400905 - Unaccounted airmen - 5-9-1940

[Henk Welting]

What caused the death of:

F/Lt Edwin J. ALWAY - 77382 - died of wounds or injuries received on active service, buried Epsom Cem., Surrey (UK4212)
F/O Edmund A. BEALE - 70050 - not listed Flight archives, buried Whitegate (St.Mary) Churchyard, Winsford, Cheshire (UK6189)
AC1 John M. NUE - 975074 - killed on active service (probably air raid Biggin Hill), and
THREE airmen all buried at Amesbury (SS Mary & Melorus) Church Cem., Wiltshire (UK5157) and killed on active service:
Sgt (WOp/Ag) Charles K. HAMES - 535711
P/O (Pilot) Kenneth MUNRO - 43336
Sgt (Obs) Francis W.K. WOOD - 581423

Only aircraft proposal for this day:
Master I - N7921 - 5 FTS - flew into ground at night Cranage, Cheshire (already on file as a casualty: Sgt [Pilot u/t] Joseph ROBSON - 754700).

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Amrit]

DATE: September 5, 1940
TAKE-OFF POINT: Boscombe Down, Wilts
CRASH LOCATION: Boscombe Down, Wilts
AIRCRAFT TYPE & SERIAL: Avro Anson R9815
CREW FATALITIES: Fg Off K. Munro, P; Flt Lt E.J. Always, P; Sgt C.J. Hames, WOp/AG; Sgt F.W.K. Wood, Obs
PURPOSE OF TEST FLIGHT: Beam approach development flight whilst enemy aircraft were in area
ACCIDENT DETAIL: Wing struck ground on final approach

http://www.davidsiddall.com/testflyingmemorial/1940-45.htm

A

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Amrit. Serial was on the Aeromilitaria list however did not expect four casualties where the Aeromilitaria list mentioned: "Undercarriage collapsed on landing". Bookmarked website of testflying memorial.

Regards,
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
To confirm Amrit's post Alway,36, is registered at Salisbury so are Hames,22,Munro,32 and Wood,22,which would be right for Boscombe Down. Beale,29 is registered at Northwich in Cheshire. Can you confirm the spelling for ?Nue as I can't find him unless he was registered in Scotland to which I do not have access.
Regards
Dick

[Amrit]

Dick,

Name: NUE, JOHN MAJOR
Initials: J M
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Aircraftman 1st Class
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 79 Sqdn.
Age: 22
Date of Death: 05/09/1940
Service No: 975074
Additional information: Son of John Patrick and Ethel May Nue, of Putney, London.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot E. Div. 3. Grave 132.
Cemetery: ORPINGTON (ST. MARY CRAY) CEMETERY

As regards Beale, he is given as On Active Service in the Times, but maddeningly, it doesn't state whether it was Died or Killed.

A

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Amrit and Dick for info.
Regards,
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

Beale's death registered Nortwich, Cheshire.
What was the registration place for Sgt (Pilot u/t) Joseph ROBSON - 754700 who was killed same day at Cranage, Cheshire on Master N7921 of 5 FTS ?

Regards,
Henk.

[davew]

According to CWGC Nue was with 79S; at the time of his death based at Biggin Hill

regards

DaveW

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Robson,19,registered at Crewe,Cheshire which is consistent with Cranage.From Amrit's post Nue's burial at Orpington would be consistent with a death at Biggin Hill if you remember the batch there was from one of your earlier threads
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dick & Dave for additional ifo.

Henk.

[Amrit]

Just been reading "Beam Bombers: The Secret War of No 109 Squadron" by Cumming and I thought I'd add to the R9815 loss:

"...Anson crashed at Boscombe Down while making a blind approach landing in fog at night. Munro was the captain and pilot this time and he died in his plane, as did one of the NCOs in his crew. Two more died either in or on their way to hospital. One of the dead men was a member of an Air Ministry radio countermeasures establishment who had taken part in the very first investigations into the enemy's beams over Britain, Flight Lieutenant E J Alway. It was Alway who reported back to the Air Ministry after the initial flight on 19 June and it was Alway who flew as wireless operator the following day when Bafton made his debut investigative flight on resuming his service with BAT&DU. There was just a single survivor of this fatal crash, Sergeant A D F Allen, air gunner, who escaped with only slight injuries. Allen was awarded the George Medal for his actions during this incident" (page 18)

Details on Allen:
http://www.156squadron.com/view_aircrew.asp?pCrewid=1698

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Amrit for this additional info.
Regards,
Henk.

[Martyn A Critchlow]

AC1 John M. NUE - 975074
Death registered in Bromley, Kent in Q4 1940 - recorded as Nue, J (Male) and no age is shown,

Martyn

[wwrsimon]

Martyn

Nue is on a couple of family trees on ancestry.co.uk. His dae of birth is listed as February 27th 1918, and his full name is John Major Nue. He is also listed as having died at Biggin Hill, but no source is given for that bit of info.

Regards

Simon

[Martyn A Critchlow]

Thanks, I saw the family tree but didn't post it just in case the source was Henk's original message.
But well worth noting as it might well have been family knowledge.

Martyn

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

400905 - Unaccounted Airmen - 05-09-1940

From Henk's List -

UK
BEALE,Edmund Arthur - F/O - 70050 - RAF(RAFO).
WHITEGATE (ST. MARY) CHURCHYARD
Died after discharge from the RAF as being medically unfit.

NUE, John Major - AC1c - 975074 - RAFVR - 79 Sqdn.
ST. MARY CRAY CEMETERY
Killed in Air Raid on RAF Biggin Hill. .

