Lost airmen of Newcastle

[John Moore]

On the back of the research I did on my home town, I'm now looking into those buried near my current residence in Newcastle. Again, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Sgt H Irving, 754792, Navigator, 12/01/42

Sgt Ernest Scott, 992598, WO/AG, 20/02/42

Sgt R L Bilton, 954263, Pilot, 18/04/42

F/O C J 'Paddy' Thorpe, ?, Navigator, 20/02/44

F Sgt R Kennedy, 1516664, WO/AG, 19/05/44

F Sgt A Virtue, 137892, ?, 10/06/44

Sgt W Kennedy, 2212847, WO/AG, 17/12/44

Sgt Forster, 1589967, Flight Engineer, 04/03/45

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello John,

Re: 992598 Sgt Ernest SCOTT.

20 February 1942
17 OTU
Blenheim IV Z5899
Training

T/o Upwood for a low-level (between 500 and 600 hundred feet) navigation exercise; base-Gillingham-Stratford-upon-Avon-Hungerford-Cottesmore-base. While flying on the second leg, the crew strayed 15 miles off track and at 1028 the starboard wingtip was sliced off by a barrage balloon cable in the Birmingham defensive area. Out of control, the Blenheim smashed into the ground. Sgt Kyle RCAF and his Jamaican observer, Sgt de Lisser of St. Andrew, rest in Sutton Coldfield Cemetery, while Sgt Scott lies in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (St. Nicholas) Cemetery.

Sgt W T Kyle RCAF +
Sgt L S de Lisser +
Sgt E Scott +

See: BCL7/100.

Re: 2212847 Sgt William Kennedy.

17 December 1944
17 OTU
Wellington X LP306
Training

T/o 1354 Turweston for local flying practice. Crashed 1404, off a starboard turn, after over-shooting the runway and attempting to go round again. All are buried in various United Kingdom cemeteries.

Sgt G A C Caton +
Sgt J Hartley +
Sgt R G Miller +
Sgt W Kennedy +
Sgt R P H Fernie +
Sgt M E Griffiths +

See: BCL7/328

Col.

[Dick]

Hi John
Sydney Forster, Died in Halifax III,NA612,1664 HCU(Heavy Conversion Unit) which took off from Dishforth on the night of 3/5/44 as one of a diversionary force of 90 odd a/c to assist a main force operation.On return to UK 5 of the diversionary force fell victim to Intruders incl Forster's a/c which was shot down at Brafferton,5mls S of Thirsk.Except for Forster the crew were all RCAF(Chorley Bomber Command Losses Vol 8 and 9)

From CWGC I can find a Henry H Irving who died on 12/01/41, In Chorley BCL Vol2, he is recorded as part of the crew of Hampden I,L4045,EA-Q,49 Sqn that crashed on return from an Op to Wilhelmshaven.It took off from Scampton and crashed,Reportedly after losing control whilst avoiding houses at Northorpe, Lincolnshire
Regards
Dick

[dennis_burke]

F Sgt A Virtue, 137892, ?, 10/06/44

Is
Name: VIRTUE, ALEXANDER
Initials: A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Flight Sergeant
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Age: 31
Date of Death: 10/06/1944
Service No: 1378792
Additional information: Son of Alexander and Jane Virtue; husband of Mildred Virtue, of Newcastle-on-Tyne.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Sec. T. Grave 73.
Cemetery: NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE (ST. NICHOLAS) CEMETERY


He died of natural causes on that date, from illness. He had been a crew member on

October 25, 1941
Vickers Wellington IC T2506 103 Squadron
Aircraft crashed crashed, Kilmihill, Quilty, County Clare, Ireland

Crew:
P/O Ralph 'Bob' Gardner KEEFER J/4876 RCAF (Interned)(Escaped)
Sgt Leslie George DIAPER 1375190 (Interned) Relased 1944
P/O John 'Jack' Philip CALDER J/4695 RCAF (Interned)(Escaped) Later KIA
Sgt Albert Colin DALTON 636611 (Interned)(Escaped) KIA
Sgt Maurice Bertram BROWN 987421 (Interned) Released 1944
Sgt Alexander VIRTUE 1378792 (Interned) DOAS

Aircraft crashed after a bombing raid on Frankfurt, the crew bailing out having become lost. A book named 'Grounded in Ireland' is based around this crew, told by P/O Keefers son;

Virtue was released from internment in Ireland in march 1943, presumably due to his illness.

