P/O J.M. Gilmer (NZ), 51 Sqdn, 02/05/1940, UK

What caused the death of:

Pilot Officer (Pilot) John M. Gilmer, RAF 41690 (NZ), 51 Sqdn., age 23, 02/05/1940, Dishford Cemetery, UK

Regards,

Bart

[Dick]

Hi Bart
Gilmer is on the Aukland Museum Cenotaph site as died from injuries following air operations. Chorley has only 1 loss for 51 Sqn that night from operations to Oslo/Fornebu,and it wasn't Gilmer's crew. It might mean that Gilmer brought the a/c back safely and then died. the Aukland record is at http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/general/RecordDetail.aspx?dataset=Cenotaph&SearchID=939104&Ordinal=1&OriginalID=24535
Regards
Dick

[Linzee]

According to the excellent For Your Tomorrow Vol 1 by our Errol W Martyn, Whitley IV K9039 became lost in poor weather on return from op to Fornebu (op mentioned in above post) and ran out of fuel. Carried out forced landing and struck a coll between Burnside Fell & Dunsop Fell (Yorkshire Moors). Gilmer was 2nd pilot and was injured and later died on 2nd May at Queen Victoria Hospital, Lancashire.

Regards
Linzee

[Dick]

Hi Bart
Chorley does have Gilmer's crash which was an earlier op to Oslo on 31 Apr/1 May 1940. 1 Crew member died in the crash and the other 4 were injured with Gilmer dying later in Hospital
Regards
Dick

Thanks, Dick and Linzee - much appreciated.

Regards,

Bart

[Errol Martyn]

Bart,

The following amendment to my Vol One entry appears in Vol Three (being published this month):

p79; GILMER, J M – crashed shortly after c.0630. Gilmer died at 0200 on 2 May.

Errol

[alclark]

The ORB recorded the following:

Whitley IV K9039

Crashed Burnside Fell 1/5/40
562018 P/O E. Cotton Broken thigh
40196 P/O Gilmer Died of injuries
580764 Sgt Coveney Killed
551589 AC1 Salmon Severe shock and cuts
626629 AC1 Maylin Severe shock and cuts

[paulmcmillan]

Note: Coveney date of death listed on CWGC as 30/4/40 - Wrong aircraft crashed 1/5/40 - But could explain why FYT has 4 injured Plus Gilmer, should be 3 injured, 1 killed and Gilmer

[Errol Martyn]

Paul,

I think you may have misinterpreted my FYT entry:

Tue 30 Apr/Wed 1 May 1940

Bomber Command

Raids on airfields in Denmark and Norway (by 50 aircraft - 7 lost)
51 Squadron, RAF (Dishforth, Yorkshire - 4 Group)
Whitley IV K9039 - took off at 1900 captained by Plt Off E Cotton, RAF, to attack Fornebu airfield, Oslo, but became lost in poor weather on return to England and ran out of fuel. While carrying out a forced landing K9039 struck a coll between Burnside Fell and Dunsop Fell, 3 miles WNW of Slaidburn on the Yorkshire moors. An RAF Sgt [Coveney] in the crew was killed and the other four members injured. The 2nd pilot [Gilmer - one of the four inj], however, later died on 2 May at the Queen Victoria Hospital, Lancashire, and is buried at Dishforth.
2nd Pilot: 41690 Plt Off John Martin GILMER, RAF - Age 23. 204hrs.

i.e. 1 killed, 4 inj of whom one later died.

Errol

Errol

[paulmcmillan]

Errol

Yep. mis-interepreted!

I should have known better :-)

Sorry..
Regards

Paul