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