430320 - Unaccounted airwomen and airmen - 20-3-1943

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

A - Not found Flight Global:
F/Sgt (Pilot) Harold CLARK - 1023954.

B - Died on active service:
LACW Marjorie A. COLLIN - 892026 - 168 Sqn (Odiham, Hampshire);
AC1 Victor DRINNAN - 1129773;
Cpl Fred W. LONG - 917192 - age 43, and
Cpl (WAAF) Doris E. SMITH - 421110.

C - Killed on active service:
LAC Frank E. HUGHES - 1394561;
LAC (Pilot [u/t ?]) John G. STONEHAM - 1396881, and
F/O (Pilot) Albert E. WHEELER - DFC - 50363.

D - Proposed aircraft losses:
Beaufighter I - V8379 - 51 OTU - crashed on landing Cranfield.
Beaufighter VI - X8004 - TFU - overshot landing at Defford.
Oxford I - DF477 - RAFC - hit balloon barrage Mottrams Farm, Ash Bank, Crewe, Cheshire.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[CZ_RAF]

Hi Henk,

you can exlude Beaufighter VI - X8004 from possible list:

20/03/1943 Beaufighter X8004 of 406 Squadron swung on landing and the undercarriage collapsed at Defford. Pilot Sgt R B Robertson and civilian scientist Mr Willson were both
OK.

http://www.couplandbell.com/marg/crashes1943.htm

BR

Pavel

[AlanW]

Henk,
Wheeler, Stoneham, Hughes and Clark all at Crewe.
Collin...Holderness.
Drinnen...Wirral.
Nothing on Long in Eng/Wales or Scottish register.

[alclark]

I missed this one when you first posted,

I have an entry from the CNS ORB (at Cranage a few miles away from Crewe).

March 20th 1943, Medical Section, “15:30 Hrs approx, In the course of this afternoon , two aircraft, one a Wellington from Lichfield and one an Oxford from Cranwell, crashed after hitting balloon cables at Crewe. All the occupants 8 from the Wellington and 4 from the Oxford, were killed. The bodies were transferred to this station on 21/3/43 and burial arrangements carried out from here.”

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Al, Alan & Pavel.
Alan: What about WAAF Cpl Doris SMITH ?
Pavel: Info on surviving crew also very welcome (collect info on all allied [except USAAF] aircraft losses 39-47).
Best regards,
Henk.

[malcolm_raf]

Hi Henk

Just back from holiday in Northumberland so trying to catch up on the week's postings.

Doris Smith registered in West Cheshire.

Malcolm

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Malcolm,, welcome back on the forum; do hope you enjoyed your holidays.
Regards,
Henk.

[Wheeler]

Alan
I am the grand-daughter of F/O Pilot Albert E Wheeler and I have been trying for some years to find out how my grandfather died with no success, so you can imagine my surprise when I came across this web site.

Can you please advise how I can get a copy of the CNS ORB you mentioned on 4th April 2010.

In addition I have been trying to find out why he was awarded the DFC and again with no success. I requested his records from the RAF but his records just acknowledge the DFC but give no details.

Henk
What is the purpose of your research, apologies if you have explained this somewhere else.

Helen

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Helen,

His DFC was gazetted in the London gazette 25th July 1941 when he was a Warrant Officer (service number 590017) with No.210 Sqn.

The squadron ORB (war diary) is open to personal inspection at The National Arcives, Kew. I'll dig out my copy this afternoon and see if I can find a suitable event.

Had he been posted to No.502 Sqn at St Eval when he was made a P/O in Oct 1942?. If so then I can give some details of a crash that he survived.

Regards
Ross

[Henk Welting]

Helen,
I'm a retired Chief Warrant Officer of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, age 76, and an amateur historian on the air war 1939-1945. Doing research on allied aircraft losses (except USAAF) and crew.
I've on file that WHEELER was flying Oxford serial DF477 of RAF College Cranwell when he hit a balloon barrage and crashed Mottrams Farm, Ash Bank, Crewe, Cheshire.
Also killed aboard the Oxford:
Sgt Harold CLARK - 1023954, LAC John G. STONEHAM - 1396881 and LAC Frank E. HUGHES - 1394561.
Regards,
Henk.