Calder returned to service after his release, was injured in a crash and after recovery from that, was finally killed in action in July 1944. Dalton also was KIA in September 1943 following his successful escape from Ireland.

Sources: As listed on my website: http://www.skynet.ie/~dan/war/crashes.htm

[COL BRUGGY]

Dennis,

The book you refer to, is:

Grounded In Eire:The Story of Two RAF Fliers Interned in Ireland during World War II
Keefer,Ralph.
Montreal:McGill-Queen's U.P.,2002

Re: Virtue (p.258)

As for Keefer's crew, Alex Virtue, his tail gunner, was released from the Curragh just before its closure in October 1943. My father never knew why until he received a letter in the mid-1980s from Maurice Brown, his nose gunner, who said that Virtue had died of cancer in Dublin in early 1944, an illness that had been diagnosed the previous year.

Col.

[dennis_burke]

Thanks Col, I have a copy of the book, I always assume people are able to google things for themselves to a certain degree. And large sections of the book is available for viewing on Google books.

Alexander Virtue's death is registered in Aylesbury district, Buckinghamshire Vol. 3a, pg 1420

[dennis_burke]

Bilton has been discussed before, don;t forget the search function JOhn:
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5472&highlight=bilton

It was suggested but unconfirmed he was on Oxford AS447, see thread above.

[Henk Welting]

F/Sgt (WOp/Ag) Richard KENNEDY was killed on Stirling LJ880 of 620 Sqn. Hit by Stirling EF244 and crashed 1 mile WSW of Kempsford, Glos. Also killed in same accident:
F/Lt R.O. FRANCIS - 41392 (RAF from Canada);
Sgt N.H. FLACK - 1813568;
F/O L.Q. JENKINS - 168804;
F/O K.A. HILLS - RCAF J/12985, and
F/Sgt E.E. HILL - 1388927.

20-2-1944 Paddy THORPE is in my "unaccounted" file; he was F/O (Nav) Charles J. THORPE - 151940.

Regards,
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

Charles J Thorpe is listed KOAS in Flight casualty listings along with one other RAF airmen died dame day, F/O Edwin McNulty (pilot). Both their names are registred in the Anglesey West district of Anglesey. That might connect them to something, job someones memory.

[alclark]

McNulty and Thorpe were both killed in a Beaufighter close to RAF Valley.

February 20th 1944, “No.9 Group said that the aircraft was a Beaufighter from Crosby and was in contact with Annan. Later the Flying Control Officer (P/O Luck) heard the aircraft being homed by Annan but as it seemed to be losing contact and its own transmissions were getting louder it appeared to him that the aircraft was being given reciprocal courses. This was suggested to No.9 Group who agreed and asked us to try and contact the aircraft. Woodvale were instructed to swing the Fixer Stations to Command Guard and our Sandra lights and Contact Strip were switched on. The Homer was swung to Command Guard and contact made with the aircraft. Woodvale were also in contact and as we had transmitter trouble they, with the help of bearings passed by us, homed the aircraft to within sight of the airfield. It flew over base and asked for permission to land. This was given (on the pack set) together with direction and length of runway. The pilot said he wished the lights (Contact Strip) left on and the Sandra lights were ordered out. He then asked if we had a Chance Light and was told to call for “Flood”. He flew over base and appeared to be starting his circuit when a splutter was heard and the aircraft was reported by the Airfield Controller to have crashed “somewhere behind the Control Tower”. The M.O., ambulance etc, were despatched and search parties organised, the crash Beaufighter eventually being found at dawn between Site 13 and Trewan Sands and appeared to have flown straight into the ground. Both pilot P/O McNulty and Radio Observer P/O Thorpe had been killed immediately.”