Death of Ewen Lilburn on 27 March 1940

[Laurent Rizzotti]

On 27 March 1940, Flg Off Ewen Campbell Lilburn, the brother of the to-be-famous musician Dougls Lilburn, was killed in a training accident while flying with the RAF.

The CWGC shows he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial with no registered unit, propably meaning he was lost with a second-line unit (FTS, OTU, etc..) rather than with a first-line squadron.

I would like to have details of his loss.

Thanks in advance

Laurent

[dennis_burke]

THe General Registers list of RAF overseas dead lists his unit as

S of GR - School of General Reconaisance.
Also on Runnymede that date and with same unit listed in the GRO index are:

AC1 John V Halliday 620442
P/O John E G Fennell 42492

they all appear in RAF CAsualty lists as:
PREVIOUSLY REPORTED "MISSING BELIEVED KILLED ON ACTIVE SERVICE " NOW PRESUMED "KILLED ON ACTIVE SERVICE.

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

Anson I K6249 of the SGR, which crashed into the English Channel on 27-3-1940.

90567 F/O James Peter Henry BALSTON RAF, also possibly involved in this loss.

and ...

Wed 27 Mar 1940
COASTAL COMMAND
Navigation reconnaissance exercise, interception of launch.

School of General Reconnaissance, RAF (Thorney Island, Sussex - 17 Group)

Anson I K6249 - entered a spin off a stall turn at 700 feet while circling the launch at 1550, crashed into the sea and sank. Two other aircraft circled the area for some time but no trace of the four crew was found, including the pilot who is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

Pilot: 37885 Fg Off Ewen Campbell LILBURN RAF - Age 29. 1310 hrs.

See:
For Your Tomorrow:A Record of New Zealanders who have Died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services Since 1915.. Volume One: Fates 1915-1942.
Martyn,Errol W.
Christchurch:Volplane Press,1998.
p.76

Errol also adds the following in his Amendments to Volumes One and Two:

Volume One: p.76; LILBURN, E C - The launch was HSL117, operating in the Western English Channel. (See: Vol.3 p.546)

Col.

[Errol Martyn]

A document from the CO of the SGR dated 28 Mar 40 confirms the crew as:

Lilburn
Balston
Fennell
Halliday (w/t operator)

Balson and Fennell were 'two pupils of No.6 Navigation Reconnaissance (WAR) Course'.

Errol

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks to all, case opened and closed in some hours