430720 - Unaccounted airmen - 20-7-1943

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

A - Died on active service:
AC1 John W.E. HAGLEY - 1478990.

B - Killed on active service:
Sgt (Pilot) William R. TEE - 656960.

C - Not found in Flight Global:
F/O Andrew C. REID - 88101 (from N. Ireland), and
LAC Kenneth WILLIAMSON - 1355320 - age 36 - RAF Regt.

D - Proposed aircraft losses:
Wellington IV - Z1315 - 104 OTU - crashed in forced landing Derry Childrens School, near Ballyronan, Co. Tyrone.
Master II - AZ504 - 2 FIS - dived into ground Gowanpark, near Brechin, Angusshire.
Oxford I - BG236 - 15 (P)AFU - collided with Oxford HN721 and crashed North Farm, Lammy Down, Bishopstone, Wiltshire.
Oxford I - HN721 - 15 (P)AFU - collided with Oxford BG236 and crashed North Farm, Aldborne, near Bishopstone, Wiltshire (already as casualties in this accident: F/O D.B.L. JOHNSTONE - RAAF 411930; Sgt [Pilot] L.I. ELLIOTT - RCAF R/154172 and Sgt [Pilot] E.F. TANNER - RCAF R/145424 [from USA]).

E - Also looking for info on cause of death of:
Sgt Austin SMITH - 1504927 - commemorated Panel 9 Column 1 of the Malta Memorial. He was 144 Sqn at that time flying Beaufighters from Protville in Tunisia, however can't find a matching aircraft serial.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[davew]

Henk

Tee's death is registered at Menmuir, Angus (Menmuir is 4 miles from Brechin) so the Brechin Master looks good.

regards

DaveW

[alclark]

Tee is confirmed by the 2 FIS ORB.

Hagley is registered as Bury, Lancashire
Williamson is registered in Hull.

I couldn't find Reid in England & Wales, given he was from Northern Ireland and is buried there it is likely he died there.

[COL BRUGGY]

Henk,

For the 15 (P)AFU incident on 20-7-1943, Alan Storr mentions the following:

Summary:

On the 20th July 1943, Oxford BG236 took off at 0915 hours on non-operational day training flight in which the instructor was authorised to give dual instruction in instrument flying to his pupil. At about 0945 hours BG236 collided with Oxford 721 and both aircraft force landed to the north of Ramsbury.

Both the crew in BG236 were killed. and one was killed in Oxford 721.

Crew: BG236
RAAF 411930 FO Johnstone D D L (Pupil Instructor)
RCAF Sgt E P Tanner (Pupil Pilot)

Usual retinue of minor errors in Storr.

Col.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Al, Col & Dave for your excellent help.
Regards,
Henk.

[pete102]

Hello,

AC1 JWE Hagley (1478980), died of natural causes in Bury Infirmary on 20/07/43.

from 1663 HCU Orb.

Also on the same page, someone I think you asked about previously but I cannot find when I search so may be mistaken,

P/O G Mattinson (143576), accidentally drowned whilst swimming in the River Ouse Nr Rufforth 03/07/43.

Pete

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Pete for info on HAGLEY and MATTINSON. Both was new to me !
Regards,
Henk.

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Henk,

The Instructor from 15 (P) AFU was injured and was F/Sgt R J Foote RNZAF 414271.

Regards
Ross

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Ross. Did you mean that the instructor F/Sgt FOOTE was on Oxford BG236 ?
Regards,
Henk.

[Ross_McNeill]

Yes, sorry for not making it clear.

Cheers
Ross

[Henk Welting]

Ross,
Checked again the Australian archives and found that AUS411930 F/O David Buglass Leggatt JOHNSTONE - RAAF - and R/14524 Sgt Edward Francis TANNER - RCAF - were on Oxford BG236.
For Oxford HN721 only have R/154172 Sgt Leonard Irvine ELLIOTT - RCAF - on file.
Is it possible that NZ4124271 F/Sgt (Instr.) R.J. FOOTE - RNZAF - was on HN721 rather than on BG236 ?
Regards,
Henk.

[wwrsimon]

Hello

F/O Andrew Charles REID - 88101 - the Will Calendar on the PRONI website records:

Reid Andrew Charles of "Ardeevin" Captain Street, Coleraine, County Londonderry, master baker and lately flying officer with the R.A.F. died 20 July 1943 at Prospect Road Portstewart, County Londonderry.

Regards

Simon

[jonheyworth]

John William Emmanuel Hagley 1478980 , attached to 1613 HCU , died at 00:50 Hours in Bury Infirmary of acute lymphatic Leukaemia

[jonheyworth]

Alex Rae 1163302 , an ACH/GD attached to HQ ME , drowned on leave at 13:35 Hours in Lake Tiberias, his body not being recovered until 27 July