Air Crash. All buried in Kohoma War Cemetery

[graeme clarke]

Hi

Can anyone help with an air crash which occurred on 11 June 1944, the crew and passengers are all buried in Kohima War Cemetery in Collective Grave 1. C. 1A. and 1-26.

By using Geoffs I can trace only 1 RAF crew, this being Flight Sergeant 1213566 Arthur James Read of 62 Squadron.

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2601980

There appear to be about 25-30 soldiers who may also have died on the aircraft.

Any pointers would be much appreciated,

Regards,

Graeme

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

11-6-1944
No.62 Sqn
Dakota III FZ548

Aircraft was detailed to carry Army reinforcements to Imphal. No.124 RSU reported that natives had reported that a low flying aircraft had exploded in the air and that they saw wing root fillers fall off. The crashed aircraft was located in the Karinganj (Silchar) area in the province of Assam. It was in a ploughed paddy field and was fully immersed in water at a depth of 10 feet. All the crew were killed along with the 24 Army personnel on board.

Crew (detached from 215 Sqn.):

AUS414372 F/O (Pilot) Neville William Barton BRADY DFC RAAF +
AUS414340 W/O (Nav./B) Henry James DEESTER RAAF +
1213566 F/Sgt (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Arthur James READ RAFVR +
J/87814 P/O (Air Gnr.) Douglas Edward JONES DFM RCAF +

Pass:

315048 2/Lt John Deneys CROASDALE - 2nd KOSB +
324474 2/Lt Roy Henry HARRIS - 3rd Dragoon Guards +
14650723 Fus Stanley WHAPSHOTT - 1st RIF +
14438747 Fus Leo QUINN - 1st RIF +
6980214 Fus Albert SHANKS - 1st RIF +
2991992 Pte James Tuite SLANE - 2nd KOSB +
3197199 Pte Charles Robert BRADWELL - 2nd KOSB +
6984025 Fus George William ROWBOTHAM - 1st RIF +
14641135 Fus Arthur Thomas ROBERTS - 1st RIF +
3315346 Pte John AIRLIE - 2nd KOSB +
3194776 Pte George BROTHERSTON - 2nd KOSB +
2993334 Pte Joseph DICKSON - Gordon Highlanders +
3252552 Pte George Septimus MAITLAND - 2nd KOSB +
6984022 Fus Albert Arthur ROLLINS - 1st RIF +
14433126 Pte Percival John SAUNDERSON - 2nd KOSB +
3184580 Sgt David ANDERSON - 2nd KOSB +
3196241 Pte Thomas STEIN - 2nd KOSB +
14529924 Rman James COUTTS - !st Cameronians +
3196119 Pte John KERR - 2nd KOSB +
14609191 Fus Jack SCOTT - 1st RIF +
6980394 Fus Patrick MATTHEWS - 1st RIF +
14223821 Pte John George GAMMAGE - 2nd KOSB +
14401131 Pte William John HARRIS - 2nd KOSB +
43092/IO Jem N N DUTTA - 31 Reinforcement Camp (Indian Army Corps of Clerks) +

Crew buried Kohima War Cemetery. Coll. grave 1. C. 1A and 1-26.

All data needs confirmation.

Coll.

[Oldduffer]

No probs!

FZ548 Dakota of 62 Sqn. Some of the crew were from 215 Sqn which might explain your problem

Crew: F/O N W B BRADY 21 RAAF
W/O H J DEESTER 28 RAAF
P/O D E JONES 24 RCAF
F/O A J READ 21

The pax were:

2/Lts R H HARRIS 24 & J D CROASDALE 19
Sgt D ANDERSON
Privates J AIRLIE 19, C R BRADWELL 30, G BROTHERSTON 30, J G GAMMAGE 32, W J HARRIS 20, J KERR 30, G S MAITLAND 29, J T SLANE 21, J DICKSON 30 & T STEIN 27
Rifleman J COUTTS 20
Fusiliers P MATTHEWS 21, L QUINN 19, A T ROBERTS 19, A A ROLLINS 33, G W ROWBOTHAM 32, P J SAUNDERSON 23, J SCOTT 19, A SHANKS 23 & S WHAPSHOTT 22

Hope this helps, I would tell you the title of the book from which the info came but the Mods would cut my naughty bits off for advertising!!!!

Old Duffer

[graeme clarke]

Hi

Many thanks both for finding that for me and for your time and trouble.

