420423 - Unaccounted airmen - 23-4-1942

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

A - Died on active service:
AC2 Israel P. BENJAMIN - 1403891, and
Cpl Bobbie V. ROPER - 646652.

B - Not found in Flight archives:
AC2 Arthur G. BRYAN-BROWN - 1393234;
Sgt (Pilot) Joseph COWARD - 1019175, and
Cpl Stanley V. MUDGE - 546874.

C - Proposed aircraft losses:
Blenheim IV - V6008 - 54 OTU - crashed on take-off at night Ryther, 8 miles SSW of York.
Tomahawk I - AH788 - 268 Sqn - crashed on landing Snailwell.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[alclark]

I take it you have already got Sgt Norman Elcock, 1112747, along with Sgt Jozef Antoni Pudelko, 781015 (PAF), on Lysander V9721 for this date.

I can't add anything for the other casualties.

[COL BRUGGY]

Henk,

April 23, 1942

Again bad weather in the morning prevented flying, but it cleared in the afternoon, allowing local flying activity. P/O Howard badly damaged Tomahawk AH788 whilst engaged in local flying activity, bouncing the aircraft heavily whilst landing and causing it to overturn. P/O Howard was injured in the crash and the aircraft was struck off charge.

See:
ADJIDAUMO "Tail in Air':The History of No.268 Squadron Royal Air Force 1940 -1946 Vol.I
Ford,Colin
Woden:Author,2004.
p.99

Col(B).

[dennis_burke]

KILLED ON ACTIVE SERVICE.—Sgt, J. Coward;
One of the 'invisible pages of Flight Aug 13th 42.

DIED ON ACTIVE SERVICE- Cpl. S. V. Mudge again, the e was scanned as a c, Jul 30th 42 FLight mag

Bryan-brown escapes me also

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Benjamin,34, registered at Norwich, Norfolk. Horsham St Faith is close
Roper,21, registered at East Dereham, Norfolk, Swanton Morley is close to E Dereham
Bryan-Brown,19, registered at St Albans, Hertfordshire
Mudge is a problem!! there are 2 Stanley V Mudge's, both 21, one is registered at Cirencester ,added at the bottom of the page, and the other is registered at Ashby Z which translates as Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire
Coward is registered at Tadcaster ,Yorkshire the right area for Ryther and confirming Warner's Blenheim who reports Sgt J Coward as killed on V6008
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Thanks all for your help.
Yes Al, I had V9721 and crew PUDELKO/ELCOCK.
Regards,
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

Only realised this Lysander was a Northern Ireland crash, does any one have details?

I can find part of the entry from
Księga lotników polskich, poległych, zmarłych i zaginionych, 1939-1946
By Olgierd Cumft, Hubert Kazimierz Kujawa

on google books but cant read it!

[Henk Welting]

Dennis,
Have on file that Lysander V9721 of 6 AACU crashed on take-off Sydenham. Sgt (Pilot) Jozef Antoni PUDELKO - PAF 781015 and Sgt (WOp/Ag) Norman ELCOCK - 1112747 both killed.
Pudelko, born 13-12-1918 Prynce-Zagorce, believed to be district Bobrka, lies buried LG.38A Belfast (Willtown) Roman Catholic Cemetery (UK.7220); Elcock buried Over Congregational Burial Ground, Winsford, Cheshire (UK.6140).
Regards,
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

Thanks Henk, just the detail I wanted.

[Theletterwriter]

Henk

I do not know if this is any use but Cpl. Stanley V. Mudge 546874 is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site as being buried at Bristol (Canford) Cemetery.

Douglas