430323 - Unaccounted airmen - 23-3-1943

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

A - Died on active service:
AC2 Cyril V.T. DIXON - 1509350;
AC2 Walth(g)er E.M. HORN - 1808641, and
AC1 William T. REEKS - 1432571 - 88 Sqn (Oulton, Norfolk).

B - Not found in Flight Global:
AC2 Wilfred J. HOLLIS - 922190 - age 26.

C - Looking for GRO-listing of:
Cpl William J. BREWER - 1101487 - KOAS - buried La Réunion War Cem., Bejaia, Algeria, and
Cpl Albert W.G. WATSON - 966219 - DOAS - buried Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada.

D - Furthermore looking for info on following airmen whose names are commemorated on Panel 171 of the Runnymede Memorial:
LAC Stanley A.J. GARNER - 963445;
AC1 Francis RILEY - 1693157, and
LAC Seth WRIGHT - 1008778 (found a note that Wright may have been on HMT [troopship ?] P-41).

E - Proposed aircraft losses:
Catalina I - G-AGDA (BOAC) - crashed on landing Poole.
Master II - AZ804 - 17 (P)AFU - crashed on approach Watton.
Auster III - MZ139 - 652 (AOP) Sqn - flew into ground 1 mile S of Little Hormead, Hertfordshire (also looking for name of Army pilot).
Auster III - MZ161 - 652 (AOP) Sqn - flew into ground 1 mile SW of Furneaux Pelham, Hertfordshire (also looking for name of Army pilot).

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[AlanW]

Henk,
Brewer....144 MU.
Watson....41 SFTS.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Dixon,21, registered at Kington, Herefordshire
Horn,21, registered at Hay,Breconshire.His first name is given the English spelling Walter on the register
Reeks,19, registered at Bromley, Kent.This is on the SE side of London and he came from and is buried in Chatham not far East of Bromley.It may mean a death going to or from Home leave
Hollis,registered at Amersham, Buckinghamshire. His age is given as 21 on the register
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Alan & Dick for your support.

Henk.

[COL BRUGGY]

Henk,

No recorded casualties aboard BOAC Catalina AH563/G-AGDA, which crashed, caught fire, broke-up and sank while landing at Poole, on 23-3-1943.

Col.

[dave bristol]

Henk,

GRO has the unit for GARNER as 144 Sq and the unit for Riley as 144MU.

The unit for Seth WRIGHT is shown as HMT P-41, which I take to be HM Troopship but so far I have not got any further leads.

Dave Molyneux

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Col & Dave.
Dave: GARNER 144 Sqn might be incorrect as 144 Sqn at that time based at Tain, Ross & Cromarty, embarked for North Africa in May 1943. May have been - same as for RILEY - MU144, at that time at Maison Blanche, Algeria.
Regards,
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

The following records:
http://www.pooleflyingboats.com/archive/Newcomers-at-Poole-with-RNAS-Sandbanks.pdf

Also, shortly after returning from its last West Africa run, G-AGDA was involved in a dreadful accident in Poole Harbour
- in training 6 experienced personnel on 3rd. March 1943, with the loss of RO Martin, RO Mitchell & Eng. Off Loweman.

and

http://www.pooleflyingboats.com/archive/Momentum-for-the-Postwar-Era-at-Poole.pdf

From Death Indexes
Reginald Martin aged 34
Leonard F Mitchell aged 27
Warren Lowemann aged 34
all listed on vol 5a pg 282, in the Poole District, Dorset

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

C - Looking for GRO-listing of:-

1101487 Cpl William John BREWER.

Brewer, Corporal William John, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (1101487), 144 Maintenance Unit, Maison Blanche, Algeria, HMT P41, 23 March 1943, Killed in Action (At Sea), La Reunion War Cemetery, Algeria.

See:
Failed To Return Airmen Died In The Second World War 1939-45 The Roll of Honour of the British Commonwealth and Allied Air Services - Part 2, A-B.
Hobson,Chris.
Uckfield:Naval & Military Press,2019.
p.912

Col.

[malcolm_raf]

Hi

Riley was also serving with 144 MU so he was probably killed on HMT P41 as well

Malcolm