400725 - Unaccounted airmen - 25-7-1940

[Henk Welting]

Paul,
Have same problems; therefore asked DaveW about his ideas. Take at least for grant that Tibbles was on Harvard P5901.
Regards,
Henk.

[paulmcmillan]

BTW One other point

Sgt (Pilot) Gerald J.L. JOHNSON - Typo Serial is 742087 NOT 740287

740287 Is Sgt J F Palmer Killed 29/05/1940


BTW Bell was also Killed on Active Service and is in the same casualty list as Tibbles and Johnson

[davew]

Gents

CWGC has Bell died on 26th July, Tibbles on 25th


The death register for Cirencester has Bell on page 984 Tibbles on Page 1018 in the same qtr. (I understand that there are four entries to a page). This suggests to me that the death of Bell was reported to the registrar some time before that of Tibbles even though he was killed a day later! I don't know how many deaths would be registered in Cirencester in two days but surely not as many as 34 days x 4 = 136 or so enties. I'm puzzled now unless there is an error in the CWGC dates which is not unknown.

DaveW

[Henk Welting]

Dave,
I believe that BELL, mentioned page 984 of the Cirencester Register, may have been P/O Eric W. BELL - 77775 of 263 Sqn who was killed on Blenheim L1105 of 5 OTU (Conversion training) at Frampton Mansell 23rd July 1940.
Please advise.
Regards,
Henk.

[davew]

Henk,

That's correct. I really don't know where I got 26th from, perhaps these glasses!

regards

Davew

[Henk Welting]

Dave,
What means that also George H. BELL - 748794 must be in same Cirencester death register, date of death 26th July 1940.
Any info in the register on crash location ?

Regards,
Henk.

[davew]

Henk

George H Bell 748794 died 26/7/40 registered at 6a 984.

Eric W Bell 77775 died 23/7/40 also registered at 6a 984
Pilot of L1105.

William Tibbles 754133 died 25.7.40 registered at 6a 1018
Harvard P5901?

So the two Bells were registered at the same time (and from the same source?) although dates three days apart. And Tibbles registered some time later, perhaps several days later.

There is no information in the registers about date or place of death, for that one must apply for a copy death certificate which costs £7; usually, but not always, the place of death will be specified. Of course if the death occurred at a hospital or similar, that is the place that will be noted and is no help in establishing a crash site.

regards
DaveW

[paulmcmillan]

Henk

George H Bell 748794 died 26/7/40 registered at 6a 984.

Eric W Bell 77775 died 23/7/40 also registered at 6a 984
Pilot of L1105.

William Tibbles 754133 died 25.7.40 registered at 6a 1018
Harvard P5901?

So the two Bells were registered at the same time (and from the same source?) although dates three days apart. And Tibbles registered some time later, perhaps several days later.

There is no information in the registers about date or place of death, for that one must apply for a copy death certificate which costs £7; usually, but not always, the place of death will be specified. Of course if the death occurred at a hospital or similar, that is the place that will be noted and is no help in establishing a crash site.

regards
DaveW

Of course there could be a typo in the registered number when entered into the index with the co-incidence of the name Bell - I.e Look up "Second Bell" and find entry of "First Bell" and use that

[paulmcmillan]

Botha I - L6124 - 1 (C)OTU - crashed in forced landing Threapland Moss, Aspatria, Cumberland;

According to Air Crashes in Lake District Pilot was P/O Bradshaw - Aircraft badly damaged after forced landing due to mechanical problems but crew OK. Aircraft recovered by salvage unit

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Paul for pilot's name Botha L6124.
Regards,
Henk.