400901 - Unaccounted airmen - 1-9-1940

[Henk Welting]

What caused the death of following airmen ? Some of them may have been killed in air raids as the Luftwaffe this day attacked among other places the aerodromes Biggin Hill, Kenley, Gravesend, Hornchurch and North Weald.

A - Not listed Flight archives:
Sgt (Pilot) Malcolm McLEAN - 742427, buried Glasgow (Eastwood) Cem. (UK7492).

B - Killed on active service:
LAC Sidney ANDREWARTHA - 571091
P/O John O. BATE - 76067, buried New Southgate Cem. (UK3344)
Cadet (Pilot u/t) George W. RYALL - 901751 (probably 2 FTS and involved in an aircraft accident - Akerman Street RLG ??)

C - Died of wounds or injuries received on active service:
AC1 William H. DICKINSON - 1354453
LAC John FLANAGAN - 630917 - 51 Sqn (Dishforth, Yorkshire)
AC1 James WORTHINGTON - 803601 - 603 Sqn (Hornchurch, Essex).

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:

Harvard I - N7194 - 15 FTS - dived into ground Clanfield, Oxfordshire
Oxford I - N4561 - 2 FTS - accident at Akeman Street RLG, Crowley, Oxfordshire
Oxford I - N6286 - 2 FTS - possibly involved in an unrecorded fatal accident at Akerman Street RLG.

Checking the name of P/O BATE in Flight archives I read on same page where his name was mentioned (Page 438 - 21-11-1940) a story on Sgt (Flying Instructor) SLY awarded the AFM:

"Was carrying out formation flying practice in a twin engined training aircraft with a pupil in another aircraft of the same type. On reaching 900 ft his passenger noticed that the pupil's aircraft was approaching from practically dead astern and was just about to cause a collision. Sgt Sly immediately banked his aircraft to the left, but was unable to prevent the other aircraft coming into collision with his starboard wing and severing it from just byond the engine. By using full left aileron and full starboard engine (his right aileron having dropped off complete with the torn-off wing) Sgt Sly succeeded in regaining control of his aircraft. He flew straight ahead for two miles to find a field to land in. Meanwhile the starboard wing continued to break up. But at last the Sergeant got his damaged aircraft down and landed with the undercarriage retracted".
(Said Flight magazine has a picture of the crashed Oxford).

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
McLean,24 and Ryall,24 are both registered at Witney which is the Office for both Akeman St and Clanfield. Akeman St is near a village named Crawley, NW of WITNEY so you may have a misprint.Worthington,21 registered at Romford(?Hornchurch). Bate,22 is registered at Eton near Windsor and the present Heathrow.Andrewartha,20 is Registered at Elham which covers S Kent and would include Hawkinge and Lympne. Flanagan,20. is registered at Knaresborough in W Yorkshire which might be appropriate for Dishforth
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dick. Do hope DaveW has more on the Oxford crashes and perhaps the Harvard as well.
Regards,
Henk.

[Doug Cuthbertson]

Henk,
The pilot of Harvard N7194 was Sgt Edmund Alexander TEVIOTDALE, 748400, RAFVR. He was the sole occupant and is buried in Morningside Cemetery, Edinburgh. Crashed while low flying.
Doug.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Doug. Harvard crashed near Clanfield. Had Teviotdale on file however with wrong a/c serial ! Possibly a typo and corrected.

Regards,
Henk.

[John Larder]

"During the lunchtime raid three 603 ground crewmen were killed, (LAC Baldie, LAC J.E. Dickson and AC1 j. Worthington) when a bomb fell right in front of their lorry asit dashed round the perimeter track, blowing it on to its side" - The Greatest Squadron of them all- Ross, Blanche, Simpson.

[davew]

Henk

Not able to help at all, I had the 2 FTS Oxfords as 'unknown location' but I suspect a collision in the Witney area.

The registration district of Elham includes Hawkinge and Lympne.

regards

DaveW

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dave and John for additional info.
Regards,
Henk.

