2009, 20:34

Hi Kevin

The short answer is no!

Give me a day or so and I will have a look - it's a long time ago since I helped write those two volumes.

Cheers
Brian

**dennis_burke** · 3rd January 2009, 21:26

Hello Kevin,

I can't vouch for its completeness but you could use Geoff Sullivans CWGC search engine to identify English or UK casualties from the squadron.
http://www.hut-six.co.uk/cgi-bin/search39-47.php

Set the dates to what ever you need.

Place "34 S" into the unit field and leave it set to starts with

And select Royal Air Force from the Regiment/Corps drop down menu.

I set date of 07/12/1941-01/01/1947 and got 99 casualties, some of whom may be the men your looking for. This method has also found men from 34 (SAAF) Sqn, so the 99 men are not all RAF 34 Sqn. Sadly this will not find Canadian or Australian, New Zealand men as they sometimes don;t have the unit listed against them and the database needs to be set to that country name - Geoff himself might be able to help you with those searchs.

Note: The digitisation of the CWGC records or perhaps other reasons has placed many RAF dead with 34 Sqdn whereas this should read 34 SAAF Sqdn, this is suggested by their being buried in Europe in 1944 etc when RAF 34 Sqdn was still in India/Burma. So, its a bit hit and miss and not the fault of the search engine.

See what you think with it.

**Kevin Mears** · 3rd January 2009, 21:40

Brian.

Good God! What an amazing place this internet can be. You ask an idle question and find it answered by no less than the author of one of the primary sources you need to consult! Any information you may offer would be most gratefully received.

Denis.

Will follow your suggestion and have a good look at that later. This is something I didn't know was available so will definitely try it out. Thank you very much for the help.

Regards,

Kevin Mears

**dennis_burke** · 3rd January 2009, 23:47

Here is a say, partial list of Royal Air Force and RAF Volunteer Reserve 34 Squadron Casulaties from the Far East:

