421215 - Unaccounted airmen - 15-12-1942

**Henk Welting** · 21st January 2010, 10:47

Looking for info (cause of death, death registration) of following airmen:

F/Sgt (Pilot) Peter D. MACE - 1165227 - KOAS - death registered Crewe, Cheshire.

P/O (Obs) Patrick F. McDERMOTT - 129059 - DOWOIROAS - death registered Sleaford, Lincolnshire.

AC1 Sydney M. NETHAWAY - 1423720 - age 39.

LAC William G. POTTLE - 1265957 - age 39.

LAC Robert E. STREET - 756901 - age 37 - death registered Wirral, Cheshire.

Proposed aircraft losses:
Lysander III - T1655 - 61 OTU - flew into high ground 2 miles SE of Llandrillo, Merioneth (already as a casualty on this a/c: F/Lt D. WALKER - AFC - 115748).
Master III - DL616 - 5 (P)AFU - dived into ground Dockott Farm, near Ightfield, Shropshire.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

**Henk Welting** · 21st January 2010, 10:49

Age of POTTLE was "30" instead of "39".

**dennis_burke** · 21st January 2010, 10:51

I got your email Henk, I need new glasses I think:

Pottle is registered in Chatam district, Kent.

Here is everyone else for this date:
ANDERSON-PARFETT, ALBERT WILLIAM MIDDLETON 28 FO Fly Instr "Howden Yorkshire East Riding age 27" KOAS
MACE, PETER DONALD 21 Fsgt pilot Crewe Cheshire age 22 KOAS
McDERMOTT, PATRICK FRANCIS Nil P/O Obs Sleaford Lincolnshire age 28 DoWoIOAS
NETHAWAY, SYDNEY MAURICE 39 AC1 Scotland ?Cannot come up with a spelling but he must be in Scotland
PARKER, JAMES LESLIE 26 GRO South africa Unit: 2 AON & BGS DOAS
PETLEY, EDWARD HEWITT GRO South africa Unit: HQ (U) IRAQ DOAS
POTTLE, WILLIAM GEORGE THOMAS 30 LAC Chatham Kent
PRINCE, WILLIAM JOHN GRO POW Unit No Unit Listed POW
STRATFORD, ALBERT CHARLES GRO POW Unit: Palembang POW
STREET, ROBERT ERIC 37 LAC Wirral Cheshire
TURNER, DERICK GEORGE 19 LAC Pilot UT "Howden Yorkshire East Riding" KOAS
WALKER, DOUGLAS HARVEY 25 FL Pilot "Merioneth East Merionethshire" KOAS

**thorne83** · 21st January 2010, 11:30

Hi Henk,

Mace was on Master DL616. I'm not with my notes, but i'm pretty sure his pupil pilot was badly injured but survived. The location should read Dodcott Farm.

Walker was solo on the Lysander too. Here is a little background on the incident:

http://www.ezraysnet.co.uk/bhaa/crash3.html

Cheers, Tom

**alclark** · 21st January 2010, 15:19

5 (P)AFU's Medical Officer recorded Sgt Gerrard as the pupil, it seems that no-one got the name of the farm right.

December 15th 1942, SSQ, “At 11.00 hours a Master III crashed at Didecotte Farm, Wilksley. F/S Mace being killed & the pupil – Sgt Gerrard receiving superficial injuries. In both cases due to the fracture of the retaining wire of the Sutton Harness. Police at scene first, then Whitchurch Heath. Casualties removed to Whitchurch Heath.”

**Henk Welting** · 21st January 2010, 16:17

Thanks Dennis, Tom and Al for much appreciated info.
Regards,
Henk.

**thorne83** · 21st January 2010, 18:24

Pupil on DL616 was Sgt John Robert Gerrard (1272599). The aircraft "went into a high speed stall as a result of violent use of controls near the ground", according to the accident card.

Cheers, Tom

**Henk Welting** · 22nd January 2010, 12:30

Thanks Tom for additional info on GERRARD and cause of the accident.
Regards,
Henk.

**dennis_burke** · 3rd September 2010, 09:23

Nothing more to add but I'm less convinved that Nethaway died in Scotland, there is a new search engine on their site that allows more wildcards and I dont think he is there.

W G T Pottle appears in the June 24th magazine as DOAS

Nethaway and Street, not found in Flight magazine.