401103 - Unaccounted airmen - 3-11-1940

[Henk Welting]

What caused the death of and/or what were the places of death registration for:

AC2 Stanley KNOWLES - 1106586 - not found Flight archives;
LAC Douglas R.N. TOOTH - 905289 - killed on active service, and
Cpl Robert C. WHITTINGTON - 567126 - 308 (Polish) Sqn (Baginton, Warwickshire) - not found Flight archives.

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:

Anson I - L7926 - 6 FTS - flew into high ground 3 miles NE of Lacock, Wiltshire.
Hart Special - K4422 - 2 FTS - crashed in forced landing Margam ranges, Port Talbot, Glamorganshire.
Magister I - L8154 - 5 EFTS - crashed in forced landing Gisburn near Settle, Yorkshire.
Magister I - T9700 - 5 EFTS - flew into ground Shelton-under-Harly near Whitmore, Staffordshire.
Puss Moth - X9405 - 3 FPP - crashed on take-off Asby-de-la-Zouche, Leicestershire.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Knowles,20, is registered at Ploughley, Oxfordshire, Tooth,29, is registered at Chippenham Wiltshire which could put him on the Anson at Laycock, and Whittington, 23, is registered at Warwick which is right for a death at Baginton.
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

As ever, thanks Dick.
Regards,
Henk.

[Rich Allenby]

Henk, the pilot of Magister L8154 was F/O C E Staples. aircraft was with 5 EFTS as you say. he looks to have survived the War.

a man of the same name died the day previously but with 268 Sqdn,

regards Rich

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Rich for info on Magister L8154 and the pilot's name.
F/O Charles E. STAPLES - 41751 (from Canada) was killed 2-11-1940 on 268 Sqn's Magister P2447.
Regards,
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

A/C.2 S. Knowles. 1106586; is listed killed on active service in Decemebr 5th 1940 Flight Magazine. There is a little piece of the 8 missing so his number is scanned as 1106536.

Can't find Whittington though.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dennis for info on KNOWLES. Still can't match him to an a/c serial. Killed on active service however also could have been 'killed in air raid'.
Regards,
Henk.

[Rich Allenby]

Henk, fresh update.

A thought I had the Am1180 for L8154 from Hendon, however it seems likely that I've been copied the front page of L8154 and the back page of the Magister P2447. I assume P2447 is on the microfilm behind L8154 and the staff have made an error and copied me the wrong back page.

The only info on the pilot of L8154 I now have is him as "LAC Watson" and him surviving.

Sorry to mislead you.. and myself !!

regards Rich

[alclark]

I've got both sides of that card the details off the back give LAC M T Watson, 1165649, 24 hours on type (and total experience), nothing for that service number on Geoff's SE or the LG.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Al & Rich for info on L8154 and LAC M.T. WATSON.
AC2 Stanley KNOWLES - 1106586 - age 20 - KOAS - death registered Ploughley, Oxfordshire, remains still on my long list of airmen up to now unaccounted for.
Regards,
Henk.

[markpeelgb]

Thanks Al & Rich for info on L8154 and LAC M.T. WATSON.
AC2 Stanley KNOWLES - 1106586 - age 20 - KOAS - death registered Ploughley, Oxfordshire, remains still on my long list of airmen up to now unaccounted for.
Regards,
Henk.

The Home Security Daily Intelligence Reports for November 3, 1940 (National Archives HO203/5) include details of an air raid on Kidlington aerodrome in Oxfordshire and an "RAF casualty". By my reckoning, Kidlington would fit with Ploughley, so AC2 Knowles is likely to be this casualty. Thanks to everyone on this forum for all of their hard work, and I'm happy to be able to contribute in a small way.

[wwrsimon]

Hello

LAC Douglas R.N. TOOTH - 905289 - the Graves Registration Report lists him as being with 6 F.T.S. He is listed on a family tree on ancestry.co.uk as being 'killed in a flying accident.'

Regards

Simon

[jonheyworth]

Robert Charles Whittington 567126 , attached to 308 Polish squadron, died at RAF Bagington at 13:25 hours when he shot himself with his service rifle

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

401103 - Unaccounted Airmen - 03-11-1940

From Henk's List -

UK
DYAS, Maurice Arthur - AC2c - 1280320 - RAF.
Hockley (St Peter) Churchyard, Essex.
Cause of death ?

