411022 - Unaccounted airmen - 22-10-1941

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

A - Killed on active service:
P/O (Pilot) Maurice A. BUNN - 103548, and
Lac (Pilot u/t) Philip ZARRAGA - 1114456.

B - Died on active service:
AC1 Lawrence E.K. LAX - 1168242 - 2 Sqn (Sawbridgworth, Hertfordshire).

C - Not found Flight archives (Dennis' 1942-1 not yet downloaded):
AC2 James G. SAVIN - 1439430 - attd 797 Sqn FAA, and
AC1 Jack WHITFORD - 1289704 - 913 (Balloon) Sqn.

D - Proposed aircraft losses for this day:
Botha I - L6125 - 4 AOS - overshot landing West Freugh.
Hurricane I - V6953 - MSFU - crashed in forced landing Great Oxenden, Northamptonshire.
Hurricane I - V7079 - 9 FTS - crashed on approach Babdown Farm.
Hurricane I - W9263 - 52 OTU - flew into water low flying over Severn.
Oxford II - V3632 - 11 FTS - flew into ground at night Ingham.
Tiger Moth II - T6027 - 6 EFTS - crashed in forced landing Warren Farm, near Bletchley, Buckinghamshire.
Havoc I - AX912 - 1451 Flt - spun into ground 1 mile E of Hunsdon (already as casualty on this a/c: P/O J.H. DENEYS - 103531 [from Belgium]).

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Bunn,27, and Zarraga,25, are registered at Welton, Lincolnshire, the right area to possibly place them on Oxford V3631 at Ingham
Lax,26, (no other initials on the register) registered at Epping, Essex
Savin,34, registered at Stamford, Lincolnshire
Whitford,34, registered at Birmingham, the right area for his unit which was based at Edgington(part of the city of Birmingham)
Regards
Dick

[dennis_burke]

AC1 J Whitford appears DOAS on Feb 5th 1942 Fligth magazine.

No sign of Savin however.

DENEYS, 103531 Plt Off Joseph Alfonse, RAFVR, Belgium Section (CWGC), 85Sqn (Luc Wittemans). Died 22.10.41. Formerly buried at Ware New Cemetery, Hertfordshire. Body repatriated to Belgium.
(The above from G Negus Air Force Deaths yahoo forum.)
Joeseph A Deneys is registered dead age 23 in Bishop's Stortford.

[Henk Welting]

As ever, thanks Dick & Dennis for your responses.
Regards,
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

Again found the name of an airman sofar missing in my files. What was the place of death registration for:
Sgt Stephen VINCENT - 97012 - age 46,
whose name I couldn't find in the Flight archives.
Regards,
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Vincent,46,registered at Christchurch, Hampshire
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

As ever, thanks Dick for this flash response.
Regards,
Henk.

[alclark]

Bunn and Zarraga were both recorded in the 11 FTS ORB.

October 22nd 1941, “Ingham R.L.G. Fatal Night Flying Accident. Oxford II, V.3632. The pilot, Pilot Officer M.A. Bunn, was giving dual instruction at night to 1114456 L.A.C. Zarraga P. He made one satisfactory circuit, but, after taking off for the second time, the aircraft was observed to climb hardly at all and it crashed into a belt of trees about half a mile beyond the windward boundary, becoming a total wreck. It did not catch fire, but both instructor and pupil were killed outright. An Investigation was called for, and the accident was reported by Signal T.126 from R.A.F. Station Hemswell.”

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Al for this adsditional info on BUNN and ZARRAGA and their Oxford V3632.
Regards,
Henk.

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Henk,

From No.52 OTU ORB
R/75859 Sgt Cooper A, while carrying out a authorised low flying exercise over the River Severn on Hurricane 8263 (sic) was unable to prevent his aircraft diving into the river near the Severn Bridge. The pilot was injured and removed to Lydney Hospital and his aircraft submerged in the river beyond salvage capacity.

Regards
Ross