Catalina AH560 Loss 23 May 1941

[dennis_burke]

I wonder can some one educate me on this supposed loss and the civilian named below.

I gathered these names on CWGC, all on the Runnymede memorial.

F/Lt C M Scrutton 70613 RAFO RM Panel 29 CWGC -> No unit listed but GRO RAF Lists him with 210 Sqn
F/O R S Collis J/7756 RCAF
P/O K G A Marsh 88696 RM Panel 33 CWGC -> 82 Sqn GRO RAF Deaths list him as 210 Sqn
F/Sgt J R Massey 590895 RM Panel 37 CWGC -> 210 Sqn
Sgt R F Brooks 552807 RM Panel 40 CWGC -> 210 Sqn
Sgt L Littlefair 552216 RM Panel 47 CWGC -> 210 Sqn
AC1 H S McKeown RM Panel 57 CWGC -> 210 Sqn
LAC R E Brodie 906384 Runnymede Panel 56 CWGC -> 210 Sqn

There is a F/Lt R W Gautrey 37674 MiD listed that same day on the Malta Memorial but unit is 201 Squadron which was based back home.

This site describes him thus:
http://www.warmemorial.firstworldwarrelics.co.uk/html/raf_wwii.html

GAUTREY, REGINALD WILLIAM, 127, Cromwell Road. 37674, Flight Lieutenant, 201 Squadron, Royal Air Force. Died 23rd May 1941, aged 27. Commemorated on the Malta Memorial, Malta. Panel 1. Column 1.
F/L Gautrey had transferred to No.45 Group and was involved with Catalina Atlantic Ferry duties at the time of his death. Catalina I AH560 of OADU went missing between Azores and Portugal on this date.

And we have previously briefly discussed this aircraft so I've half answered my own question I guess!

http://www.rafcommands.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=printer_format&om=335&forum=DCForum ID6

http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?t=938

Might the loss of the civilian Geoffrey Valentine CAMERON be related to the loss of AH560:
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=3168800

I can get only this snippet for him on google books:

The Solicitors' journal

The Solicitors' journal‎ - Page 54
Law - 1942
Mr. Geoffrey Valentine Cameron, Legal Secretary to the Government of Malta, is presumed to have lost his life as the result of an aircraft accident at sea, on the 23rd May, 1941, aged thirty-seven. ...

[Henk Welting]

Dennis,
MARSH was the sole survivor of Blenheim Z6165 of 82 Sqn being ferried on the Catalina.
Regards,
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

Thanks Henk.

There is probably no connection to G V Cameron but Collis's service file might answer a question.

[dennis_burke]

I have looked at Collis service file and there is no mention of the aircraft type, he is described as a passenger, and the circumstances match.

Noted that there appears to be no AIR81 file released or existing?

[Jagan]

I have looked at Collis service file and there is no mention of the aircraft type, he is described as a passenger, and the circumstances match.

Noted that there appears to be no AIR81 file released or existing?

Dennis,

this topic came up on wW2talk . http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...php?uniq=AH560 AIR81/15375 confirms the bit about Cameron.

[abiermann]

F/Lt C M Scrutton 70613 RAFO RM Panel 29 CWGC -> No unit listed but GRO RAF Lists him with 210 Sqn
F/O R S Collis J/7756 RCAF
P/O K G A Marsh 88696 RM Panel 33 CWGC -> 82 Sqn GRO RAF Deaths list him as 210 Sqn
F/Sgt J R Massey 590895 RM Panel 37 CWGC -> 210 Sqn
Sgt R F Brooks 552807 RM Panel 40 CWGC -> 210 Sqn
Sgt L Littlefair 552216 RM Panel 47 CWGC -> 210 Sqn
AC1 H S McKeown RM Panel 57 CWGC -> 210 Sqn
LAC R E Brodie 906384 Runnymede Panel 56 CWGC -> 210 Sqn

There seems to have been an issue with the units assigned to some of the killed RAF personnel.

F/Sgt. John R. Massey, 217 Sqdn (not 210 as often given it appears), evaded capture when shot down over France 17 Dec 1940 as navigator in Beaufort L4463, crossed to Spain, imprisoned then released, wrote to his parents on 22 May that he would be home soon.

P/O Marsh was 82 Sqdn, survivor of Blenheim Z6165, crashed on delivery flight to Malta a few days before. He was the only survivor of that crash. Not sure how he made it to Malta given Z6165 crashed 12 miles off the Algerian coast.

All the best

Andreas