NAME CEM/MEM DATE Notes
LERIGO, AC 614754 17/04/1940 - KRANJI WAR CEMETERY KRA 400417 DOAS, AC1
FORD, T 619749 15/07/1941 - KRANJI WAR CEMETERY KRA 410715 KOAS, Sgt
HAYLOCK, BG 39664 15/07/1941 - KRANJI WAR CEMETERY KRA 410715 KOAS, F/Lt
WINDRUM, JKM 619843 15/07/1941 - KRANJI WAR CEMETERY KRA 410715 KOAS, LA/C
OLSON, HB 551372 12/08/1941 - KRANJI WAR CEMETERY KRA 410812 KOAS, Sgt V5877
MOORE, DC 45212 12/08/1941 - KRANJI WAR CEMETERY KRA 410812 KOAS, P/O V5877
HUNT, JF 403548 12/08/1941 - KRANJI WAR CEMETERY KRA 410812 P/O V5877
CARR, J 580507 23/09/1941 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 410923 KOAS, F/Sgt
DODDS, GA 520562 23/09/1941 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 410923 KOAS, F/Sgt
CONNEL K 610272 12/12/1941 - KRANJI WAR MEMORIAL KRA 411212 Sgt V5379
Appleton JW 12/12/1941 - Injured in Crash, survived INJ 411212 F/Lt V5379
BIGMORE TH 12/12/1941 - Injured in crash, survived INJ 411212 P/O V5379
CARTER, KRC AUS401027 28/12/1941 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 411228 Sgt V5636
RAYNER, RJ 580380 28/12/1941 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 411228 F/Sgt V5636
HILL, RE 40705 28/12/1941 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 411228 F/Lt V5636
LOMAX, JG NZ405289 03/01/1942 - TAIPING WAR CEMETERY TWC 420103 P/O V5388
ANDERSEN, SW 45211 03/01/1942 - TAIPING WAR CEMETERY TWC 420103 F/O V5388
JAMES, RFR 564864 03/01/1942 - TAIPING WAR CEMETERY TWC 420103 F/Sgt V5388
HILLEBRAND, PH 580565 10/01/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 420110 Missing, F/Sgt V5597
SMITH JE NZ402905 10/01/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 420110 Sgt V5597
BROWN, EH AUS401024 10/01/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 420110 Sgt V5597
O'DRISCOLL, F 39109 16/01/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 420120 Sqn/Ldr, Z5796 Date Confused
SIMM, JL 563690 21/01/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 420120 W/O Z5796 Date Confused
MOORE, CH 612425 21/01/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 420120 W/O Z5796 Date Confused
CONDLIFFE, A 1104226 26/01/1942 - KRANJI WAR CEMETERY KRA 420126 KOAS, AC1
BISHOP, PC 568798 26/01/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 420126 KOAS, Cpl
FOSTER, DM 619906 26/01/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 420126 KOAS, AC1
GOODWIN, SB 618214 26/01/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 420126 M/KOAS AC1
GOMM, JH 573384 26/01/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 420126 KOAS, AC1
KITCHING, TA 546577 26/01/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 420126 KOAS, AC1
WOOD, R 542931 26/01/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 420126 KOAS, AC1
COX, A 567358 06/02/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 420206 DOWAS, Cpl
MATTHEWS, RHP 1259647 15/02/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 420215 WIA, Sgt
KAY, H NZ404377 12/05/1942 - DELHI WAR CEMETERY DWC 420512 DOWAS, Sgt V6254 Est, in India
ALEXANDER, G 1558454 08/06/1942 - DELHI WAR CEMETERY DWC 420608 AC2
HUMBY, CA 1195635 11/06/1942 - DELHI WAR CEMETERY DWC 420611 LA/C
GREAVES, FM 1259996 30/08/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 420830 M/KIA, Sgt
THWAITS, JH 80219 30/08/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 420830 M/KIA, P/O
JULIAN, JPR 1018129 30/08/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 420830 M/KIA, Sgt
LOCKLEY, WG 974918 10/06/1942 - DELHI WAR CEMETERY DWC 421006 DOAS, LA/C
KEEBLE, PL 76585 12/10/1942 - CHITTAGONG WAR CEMETERY CWC 421012 KIA, Sqn/Ldr
JOHNSON, CLN 80559 12/10/1942 - CHITTAGONG WAR CEMETERY CWC 421012 KIA, F/Lt
MOLE, EJ 1068932 15/10/1942 - DELHI WAR CEMETERY DWC 421015 DOAS, AC1
HYLAND, E 966813 10/11/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 421110 M/KIA, F/Sgt
ELLIOT, HA R/68262 RCAF 10/11/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 421110 M/KIA, W/O
ELLIOT, AG 1056224 10/11/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 421110 Sgt
HOWE,AM AUS406249 10/11/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 421110 Z7705 F/O
HAY, JD AUS408066 10/11/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 421110 Z7705 F/O
LISHMAN, TG 50512 10/11/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 421110 Z7705 M/KIA, F/Sgt
BARNLEY, JR 39647 30/11/1942 - SYDNEY WAR CEMETERY AUS 421130 Missing, F/Sgt
PRESTON, RA 921829 31/12/1942 - MAYNAMATI WAR CEMETERY MWC 421231 LA/C
JEFFERYS, GR 406358 15/3/1943 - GAUHATI WAR CEMETERY GWC 430315 KOAS, W/O
HEARNE, J 1153169 15/03/1943 - GAUHATI WAR CEMETERY, India GWC 430315 KOAS, Sgt
SKINNER, RE 749472 15/03/1943 - GAUHATI WAR CEMETERY GWC 430315 KOAS, F/Sgt
McLEOD, RS AUS404512 24/9/1943 POW - KANCHANABURI WAR CEMETERY KAN 430924 POW
NORMAN, JE 926042 09/11/1943 - KARACHI WAR CEMETERY KAR 431109 DOAS, Sgt, Hurricane from August 43
MORGAN, RG 912211 29/11/1943 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 431129 KIA, F/O
KING, KMO 1232306 25/01/1944 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 440125 F/Sgt
WHALEN, JH J/15005 18/04/1944 - KOHIMA WAR CEMETERY KOH 440418 KIA, F/Lt
BRANDON, JE 1425593 23/04/1944 - KOHIMA WAR CEMETERY KOH 440423 KIA, F/Sgt
GORE, E 1132621 16/06/1944 - KARACHI WAR CEMETERY KAR 440616 KOAS, Cpl
HUMPHRIES, R 567636 16/06/1944 - KARACHI WAR CEMETERY KAR 440616 KOAS, F/Sgt
KERBEY, HWH 184573 07/07/1944 - IMPHAL WAR CEMETERY IWC 440707 KIA, P/O
HOPPER, JA AUS37259 17/8/44 - IMPHAL WAR CEMETERY IWC 440817 KOAS, W/O
MULLER, JR 1386950 24/09/1944 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 440924 Missing, W/O
TAYLOR, R 1802532 11/02/1945 - TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY TAU 450211 TBD
PETTITT, CJ 1397619 15/02/1945 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 450215 KIA, Sgt
SAISELL,JC AUS420063 20/2/1945 - TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY TAU 450220 KIA, P/O
TIBBETTS, JE 142363 22/02/1945 - TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY TAU 450222 KIA, F/O
SOULSBY, LF 187718 17/06/1945 - TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY TAU 450617 KOAS, F/O
NEATE, RS 1801115 09/07/1945 - TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY TAU 450709 KIA, Sgt
MURRAY, DS 1603065 12/07/1945 - TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY TAU 450712 KOAS, F/Sgt
CHANEY, GE 1318357 30/08/1945 - KANCHANABURI WAR CEMETERY KAN 450830 POW ? P/KIA, W/O
BUTLER, DE 1615752 10/09/1945 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL SM 450910 TBD
LEHETA, A 1813331 12/10/1946 - DELHI WAR CEMETERY DWC 461012 TBD
CHIN, AC 2218604 26/11/1946 - DELHI WAR CEMETERY DWC 461126 TBD
WATHERN, OC 909203 07/07/1947 Buried in United Kingdom. UK 470707 TBD
Daly EJ 934648 10/04/1942 - JAKARTA WAR CEMETERY JAK ?????? TBD
BLAKE FJ 615135 ??/??/???? - Prisoner of War - Survived N/A ?????? TBD

