400725 - Unaccounted airmen - 25-7-1940

[Henk Welting]

What caused the death of:

Sgt (Pilot) Gerald J.L. JOHNSON - 740287 - killed on active service (Flight Global), buried Leicester (Gilroes) Cem. (UK2166), and

Sgt (Pilot) William H. TIBBLES - 754133 - killed on active service (Flight Global), buried Southchurch (Holy Trinity) Churchyard, Southend-on-Sea, Essex (UK3611).

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:

Anson I - L7928 - 6 FTS - crashed in forced landing Grendon Underwood, Buckinghamshire;
Beaufort I - N1088 - 12 MU - crashed in forced landing 2 miles S of Dumfries (already as a casualty P/O [Pilot] Robert A.D. SMITH - 81045);
Botha I - L6124 - 1 (C)OTU - crashed in forced landing Threapland Moss, Aspatria, Cumberland;
Harvard I - P5901 - 15 FTS - crashed on take-off at night 1½ mile N of Windrush;
Hurricane I - L1791 - 7 OTU - crashed in forced landing Holt, Denbighshire;
Master I - N7690 - 14 FTS - crashed on take-off at night Cranfield, Bedfordshire (already as a casualty Sgt [Pilot] George H. BELL - 748794);
Oxford II - N4757 - 14 FTS - flew into ground Chipperfield, Hertfordshire.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
There a death of a Gerald J L Johnson age 23, registered at Ampthill which is close to Cranfield. He could have been in N7690
Regards
Dick

[Dick]

Hi Henk
There is a death of a William H Tibbles age26 registered at Cirencester. There are several places called Windrush around England but one of them is about 10 Kms N E of Cirencester and in June '40 part of 15 FTS was at South Cerney which is only 4 kms from Cirencester.
Regards
Dick

[paulmcmillan]

Hi Henk
There a death of a Gerald J L Johnson age 23, registered at Ampthill which is close to Cranfield. He could have been in N7690
Regards
Dick

Dick

Is (already as a casualty Sgt [Pilot] George H. BELL - 748794); Registered at same location!

Paul

[Dick]

Hi Henk and Paul
There is a George H Bell age 19 whose death is registered at Cirencester, which might put him with Tibbles.
Regards
Dick

[paulmcmillan]

Dick

So it looks like Bell and Tibbles were on same aircraft...

Thanks

[Henk Welting]

What's your idea about BELL, JOHNSON, TIBBLES ?

Regards,
Henk.

[Doug Cuthbertson]

Henk,
From 15 FTS ORB, 25/7/40. "Harvard N5901 crashed on take off from Windrush, pilot Sgt Tibbles killed." No other casualties recorded. As N5901 was a Gladiator, the ORB compiler made a small error.
Windrush was a small satellite airfield of 15 FTS, 3 miles west of Burford, Oxfordshire, but in the county of Gloucestershire.
Doug.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Doug. Tibbles being only casualty on P5901, Sgt Johnson may have been on N7690 together with Bell.
Best regards,
Henk.

[paulmcmillan]

Guys

I have a real problem with George H Bell age 19 whose death is registered at Cirencester (Gloustershire) and William H Tibbles age 26 also registered at Cirencester. And as we have a confirmation of Tibbles being on Harvard N5901 (from 15 ORB) - But looking like a solo

Whereas Gerald J L Johnson age 23, registered at Ampthill which is close to Cranfield but in Bedfordshire being in Master N7690

I cannot see how Johnson and Bell could be in the same aircraft and if anything Tibbles must have been with Bell unless Bell died in another incident

Paul