[Doug Cuthbertson]

Henk

Not able to help at all, I had the 2 FTS Oxfords as 'unknown location' but I suspect a collision in the Witney area.

DaveW

Dave,
There are no incidents recorded in 2 SFTS ORB on this date. These Oxfords may have been damaged in an air raid on 16th August and SOC on 1/9/40. That raid destroyed 46 Oxfords.
McLean and Ryall could have been killed off base in a road accident, but the ORB does record similar events, so perhaps it was missed out. Who knows?
Regards,
Doug.

[davew]

Doug,

thanks for that.

DaveW

[Martyn A Critchlow]

McLean located in Flight casualty list No 47, October 3, 1940.
Listed as 'Missing believed killed on active service (while engaged on non-operational flying duties or on the ground through enemy action)'.

Martyn

[wwrsimon]

Hello

Sgt (Pilot) Malcolm McLEAN - 742427 - the Graves Registration Report records him as being with 2 F.T.S.

Cadet (Pilot u/t) George W. RYALL - 901751 - the Graves Registration Report records him as also being with 2 F.T.S. It also states 'of Canada.'

AC1 William H. DICKINSON - 1354453 - registered Romford.

Regards

Simon

[jonheyworth]

John Flanagan 630917 was killed in an air raid on RAF Dishforth AIR 81/2983

[jonheyworth]

John Donaldson 990676 , attached to Number 5 Recruits centre, was admitted to RAF Hospital, West Kirby on 1 September where he died of a perforated duodenal ulcer

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

400901 - Unaccounted Airmen - 01-09-1940

From Henk's List -

UK
ANDREWARTHA, Sidney - Lac - 571091 - RAF.
Rhymney Cemetery, Glamorganshire.
Died due to an Air Raid on RAF Lympne.

BATE, John Oakden - P/O - 76067 - RAFVR.
New Southgate Cemetery, Hertfordshire.
Killed in an Air Raid on 1Sigñals Depot, 26 Signal Group.

COOPER, Alfred - Lac - 632264 - RAF.
Shirebrook Cemetery, Derbyshire.
Death caused by being hit by a car late at night.

DICKINSON, William Henry - AC1c - 1354453 - RAFVR.
South Stoneham Cemetery, Hampshire.
Cause of death ?

DONALDSON, John - AC2c - 990676 - RAFVR - 5 Recruitment Centre.
Glasgow (Riddrie Park) Cemetery, Glasgow.
Died in RAF West Kirby Hospital of a perforated duodenal ulcer.

FLANAGAN, John - Lac - 630917 z RAF - 51 Sqn.
Jarrow Cemetery, Durham.
Killed during an Air Raid on RAF Dishforth.

SUTER, Dennis Arthur - AC2c - 944760 - RAFVR - 502 Sqn.
Scarborough (Manor Road) Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Shot by accident.

WILLIAMSON, Edmund - AC1c - 643926 - RAF.
Preston (New Hall Lane) Cemetery, Lancashire.
Cause of death, his motorcycle collided with a bus.

WORTHINGTON, James - AC1c - 803601 - RAF (AAF) - 603 Sqn
Edinburgh(Seafield) Crematorium, Edinburgh.
Killed when a bomb fell from the lorry he was in.But in an Air Raid on RAF Hornchurch on 31st August ?

From CWGC -

ERITREA
LAMPARD, Charles David - Lac(W/O) - 615948 - RAF.
Asmara Cemetery, Eritrea.
Wellesley I - L2689 - 14 Sqn.

UK
ASHFORTH, Lewis Ernest - Sgt - 740908 - RAF.
CAPELING, Robert - Sgt - 751903 - RAFVR.
DUNCAN, Alexander - Sgt - 564609 - RAF.
KNIGHT, Charles Henry George - Sgt - 651393 - RAF.
These four airmen rest at Halton (St.Michael) Churchyard, Buckinghamshire.
They were crew of Hampden I - L4188 - 106 Sqn.

