430123 - Unaccounted airmen - 23-1-1943

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

A - Killed on active service:
Cpl Douglas J. LE MASURIER - 542292;
F/O (Pilot) William E.N. MAXWELL - 118505 (from N.Ireland);
Sgt (WOp/Ag) Francis O'NEILL - 1033698, and
F/Sgt (Pilot) John L. OWEN - 1187136.

B - Died on active service:
Cpl Albert THISTLETHWAITE - 1127563.

C - Proposed aircraft losses:
Beaufighter VI - T5283 - 2 (C)OTU - crashed on take-off Catfoss.
Hurricane I - P3031 - 59 OTU - crashed on approach at night Brunton.
Oxford II - V3578 - 19 (P)AFU - undershot landing Dalcross.
Spitfire II.B - P8569 - 61 OTU - crashed in forced landing Harmar Moss Farm, Myddle, Shropshire.
Wellington I - R1598 - 3 (C)OTU - crashed on overshoot Cranwell.
Master II - DM240 - 17 (P)AFU - crashed in forced landing Triangle Plantation, Barnham, Suffolk.
Oxford II - AP406 - 15 (P)AFU - flew into ground Keyston, 3 miles W of Molesworth.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
LE Masurier,24, registered in the Isle of Wight
Maxwell,29,O'Neill,22 and Owen,22, all registered at Sleaford and W Kesteven,Lincolnshire which would be right for the Wellington at Cranwell
Thistlethwaite didn't come up
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dick, again three taken off the list !
Regards,
Henk.

[Theletterwriter]

Henk

Cpl. Albert Thistlethwaite 1127563 : Fogo in the County of Berwick, Scotland

S/Ldr. Charles T.E. Smith 79021 - died 24/1/43 : Dunbarney & Dron, County of Perth, Scotland

Best wishes

Douglas

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Douglas for this info; much appreciated.
Regards,
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

F/Sgt (Airgunner) Robert WRIGGLESWORTH - 945209 - 38 Squadron (Wellingtons, Gambut, Libya) reported 'missing' in Casualty Communiqué No. 216 (Flight 1-8-1943, page 362), and buried in The Phaleron War Cem., near Athens, Greece.
Can't find a matching aircraft serial; also David Gunby can't help as 38 Sqn became an anti-shipping unit in July 1942 and thereafter fell outside the bounderies for inclusion in Bomber Losses ME/Med.
Who may be of any help to find the cause of death of this airman ?
Regards and thanks,
Henk.

[malcolm_raf]

Hi Henk

On the same day the following 38 Sqn personnel were also killed and are commemorated on the Alamein Memorial

BELL, DOUGLAS CHARLES WO 406286
LIDIARD, DUDLEY ST JOHN Sgt 1377854
O'BEIRNE, WILLIAM FREDERICK Sgt 1365181
WEST, LEONARD ARTHUR Fg Off 108946

Malcolm

[COL BRUGGY]

Henk,

22/23-1-1943
No.38 Sqn.
Wellington IC HX785

Wellington HX785, of 38 Sqn RAF Middle east, left Gambut at night on 22/23 January 1943, on a mine-laying operation off the coast of Greece. The aircraft was last heard from in the Gulf of Pentalion at 0310 when a message was received "hit flak going down target area" It was assumed that the aircraft had ditched in approx position 38.10N,24.10E.

108946 F/O (Pilot) Leonard Arthur WEST RAFVR +
80271 F/O (2nd Pilot) John Maurice DeVilliers RAF PoW (L3/121)
1365181 Sgt (Nav.) William Frederick O'BIERNE RAFVR +
AUS406286 W/O (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Douglas Charles BELL RAAF +
1377854 Sgt (W.Op.) Dudley St John LIDIARD RAFVR +
945209 Sgt (Air Gnr.) Robert WRIGGLESWORTH RAFVR + (Buried Phaleron War Cemetery)
79813 F/Lt James Geddes JOHNSON RAF T (Arm.) of 233 Wing. PoW ?

Bell,Lidiard,O'Bierne and West, commemorated on the Alamein Memorial.

There is a bit more to this story, which can be read here: Alan Storr's RAAF Casualties. Vol.17. Airmen A-K. NKG. (p.80 of 479).

Col.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Col and Malcolm for your help. Couldn't find the serial in my Wimpy-file as it was incorrectly listed as 1446 Flt.
Regards,
Henk.

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Henk,

No.3 (C)OTU ORB confirms crew of Wellington L as Maxwell, Owen, O'Neill. All three crew killed.

Regards
Ross