From CWGC -

UK
ALWAY, Edwin John - F/Lt - 77382 - RAFVR.
EPSOM CEMETERY

HAMES, Charles Kenneth - Sgt - 535711 - RAF
WOOD, Francis William Kenneth - Sgt - 581423- RAF.
MUNRO, Kenneth - F/O - 43336 - RAF.
These three airmen rest at AMESBURY CEMETERY.

These four airmen were crew of Anson I - R9815 - BATDU.

GRAY, Malcolm - Sgt - 741816 - RAFVR.
FULFORD CEMETERY
Spitfire Ia - N3093 - 72 Sqn.

KING, Peter James Christopher - F/O - 41298 - RAF.
FARNBOROUGH (ST. BOTOLPH) CHURCHYARD
Spitfire Ia - N3060 - 66 Sqn.

PINKHAM, Philip Campbell - Sqn/Ldr - 37208 - RAF.
KINGSBURY (ST. ANDREW) CHURCHYARD
Spitfire Ia - P9422 - 19 Sqn.

ROBSON, Joseph - Sgt - 754700 - RAFVR.
CARLISLE (DALSTON ROAD) CEMETERY
Master I - N7921 - 5 SFTS.

RUSHMER, Frederick William - F/Lt - 90192 - RAF(AAF).
STAPLEHURST (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD
Spitfire Ia - X4261 - 603 Sqn.

WEBSTER, John Terence - F/Lt - 37436 - RAF.
DARLINGTON CREMATORIUM
Battle I - P6635 - 41 Sqn.

WINTER, Douglas Cyril - P/O - 43372 - RAF.
SOUTH SHIELDS (HARTON) CEMETERY
Spitfire Ia - X4013 - 72 Sqn.

WRIGHT, John - Sgt - 522272 - RAF.
NEW KILPATRICK (OR HILLFOOT) CEMETERY
Hurricane I - P3676 - 79 Sqn.

DALY, Kenneth Lavery - Sergeant - 581504 - RAF.
MEIN, Cuthbert - Sgt - 638466 - RAF.
MOSS, John Edward MOSS - Sgt - 745478 - RAFVR.

These three airmen were crew of Blenheim IV - R3755 - 21 Sqn.

HOOD,Hillary Richard Lionel - Sqn/Ldr - 26110 - RAF.
Spitfire Ia - P9428 - 41 Sqn.

JONES,Maurice Herbert - Sgt - 741975 -RAFVR.
Whitley V - P4973 - 51 Sqn.

McNAY, Alexander Logan - Sgt - 741569 - RAFVR.
Hurricane I - P3224 - 73 Sqn.

These six airmen above are commemorated on the RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

BENDIG, Horst - German Air Force
BOHN, Herman - German Air Force
DETTMER, Heinrich - German Air Force
KIND, Eugene - German Air Force
MAIER, Ludwig - German Air Force
MARTEN,Rudolf - German Air Force
ULTSCH Fritz - German Air Force
VON RITTBERG, Job Wilhelm Graf - German Air Force
STOCKERT, Erwin Richard - German Air Force
These nine German Airmen all rest at CANNOCK CHASE GERMAN MILITARY CEMETERY
Cause of death ?

REITZ, Franz - German Air Force
SCHROEDER, Hans-Werner - German Air Force
WICH, Josef - German Air Force
These three German Airmen rest at HYLTON (CASTLETOWN) CEMETERY
Cause of death ?

Alex

[cozzy711]

Maj Ludwig MAIER Observer
Oblt Job Wilhelm Graf von RITTBERG Observer
Uffz Horst BENDIG F/Eng
Ofw Erwin Richard STOCKERT
Crew of He111H-3 ‘V4 + AB’ of I./KG 1. Shot down by a Blenheim of 25 Squadron crashing near Rendlesham, Suffolk. Pilot POW.

Fw Hermann BOHN Gunner of He111H-2 ‘A1 + GR’ Shot down over the Thames Estuary. Body washed ashore 3rd October 1940. Remaining crew MIA.

Fw Heinrich DETTMER Pilot of Bf109E-4 ‘Yellow ?’ of 9./JG 54. Shot down during aerial combat with 17 Squadron over the Thames Estuary; crashed south of Benfleet, Kent. He bailed out however his parachute failed to open. His body was recovered on Pitsea Marshes on 17 September, 1940

Eugen KIND Pilot of Bf109E-4 of 1./JG 52. Killed during aerial combat over Kent. He crashed at Bethersden, near Ashdown, Kent.

Hptm Fritz ULTSCH Pilot of Bf109E-4 ‘B’ of III./JG 54. Shot down by Hurricane of 17 Squadron close to Pitsea, on the North side of the Thames Estuary.

Oblt Hans-Werner SCHRÖDER Pilot
Uffz Franz REITZ Observer
Ogefr Rudolf MARTEN Radio operator
Gefr Josef WICH Mechanic
Crew of He111P ‘5J + JP’ of 6./KG 4. Shot down by AA fire over Sunderland crashing in Suffolk Street.

Chris

[Andy Marden]

Alex,

WEBSTER, John Terence - F/Lt - 37436 - RAF.
DARLINGTON CREMATORIUM
Battle I - P6635 - 41 Sqn.
>> The aircraft was Spitfire R6635

I have amended the database to reflect this (except for removing the CWGC link to P6635 which Jagan will need to teach me how to do!)
Andy

[Alex Smart]

Thank you Andy,
Yes Spitfire I R6635 - 41 Sqn, in collision with Hood in P9428 during an attack on Do17's.

[jonheyworth]

Edmund Arthur Beale 70050 , died at Vale Royal Abbey, Winsford, of chronic pulmonary tuberculosis.

This information comes from a GRO death certificate kindly sponsored by Jon Moore of Bristol