401107 - Unaccounted airmen - 7-11-1940

[Henk Welting]

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

AC2 Cyril W. GITTINS - 918556 - not found Flight archives;
AC2 Thomas P. KIRK - 1065757 - MISSING - Runnymede Panel 290 - not found Flight archives, and
LAC George McKILLOP - 750783 - 92 Sqn (Biggin Hill, Kent) - killed on active service.

Proposed aircraft loss for this day:
Roc I - L3127 - 2 AACU - Lee-on-Solent (believed not a write-off).

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Gittins,22, is registered at Ely where there was an RAF Hospital so he may be a victim of injury or illness. McKillop ,32, is registered at Lambeth S Central London. He is buried in Manchester so it is possible he was caught in an Air Raid whilst going to or from home on leave. His Sqn was at Biggin Hill and he could have used London Bridge Station from Kent and crossed London to Euston or King's Cross for the Manchester leg.
I did find a Thomas Kirk(no P),20 registered at Blackpool but CWGC does give him a Middle Name but no age or unit. It is not impossible to have a registered death but no remains to bury-hence no Known grave.
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

As ever, thanks Dick.
Henk.

[Tim Bishop]

Henk,

Just to confirm Roc L.3127 was being flown by Flt/Lt Mackay ('A' Flight No.2 A.A.C.U.) when landed with undercarriage retracted; aircraft repairable on site and completed at Lee-on-Solent.

Kind regards,

Tim

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Tim for this additional info.
Regards,
Henk.

[jonheyworth]

Thomas Peter Kirk 1065757 , was admitted dangerously ill to the Royal Victoria hospital in Blackpool on 3 October, downgraded to seriously ill on 5 November, he relapsed and died of pneumonia with his father present at his bedside.

[jonheyworth]

George Mckillop 750783 ,was killed in an air raid at 41 Herne Hill Road, Lambeth

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

401107 - Unaccounted Airmen - 07-11-1940

From Henk's List -

UK
GITTINS, Cyril William - AC2c - 918556 - RAFVR.
Islington Cemetery and Crematorium, Middlesex.
Cause of death ?

KIRK, Thomas Peter - AC2c - 1065757 - RAFVR.
Runnymede Memorial, Surrey.
Admitted on the 3rd to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Blackpool with phenmonia, downgraded on the 5th and relapsed and died this date.
Cannot understand why he is on the Runnymede Memorial, rather than having a CWG grave ?

McKILLOP, George - Lac - 750783 - RAFVR - 92 Sqn.
Manchester Crematorium, Lancashire.
Killed in an Air Raid on London.

From CWGC -

ALBANIA
BROOKS, George Newcombe - Sgt - 742451 - RAFVR.
MORGAN, Victor John - Sgt - 741943 - RAFVR.
These two airmen were crew of Wellington Ic - T2734 - 70 Sqn.
ELLAM, Wilfred - Sgt - 539774 - RAF.
This airman was crew of Wellington Ic - T2731 - 70 Sqn.
These three airmen were at rest in Tirana Park Memorial Cemetery, Albania.
Graves now lost.
All three are now commemorated on Special Memorial "E" , at Phaleron War Cemetery .

Details of which aircraft the above three airmen were in is as Gunby & Temple's RAF Bomber Losses in the Middle East and Mediterranean vol 1.

CANADA
CARVALHO, Paul David (American) - Lac - R/53956 z RCAF.
Ottawa Cremation Memorial, Ontario, Canada.
Tiger Motth - 4008 - 2 SFTS RCAF.

EGYPT
BRIAN, Alan Ellis - F/Lt - 39930 - RAF.
SELLEY, Joseph Axford (Canadian) - Sgt - 631166 - RAF.
These two airmen were crew of Wellington Ic - T2731 - 70 Sqn.

KEDDIE, James Henry - Sgt - 645315 - RAF.
LAUGHTON, Charles William - Sgt - 538373 - RAF.
PHILIP, David - Sgt - 751894 - RAFVR.
PITTS, Edward Reginald - Sgt - 581243 - RAF.
These four airmen were crew of Wellington Ic - T2734 - 70 Sqn.
These four airmen are commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, Egypt.

As with the three airmen of 70 Sqn listed above , these four airmen were in the Wellingtons as noted above in The Gunby & Temple book.

UK
GAUNTLETT, Maurice Lowden - P/O - 78748 - RAFVR.
East Ilsley (St Mary) Churchyard, Berkshire.
JONES, Ronald Watcyn - F/Lt - 70351 - RAF (AAF).
Mangotsfield (Downend) Cemetery, Gloucestershire.
STEVENS, Alwyn Oswald Laurence - F/O - 74967 - RAFVR.
Felixstowe New Cemetery, Suffolk.
These three airmen were crew of Wellington Ic - R3289 - 99 Sqn.

WEIR, Archibald Nigel Charles - F/O - 73593 - RAFVR - DFC.
Runnymede Memorial, Surrey.
Hurricane I - P2720 - 145 Sqn.

MERRY, Allen Roger - Sgt - 936580 - RAFVR.
MERTENS, John Albert Fraser - Sqn/Ldr - 39100 - RAF.
SPILLER, Reginald William - Sgt - 521985 - RAF.
These three airmen are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey.
They were crew of Blenheim IV - T1871 - 139 Sqn.

CORKHILL, William Ronald - F/O - 42108 - RAF.
Woodstock Cemetery, Oxfordshire.
HUMPHREY, John Gundy - AC1c - 954138 - RAFVR.
Bapchild (St Lawrence) Churchyard, Kent.
These two airmen were crew of Harvard I - N7008 - 15 SFTS.

GALLAGHER, Sam Patrick - Sgt - 643194 - RAF.
Torrisholme Cemetery, Lancashire.
GAYWOOD, Hugh Dowling - Sgt - 749520 - RAFVR.
Kinloss Abbey Burial Ground, Moray.
LEGG, Frank Sidney - Sgt - 742686 - RAFVR.
Southampton (St.Mary Extra) Cemetery, Hampshire.
LEWIS, Frederick William - Sgt - 631973 - RAF.
Frostenden (All Saints) Churchyard, Suffolk.
PAINTER, John Frederick - F/O - 40745 - RAF - DFC.
Brookwood Cemetery, Surrey.
ROLLISON, Ronald Edward - Sgt - 748198 - RAFVR.
Southport (Duke Street) Cemetery, Lancashire.
These six airmen were crew of Whitley V - N1440 - 19 OTU.

Alex

[jonheyworth]

Cyril William Gittins 918556 , attached to RAF Wyton, was admitted dangerously ill to RAF Hospital Ely on 20 October, where he died of tuberculosis meningitis