WAAF Officer casualties

[Tonym]

I have two Flight Officer casualties - Jean Bushby and Violet Shelley both named on the Ottawa Memorial to Commonwealth Air Forces casualties and both died 24th March 1944.

Be grateful if anybody knows the cause and location of death.

Tony

[malcolm_raf]

Hi Tony

I don't know the cause of death but both were serving with the RAF Delegation, I assume in Washington, Section Officer WEATHERHEAD, ELEANOR VICTORIA 3666 was also killed the same date, also with the RAF Delegation

Malcolm

[Amrit]

Details on an old thread seem to tie in the WAAF casualties with a crash:

http://www.rafcommands.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=printer_format&om=11690&forum=DCFor umID6

A

[dennis_burke]

Eleanor V Weatherhead's names appears in the D C County, Georgia state death register as presented on ancestry.com, dated 23 March 1944.

hers is the only name in D C County for that date. Obvious from where she is buried also.

[Tonym]

Thanks Chaps

I do in fact have Weatherhead didn't associate her as I was checking Ottawa Memorial. So I assume it to have been possibly a road accident, were there any male personnel involved?

Tony

[dennis_burke]

The aircraft accident mentioned in the old thread, Amrits post?

the aircraft wreckage was found on the Georgia Coast.

[malcolm_raf]

Hi Tony

I suggest the full crew were: -

WEATHERHEAD, ELEANOR VICTORIA Sec Off 3666
BUSHBY, JOAN MARY Flt Off 5783
SHELLY, VIOLET BERTHA QU'APPELL Flt Off 581
GAUBERT, HENRY GEORGE FRADGELEY DFC Wg Cdr 39437
WILLIAMS, WILLIAM GRIFFITH Sqn Ldr 86491

Malcolm

[Henk Welting]

Info received from Chris Charland:
Beechcraft Expediter I - HB182 - ex. 43-35620 - c/n 6124:
W/Cdr Gaubert appointed to Air Attache, British Legio, Bogota, Colombia. Proceeding to Washington DC to ferry a Beechcraft to Bogota. On the morning of 24-3-44 at 0906h Gaubert and four passengers departed Bolling Field (Washington DC) to Bogota via Miami. Aircraft refueled at Charleston Army Field, South Carolina. Departed and failed to reach its destination. On the 25th wreckage was discovered along the shoreline at St.Simon Island, off Brunswick, Georgia. (Gaubert - Williams - Weatherhead - Bushby - Shelly).
Regards,
Henk.