441120 - Unaccounted Airmen - 20-11-1944

[paulmcmillan]

From AB-IX and if Butler 'Unaccounted'

On 20 November 1944, a Tempest (EJ658 flown by a Flying Officer C A Tidy) from 122 Wing suffered engine failure while taking off from B.80 Volkel.

The aircraft then attempted an emergency landing at the same airfield but struck a taxying 401 Squadron Spitfire (MJ604) killing LAC Joe Butler. The pilot of the Spitfire, P/O D.M. Horsburgh escaped with no injuries.

I think LAC Joe Butler is actually

Name: BUTLER, REGINALD LEWIS
Initials: R L
Nationality: Canadian
Rank: Corporal
Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force
Age: 26
Date of Death: 20/11/1944
Service No: R/78661
Additional information: Son of Irvin and Edna Butler, of Ingersoll, Ontario.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: XVII. A. 5.
Cemetery: GROESBEEK CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY

[COL BRUGGY]

Hi Paul,

November 20, 1944.

A Tempest aircraft from 122 Wing had its engine cut just after take-off and tried to make a forced landing. Approaching the field he was thrown off course by a heavy gust of wind and ploughed into one of our aircraft which was just on the verge of taxiing out onto the runway. The Tempest just chewed through the Spitfire, killing the airman on tail, LAC R.L. (Joe) Butler.

November 22, 1944.

The CO, S/L Smith, and officers and men from 401 attended the funeral of LAC Butler, who was buried near Heide at 1030 hours.

See:
High Blue Battle:The War Diary of No.1 (401) Fighter Squadron, RCAF.
McIntosh,Dave.
Toronto:Stoddart Publishing,1990.
p.162

Col.

[paulmcmillan]

Col

Thanks for that.. I have posted it back to AB-IX

Paul

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Paul. Yes BUTLER was in my files. He was an Aero Engine Mech with 6401 Service Echelon and initially buried at Odiliapeel; exhumed and reinterred in the Groesbeek (Canadian) War Cem.

Regards,
Henk.

[shanghidon]

hi Joe carpenter here, the pilot of the Spitfire P/O D M Horsburgh was from Carnduff Sask. he survived the war and came home to marry my aunt. His log book that he didnt fly for about a month after that accident.

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

441120 - Unaccounted Airmen - 20-11-1944

From Henk's List -

UK
HAWKINS, Herbert - AC1c - 1834651 - RAFVR - Wednesbury (Fallings Heath) Cemetery, Staffordshire.
HEWITT, Joseph - AC2c - 1496051 - RAFVR - Manchester (Gorton) Cemetery, Lancashire.
PHILLIPS, Ronald - LAC - 1313723 - RAFVR - Gwaelodybrithdir Cemetery, Glamorganshire.

ZIMBABWE
APPLEBY, John A D (CWGC & Geoff's sites = APPLEBY, Joseph Anthony Dees )- LAC - 984702 - RAFVR - Harare Cremation Memorial, Zimbabwe.

From CWGC & Geoff's sites -

UK
DILLEY, Dennis Arthur - Sgt (Flt/Engr) - 1583059 - RAFVR - Braunstone (ST. Peter) Churchyard, Leicestershire. [ Hallifax II - BB254 - 1656 HCU ].
EMERY, Horace Samuel - Sgt (A/G) - 3040593 - RAFVR - South Hetton (Holy Trinity) Churchyard, Durham. [ Hallifax II - BB254 - 1656 HCU ].
FORSYTH, William Bratton - Sgt (A/G) - 1597691 - RAFVR - Wallsend (Holy Cross) Cemetery, Northumberland. [ Wellington X - LN428 - 14 OTU ].
HALL, Donald William Herbert - Sgt (A/G) - 1869433 - RAFVR - Chester (Blacon) Cemetery, Cheshire. [ Wellington X - LN428 - 14 OTU ].
KELLY, Benjamin - Sgt (Wireless Op-Air) - 1594719 - RAFVR - Chester (Blacon) Cemetery, Cheshire. [ Wellington X - LN428 - 14 OTU ].
LAMB, John George - F/S (Pilot) - 1324182 - RAFVR - Chester (Blacon) Cemetery, Cheshire. [ Wellington X - LN428 - 14 OTU ].
POVEY, Derek John - F/O (Nav) - 164204 - RAFVR - Hatfield (Woodhouse ) Cemetery, Yorkshire. [ Hallifax II - BB254 - 1656 HCU ].
RUSHER, Norman Ralph - Sgt (WoP-A/G) - 1275536 - RAFVR - Burnham (St. Peter) Churchyard, Buckinghamshire. [ Halifax II - W7875 - 1656 HCU ].
SOUTHERN, Eric Richard - F/S (Nav) - 1581192 - RAFVR - Chester (Blacon) Cemetery, Cheshire. [ Wellington X - LN428 - 14 OTU ].
STODDEN, Kenneth - Sgt (Flt/Engr) - 1898283 - RAFVR - Falmouth Cemetery, Cornwall. [ Halifax II - W7875 - 1656 HCU ].
THOMPSON, Ronald - Sgt (WoP-A/G) - 1866655 - RAFVR - Watford North Cemetery, Hertfordshire. [ Hallifax II - BB254 - 1656 HCU ].
WITZ, Stanley Edward - Sgt (Air Bomber) - RAFVR - Chester (Blacon) Cemetery, Cheshire. [ Wellington X - LN428 - 14 OTU ].

Alex

[malcolm_raf]

Hi

ZIMBABWE
APPLEBY, John A D (CWGC & Geoff's sites = APPLEBY, Joseph Anthony Dees )- LAC - 28 EFTS

UK
HAWKINS, Herbert - AC1 - registered in Bilston.
HEWITT, Joseph - AC2 - registered in Manchester.
PHILLIPS, Ronald - LAC - registered in Christchurch.
DILLEY, Dennis Arthur - Sgt (Flt/Engr) - Hallifax II - BB254 - 1656 HCU ].
EMERY, Horace Samuel - Sgt (A/G) - Hallifax II - BB254 - 1656 HCU ].
FORSYTH, William Bratton - Sgt (A/G) - Wellington X - LN428 - 14 OTU ].
HALL, Donald William Herbert - Sgt (A/G) - Wellington X - LN428 - 14 OTU ].
KELLY, Benjamin - Sgt (Wireless Op-Air) - Wellington X - LN428 - 14 OTU ].
LAMB, John George - F/S (Pilot) - Wellington X - LN428 - 14 OTU ].
POVEY, Derek John - F/O (Nav) - Hallifax II - BB254 - 1656 HCU ].
RUSHER, Norman Ralph - Sgt (WoP-A/G) - Halifax II - W7875 - 1656 HCU ].
SOUTHERN, Eric Richard - F/S (Nav) - Wellington X - LN428 - 14 OTU ].
STODDEN, Kenneth - Sgt (Flt/Engr) - Halifax II - W7875 - 1656 HCU ].
THOMPSON, Ronald - Sgt (WoP-A/G) - Hallifax II - BB254 - 1656 HCU ].
WITZ, Stanley Edward - Sgt (Air Bomber) - Wellington X - LN428 - 14 OTU ].

Malcolm