The notes are a partial stab at the Flight Archives:
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/
along with data from the CWGC. Note that I've been lazy and taken ranks from both the CWGC and the Flight archives so some of them may have been promoted near or after their deaths. Kevin, check them all against the CWGC again.

There are only 74 names above, does not seem very many for nearly four years of warfare? And none of the above would suggest to me they were POW's though I did not complete the 1943-44-45 names in the Flight magazines.

Using the method suggested above but with no date limits and only 34 in the unit text field (I hence also got 341 and 349 Squadron!) It is noted that the 34 SAAF men buried in Italy are recorded as 34 SAAF Sqdn, whereas the men in Austria, Poland, Belgrade are recorded as 34 Sqdn only. Of course I just found a SAAF airmen J B Masson, buried in Udine, Italy, listed as 34 (RAF) Sqdn so one can't win!

This old thread on the old forum touched on this SAAF Squadron mix up, suggesting an RAF airman with SAAF Sqn in Europe got the Burma Star. Interesting.
http://www.rafcommands.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=7915&forum=DCForumID 6&archive=yes

(these are included above)
For RCAF men
001 ELLIOT, HA R/68262 10/11/1942 - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL
003 WHALEN, JH J/15005 18/04/1944 - KOHIMA WAR CEMETERY

RNZAF
001 HUNT, JF 403548 12/08/1941 - KRANJI WAR CEMETERY
002 KAY, H 404377 12/05/1942 - DELHI WAR CEMETERY
003 LOMAX, JG 405289 03/01/1942 - TAIPING WAR CEMETERY

I can't find any Australians but their records tend not to have units listed in my experience. [Col, bruggy found some for us, see below,]

Another problem we seen in the last few days is that the 34 Squadron may be scanned as 54 or other errors but I think these are far and few between, dates might also contain scanning errors in the CWGC database though I base that on only a single example we seen this week.

**Kevin Mears** · 4th January 2009, 00:56

Dennis.

Thank you so much for that, it is really appreciated. I will check it against Arthur Lane's 'When you go home' but a cursory glance shows you have found quite a few more than he did. Next step is to isolate them by date and location and try and establish who died in which aircraft ( I suspect air Britain's serials and Graham Warner's Blenheim Story and of course 'Bloody Shambles' as soon as I can get a copy will help there), who died in ground action against the Japanese and who died in captivity.

Fascinating stuff.

Regards,

kev35

**dennis_burke** · 4th January 2009, 01:14

Kevin,
I replaced the text above with an ordered list of the names.

**COL BRUGGY** · 4th January 2009, 02:34

Hi Kevin,

The following is a listing of RAAF casualties on 34 Sqn RAF :-

28/12/41 401027 CARTER,Kenneth Raymond Champion. Flying battle,Malaya.
10/1/42 401024 BROWN,Edgar Harold. Flying Battle,India.
10/11/42 408066 HAY,John Douglas. Flying Battle,Burma.
'' '' '' 406249 HOWE,Alexander Maxwell. Flying Battle,Burma.
15/3/43 406358 JEFFERYS,Gordon Roger. Accidental,India.
24/9/43 404512 McLEOD,Roderick Scott. POW (Died as),Thailand.
17/8/44 37259 HOPPER,Joseph Albert. Accidental,India.
20/2/45 420063 SAISELL,James Colin. Flying Battle,Burma.

The above casualty decriptions are AWM-based, they can be a bit loose. You will need to do the legwork at the; AWM, NAA & CWGC.

After your initial search on Geoff's Search Engine under Royal Air Force, I suggest you use the national air force ie, RNZAF, RCAF etc., rather than country. you will pick up a few floaters that way, also use the recommended - ...Sqdn.

Good Hunting, WWE.
Regards,
Col.