GODFREY, Lemuel - AC2c - 1355760 - RAFVR.
Yatesbury (All Saints) Churchyard, Wiltshire.
Died in RAF Hospital, Yatesbury, NFD ?

GREGORY, Peter Louis - Sgt - 745756 - RAFVR.
Cheltenham Cemetery Prestbury,Gloucestershire.
Taken ill some five months earlier (Rheumatic Fever). Then followed appendicitis. Despite an operation he deteriorated and finally succumbed this date.

KNOWLES, Stanley - AC2c - 1106586 - RAFVR.
Wigan Cemetery, Lancashire.
Killed during an Air Raid on RAF Kidlington.

READ, George - Sqn/Ldr - 73585 - RAF.
Bradford Crematorium, Yorkshire.
He was a passenger in a motor car that collided with an Army lorry in the black out.

WHITTINGTON, Robert Charles - Cp - 567126 - RAF - 308(Polish)Sqn.
Penarth (St.Augustine of Hippo) Churchyard, Glamorganshire.
Suicide, shot himself with his service rifle.

From CWGC -

MALTA
ALLEN, David Ross (Canadian) - P/O - 42783 - RAF.
Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery, Malta.
Wellington Ic - T2743 - 148 Sqn(Wellington Flight).

UK
PEMBERTON, David Alwyne - Sqn/Ldr - 33036 - RAF - DFC,MiD.
Broadway (St.Eadburgh) New Churchyard, Worcestershire.
Hurricane I - P2751 - 1 Sqn.

GREEN, John Henry - Sgt - 639031 - RAF.
REDGROVE, Basil Edward - Sgt - 740422 - RAFVR.
These two airmen rest at Scampton (St.John the Baptist) Churchyard, Lincolnshire.
ROWLANDS, Robert Rankin McHarry - AC2c - 1108295 - RAFVR.
St Helens Cemetery, Lancashire.
These three airmen were crew of Hampden I - X2978 - 83 Sqn.

TOOTH, Douglas Ronald Noel - Lac - 905289 - RAFVR.
Little Rissington (St.Peter) Churchyard, Gloucestershire.
Anson I - L7926 - 6 SFTS.

GILBERT, Henry Gordon - P/O - 44192 - RAF.
GREIG, James - Sgt - 619903 - RAF.
THORNDYKE, Henry Frank - Sgt - 747794 - RAFVR.
WILLIAMS, Lionel Graham - P/O - 42550 - RAF.
These four airmen were crew of Hudson I - N7374 - 233 Sqn.

BAYLISS, Ernest John - Sgt - 581431 - RAF.
GARRAD, Anthony Hugh Hamilton - P/O - 42119 - RAF.
MOYNHAM, Harold Frederick John - Sgt - 634201 - RAF.
These three airmen were crew of Blenheim IV - L9392 - 248 Sqn.

The seven airmen named above are all commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey.

KROHN, Willi - GAF.
ZUMBROCK, Ferdinand - GAF.
These two German airmen rest at Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery, Staffordshire.
Cause of death ?

Alex

[Andy Marden]

KROHN, Willi - GAF.
ZUMBROCK, Ferdinand - GAF.
These two German airmen rest at Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery, Staffordshire.
Cause of death ?

Crew of Do17Z-2 2573 5K+CS of 8./KG3, shot down by Hurricanes of 46 Sqn near Bexley, Kent.

[wwrsimon]

Alex

GODFREY, Lemuel - AC2c - 1355760 - his death ws announced in the Western Gazetteof November 15th 1940:

GODFREY - on the 3rd November, at an R.A.F Military Hospital, A.C. Lemuel Godfrey, after a short illness, aged 47 years.

He was the holder of the Military Medal, and had served in the Machine Gun Corps in WW1, regimental number 36711.

Regards

Simon

[jonheyworth]

Maurice Arthur Dyas 1280320 , attached to RAF Hooton Park, died at home at Selbourne Road, Hockley, Essex, of rheumatic fever, with his mother, Mrs. W.F. Dyer at his bedside

[jonheyworth]

Lemuel Godfrey 1355760 , attached to RAF Aston Down, was admitted dangerously ill to RAF Hospital Yatesbury on 2 November, where he died of carcinoma of the left lung