430825 - Unaccounted airwomen/airmen - 25-8-1943

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration of:

A - Died on active service:
AC2 Donald McP. CRAIG - 1573951.

B - Not found in Flight Magazine:
Sgt (Pilot) Leslie G. LEATHERLAND - 1316964;
ACW1 Barbara ROBERTSON - 2036250;
LACW Beatrice H.M. TURNER - 2054945, and
LAC Francis H. - WOOD - 1231423 - 2741 Sqn.

C - Proposed aircraft losses:
Tiger Moth II - T6520 - 22 EFTS - crashed in forced landing The Leas, Frome, Somerset.
Oxford II - ED179 - 15 (P)AFU - crashed on take-off at night Rudge Farm, Froxfield, Wiltshire.
Oxford I - LX237 - 14 (P)AFU - collided with Oxford LX265 on approach and crashed at/near Banff. (LX265 could land safely).
Oxford I - MP415 - 3 (P)AFU - crashed on overshoot Long Newton (already as a casualty on this aircraft: Sgt [Pilot] R.B. ARMITAGE - 1545136).
Martinet I - MS507 - 285 Sqn - crashed in forced landing Harrington Barracks, Formby, Lancashire.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Craig,51,registered at Hereford
Barbara Robertson,20, and Beatrice Turner,27 both registered at Oswestry,Shropshire,may be a common cause.
Wood,39,registered at Willesden, Middlesex.Willesden is now absorbed into N W London
Edit. Sorry missed one -Leatherland,28, registered at Marlborough, Wiltshire.This could connect him to ED719, Froxfield is only about 8mls E of Marlborough
Your Christmas festivities start earlier than ours so my Best Wishes for the season to you and yours
Regards
Dick

[malcolm_raf]

Froxfield is in Marlborough registration district so ED719 is a possibility for Leatherland

Malcolm

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dick & Malcolm for your much appreciated info.
Best regards,
Henk.

[thorne83]

Robertson and Turner were both struck by a train and killed near Rednal.

Cheers,

Tom

[Tim Bishop]

Hi Henk,

With regard to MS507 I have Flt Sgt BOLLAND, R.C. (625196) Injured including burns, accident due to water contamination of the fuel. If anyone has the full name of Flt Sgt Bolland I would be interested for the record.

Kind regards,

Tim

[alieneyes]

Reginald Charles.

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1530033

Regards,
Dave

[dennis_burke]

For R C Bolland, we believe he was a passenger on an American B-17, the infamous Stinky, carrying Gen Devers whihc crashed in Athenry, Galway on January 15, 1943, returning from Malta.

We briefly discussed him on the old board, http://www.rafcommands.com/dcforum/DCForumID6/Data/9764.txt

[dennis_burke]

LAC F H Wood is DOAS listed in nov 25th magazine
The page is scanned a bit poorly so the other DOAS are
DIED ON ACTIVE SERVICE.—L.A, C. D. K. Dorword; Fl Lt J McCrory; AC.1 A. A. Olney; Sgt. E. J. C. Stiles; L.A/C. F. H. Wood; LA/C. G. E. Wootton

Leatherland is scanned as leatherlaiid in the Dec 2 magazine, and he is KOAS.

Nov 18th magazine has both WAAF's listed DOAS.

[malcolm_raf]

There was a Frank J Wood aged 52 also registered in Willesden in the same quarter as F H Wood, perhaps his brother and both killed died in the same incident?

Malcolm

[Tonym]

Robertson and Turner were both struck by a train and killed near Rednal.

Cheers,

Tom

I have a brief note in my WAAF details stating that L.ACW Robertson, L.ACW Turner, ACW Finch and ACW 1 Poll were crossing the railway line at Rednal, Birmingham at 23.00 hrs. behind a passenger train to return to their unit at 61 OTU, RAF and walked into an express goods train. Both Robertson and Turner were killed instantly, Finch and Poll were seriously injured.

Tony

[alclark]

Tonym, those are the details as per the No.61 OTU ORB, I am fairly sure their deaths were raised on here a couple of years ago but in a dicussion about WAAF casualties, I can't find anything via google, but I definitely remember answering a query with the quote from the ORB.

[thorne83]

Yes, that's correct Tony, except that it's Rednal, Shropshire, not Birmingham (different place). Finch was 'injured' and Poll broke her back. Both were taken to Oswestry Hospital.

Cheers,

Tom

[Tonym]

alclark & Tom - That is probably where I got my note from. Why I have Birmingham I am not sure but thanks for correcting me.
Tony

[Henk Welting]

Thanks friends for additional info especially on the death of both WAAFs.
Regards,
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

Dennis, Tim,
Refer to messages # 6 and 8 re BOLLAND:
I've F/Sgt Reginald C. BOLLAND - 625196 killed 19-10-1944 flying 504 Sqn Spitfire PL432, missing on weather recce. (FCL Vol.3 page 110).
Regards,
Henk.

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Henk,

F1180 confirms Leatherland as sole fataility on Oxford II - ED179

Regards
Ross

[jonheyworth]

Barbara Robertson 2036250 and

Beatrice Hetty Mabel Turner 2054945

Both attached to 61 OTU

[jonheyworth]

John Thomas Frederick Luscombe 564367 , attached to 106 MU , was admitted to RAF Hospital Benghazi where he died the following morning at 07:25 of anterior poliomyelitis

[jonheyworth]

Francis Harold Wood 1231423 , was admitted dangerously ill to the Hillingdon County hospital suffering from pneumonia on 24 August . Transferred to the Central Middlesex hospital, he died the following day of a cerebral tumour

[jonheyworth]

Donald McPherson Craig 1573951 , attached to RAF Hereford , suffered cardiac faliure on 31 July and was admitted to RAF Hospital, Hereford, where he died of nephrosclerosis and chronic bronchitis