BERRY, Frederick George - F/S - 563426 - RAF- DFM.
Pinner Cemetery, Middlesex.
Hurricane I - P3678 - 1 Sqn.

CLIFTON, John Kenneth Grahame - P/O - 41902 - RAF.
Staplegrove (St. John) Churchyard, Somerset.
Hurricane I - P5185 - 253 Sqn.

CREED, Terence Hugh - P/O - 42697 - RAF.
CORRIGAN, Thomas Edward - AC1c - 808373 - RAF (AAF).
BEADNALL, George - AC2c - 808387 - RAF (AAF).
These three airmen are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey.
They were crew of Botha I - L6165 - 608 Sqn.

DUNCAN, Harry Horatio - Sgt - 581442 - RAF.
Middlesbrough (Linthorpe) Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Died from wounds received.
Blenheim IV - T1887 - 105 Sqn.

ELLIS, John Hugh Mortimer - Sgt - 742068 - RAFVR.
Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey.
Hurricane I - P2673 - 85 Sqn.

McLEAN, Malcolm - Sgt - 742427 - RAFVR.
Glasgow (Eastwood) New Cemetery, Glasgow.
RYALL, George William ( Canadian) - Cadet - 901751 - RAFVR.
Black Bourton (St.Mary) Churchyard, Oxfordshire.
These two airmen were crew of Oxford I - N4561 - 2 FTS.

PIGG, Oswald St.John - F/O - 39678 - RAF.
Durham (St.Oswald's) Burial Ground, Durham.
Spitfire Ia - P9458 - 72 Sqn.

TEVIOTDALE, Edmund Alexander - Sgt - 748400 - RAFVR.
Edinburgh (Morningside) Cemetery, Edinburgh.
Harvard - N7194 - 15 SFTS.

WOODS-SCAWEN, Patrick Philip - F/O - 40452 - RAFVR - DFC.
Caterham and Warlingham (Caterham) Burial Ground, Surrey.
Hurricane I - P3150 - 85 Sqn.

SPIESS, Georg - GAF.
Hawkinge Cemetery, Kent.

BAUER, Oskar- GAF.
GERBER, Paul - GAF.
JAECKEL, Martin Friedrich Karl - GAF.
ROESLER, Heinz Karl Gerhard - GAF
These four German airmen rest at Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery, Staffordshire.

Alex

[cozzy711]

Gefr Georg SPIESS Radio operator of Do 17Z-2 ‘F1 + AT’ of 9./KG 76. Shot down by Hurricane of 85 Squadron crashing at Tarts Field, Lydd, near Dungeness Point, Kent. Remaining crew bailed out POW.

Oblt Oskar BAUER Pilot of Bf 109E-4 of 9./JG 53. Killed during aerial combat with a Spitfire of 603 Squadron, east of Maidstone, crashing at Bush Field, Hurst Farm, south of Chilham, Kent.

Ofw Paul GERBER Pilot of Bf 109E-4 ‘Red 13’ of 2./JG 52. Killed during aerial combat, crashing at Burnt Oaks, Capel Farm, Orlestone, Kent.

Fw Martin Friedrich Karl JÄCKEL Pilot
Flg Heinz Karl Gerhard RÖSLER Gunner
Crew of Bf 110C-1 ‘L1 + KV’ of 15(Z)./LG 1 Killed during aerial combat crashing at Hosey Wood, 1.5.miles South of Brasted, Kent.

Chris

[Andy Marden]

Alex,

BERRY, Frederick George - F/S - 563426 - RAF- DFM.
Pinner Cemetery, Middlesex.
Hurricane I - P3678 - 1 Sqn.
>> Berry was in P3276 as per FCL and DaveW's post at: http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?27693-Aircraft-Losses-Database-Corrections&p=170098#post170098
Once again, an accident report lists the wrong serial...

Andy

[Alex Smart]

Thanks Andy, it is too late to edit my first post, the serial P3276 from FCL vol1 revised. Agrees .