Really much appreciated,

Graeme

[HughAHalliday]

More than you wanted to know about Jones but perhaps a bit more about the crash:

JONES, FS (now P/O) Douglas Edward (R133105/J87814) - Distinguished Flying Medal - No.215 Squadron (deceased) - Award effective 10 June 1944 as per London Gazette dated 25 January 1946 and AFRO 244/46 dated 8 March 1946. Born 5 September 1920, Mission, British Columbia; home in Dewdney. Drove delivery vehicles, 1934-1938 for his father. Logging, 1938-1941. Enlisted Vancouver, 18 September 1941 in trade of Driver and posted that date to No.1 Manning Depot, Toronto. To No.1 BGS, Jarvis, 22 December 1941; to Composite Training School, Trenton, 22 February 1942; . Promoted AC1, 21 March 1942. To No.14 Explosives Depot, Regina, 22 March 1942. Remustered to aircrew and posted to No.3 Wireless School, Winnipeg, 5 July 1942. Promoted LAC, 3 August 1942. To No.3 BGS, Macdonald, 24 January 1943. Graduated and promoted Sergeant, 24 April 1943. To “Y” Depot, date uncertain but he gave up embarkation leave to go overseas early. Embarked from New York, 4 May 1943. Disembarked in United Kingdom, 11 May 1943. To No.3 PRC, 12 May 1943..To No.30 OTU, 18 May 1943; attached to No310 FTU, 1-188 August 1943. To India by air, 12 August 1943; deplaned in India, 24 August 1943. To No.215 Squadron, 24 August 1943. Promoted Flight Sergeant, 24 October 1943. Promoted WO2, 24 April 1944. Attached to No.177 Wing, 21 Nay to 11 June 1944. Attached to No.4409 Anti-Aircraft Flight, 29 June 1944. Commissioned 6 March 1944 as per Air Force Orders dated 11 September 1944. . Killed in action, 11 June 1944, in a Dakota of No.62 Squadron; buried in India.

Flight Sergeant Jones as air gunner has taken part in many successful attacks on well defended enemy targets. He has always displayed outstanding skill and determination in the face of danger and has contributed in no small way to the successful completion of many sorties.

Training: At No.3 BGS he was on Battle aircraft and flew 26 hours. Guns used in the air were VGO type, and on the ground, VGO and Browning. He used a Bristol turret in the air, Bristol, Frazer-Nash and Boulton-Paul on griund. Stage One training (ground) consisted of following courses: Armament, Oral (69/100), Armament Written (252/300), Anti-Gas (82/100), Navigation (54/100), Aircraft Recognition (84/100), Mathematics (29/50), Law/Adminustratio/Hygiene (65/100), Signals (60/100). Stage Two training included the flying; 144 feet of film exposed. Turret manipulation took 13 hours 30 minutes. He fired 244 rounds in Skeet Shooting by day and 200 rounds by night. Fired 650 rounds on 25 yard range (all by day). Fired 800 rounds by day on 200 yard range and 700 round s by night. Fire 400 rounds air-to-ground (day) and 3,300 rounds air-to-air (day), scoring 8.1 percent hits in air-to-air firing. He took further courses and was marked thus: Gunnery Written (85/150), Practical and Oral (69/100), Aircraft Recognition (84/100), Drill (70/100), Signals (65/100). Assessed “Ability as Firer” (64/100).

Particulars of death: Dakota FZ548 with a crew of four and 24 Army passengers (reinforcements) departed Bombay for Imphal, 0800 hours. Failed to arrive at destination. Aircraft crashed near Karimgani (Silchar area), six miles south of Kamaing, Burma. Impossible to recover bodies as they were buried with aircraft in deep water (rice paddy). Natives reported there had been an explosion in the air as it flew low and they saw wing root fillers fall off. Crew consisted of Aus 414372 P/O N.W. Brady (pilot), Aus 414340 WO H.J. Deester (navigator), 1213566 FS A.J. Read (WOP/Air) and Jones (AG). He had been attached to No.62 Squadron from No.215.

[COL BRUGGY]

For completeness, Brady's DFC Citation:

Air Ministry, 8th June, 1945.

The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the following awards in recognition of gallantry and devotion to duty in the execution of air operations:-
Royal Australian Air Force.
Distinguished Flying Cross.
Pilot Officer.

Neville William Barton BRADY (Aus.414372). 215 Sqn., with effect from 10th June, 1944.

(LG 8-6-45. pp.2895-7)

"P/O Brady, of 215 Sqn RAF, has taken part in many attacks against strongly defended targets in Burma. On one occasion in April 1944, during a sortie against Rangoon, his aircraft was severely damaged by two enemy night fighters. The Air Bomber and Rear Gunner were both wounded and were unable to return the fire. P/O Brady however, by skilful handling of his aircraft prevented further enemy attacks and set course for base. With one of the engines practically useless and the hydraulic system completely out of action, he made a masterly crash landing. P/O Brady is a skilful and determined pilot who has always performed his duties with great keenness and efficiency."

And from, Air War For Burma/Shores. p.203.

Sunday, 9 April, 1944.

That night, 11 Wellingtons of 215 Squadron flew to Rangoon to bomb the Victoria Lake supply dump. Two single-engined fighters - probably from the 204th Sentai - attacked "G", the rear gunner and bomb aimer both being wounded, the nose and tail power turrets were put out of action and the port engine was hit. The damaged bomber crash-landed at Chittagong on return, near the 459th Squadron's dispersals.

Col.

[graeme clarke]

Hi

Once again, many thanks.

Its amazing that a small one liner in the local obituaries can lead to so much information.

Regards,

Graeme

[ShropshireNeil]

Thank you very much for starting this thread.

By chance i purchased W.J. Harris' (14401131) medals earlier today. Had it not been for this topic i would not have had a clue that he died in an air crash.

Thanks

Neil