450101 - Unaccounted Airmen - 01-01-1945

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

450101 - Unaccounted Airmen - 01-01-1945

From Henk's List -

BELGIUM
COTTRELL, David Edward - F/L - 61616 - RAFVR - Schoonselhof Cemetery, Antwerpen, Belgium.
CUNLIFFE, Charles - LAC - 1099430 - RAFVR - Brussels Town Cemetery, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium.
GREGORY, David Clifford - Cpl - 618649 - RAF - Brussels Town Cemetery, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium.
JOHNSON, John Eric - AC1c - 3050886 - RAFVR - Brussels Town Cemetery, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium.
JONES, Bernard - LAC - 153818 - RAFVR - Brussels Town Cemetery, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium.
SAGAR, Jack - LAC - 980983 - RAFVR - Gent City Cemetery, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
WILSON, Tom - LAC - 1672471 - RAFVR - Gent City Cemetery, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

ISRAEL
TURNER, Ivan Frederick - Sgt (Pilot) - 1675140 - RAFVR - Ramleh War Cemetery, Israel & Palestine.

ITALY
ANDERSON, Alfred - LAC - 953984 - RAFVR - Catania War Cemetery, Sicily, Italy.
HOLMES, William James - LAC - 1294320 - RAFVR - Naples War Cemetery, Italy.

UK
CAMPBELL, Clifton James - Cpl - 1276311 - RAFVR - Mabe (St. Laudus) Churchyard, Cornwall.


From CWGC & Geoff's sites -

FRANCE
JONES, Robert - AC1c - 2203913 - RAFVR - Cambrai (Route De Solesmes) Communal Cemetery, Nord, France.

NETHERLANDS
BAZLEY, Reginald - F/S - 363541 - RAF - Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands.
GOSNEY, John Raymond - Sgt - 573061 - RAF - Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands.
GRIST, William Lionel Victor - LAC - 1663681 - RAFVR - Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands.
NICHOLSON, Geoffrey William - LAC - 1722813 - RAFVR - Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands.
OSBORNE, Henry Ernest - LAC - 1403977 - RAFVR - Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands.
RABBITT, Cyril Alfred - Cpl - 927533 - RAFVR - Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands.

Possible a/c:
Anson I - NK544 - 85 Grp CS.
Anson I - NK608 - 85 Grp CS.
Anson XI - NK875 - 85 Grp CS.
Anson XI - NK990 - 83 Grp CS.
Anson XI - NK998 - 83 Grp CS.
Anson XI - NL129 - 83 Grp CS.
Auster V - RT481 - 85 Grp CS .
Wellington X - NC540 - 69 Sqn.
Wellington XIII- HZ723 - 69 Sqn.
Wellington XIII - HZ769 - 69 Sqn.
Wellington XIII - HZ794 - 69 Sqn.
Wellington XIII - HZ862 - 69 Sqn.
Wellington XIII - HZ885 - 69 Sqn.
Wellington XIII - ME950 - 69 Sqn.
Wellington XIII - MF128 - 69 Sqn.

Alex

[malcolm_raf]

Hi

BELGIUM
COTTRELL, David Edward - F/L - 14 PTC.
CUNLIFFE, Charles - LAC - 65 MU.
SAGAR, Jack - LAC - 85 Grp Comm Sqn.
GREGORY, David Clifford - Cpl - 6069 SE.
JOHNSON, John Eric - AC1 - 6069 SE.
JONES, Bernard - LAC - 6069 SE.
WILSON, Tom - LAC - 5406 'G' MSU.

NETHERLANDS
BAZLEY, Reginald - F/S - 6137 SE.
GOSNEY, John Raymond - Sgt -143 Sqn.
GRIST, William Lionel Victor - LAC - 124 Wing.
NICHOLSON, Geoffrey William - LAC - 6168 SE.
OSBORNE, Henry Ernest - LAC - 403 RSU.
RABBITT, Cyril Alfred - Cpl -6181 SE.

FRANCE
JONES, Robert - AC1 - 417 RSU.

All the above were probably killed during Luftwaffe attacks on Allied airfields in Operation 'Bodenplatte'. The aircraft listed were also probably destroyed during the attacks

ISRAEL
TURNER, Ivan Frederick - Sgt (Pilot) - possibly killed whilst flying in Wellington X, LN815 of No 77 OTU, which crashed in a forced landing near Qastina following an engine fire in the air.

ITALY
ANDERSON, Alfred - LAC - 282 Wing.
HOLMES, William James - LAC - 61 Embarkation Unit

UK
CAMPBELL, Clifton James - Cpl - registered in Truro.

Malcolm






Malcolm

[Jagan]

From https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8388332#imageViewerLink
137 Sqn Summary of Events

Pilot Officer L. Arthur Vyvyan BURROWS (188890) - killed in air raid - as he was taxying towards dispersal
Aircraftman 1st Class Ronald Arthur NORRIS (1871068) - one of the injured in the attack died in the evening of 2nd.
Flight Sergeant Reginald BAZLEY (363541) - Our fitter chiefie was killed in the attack. wounded in the first attack and was later hit by a cannon shell in the head and stomach.


https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8390749#imageViewerLink (https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8390749#imageViewerLink)
168 Sqn Summary of Events

Flight Lieutenant Howard Plaistowe GIBBONS (131023) - shot down in combat with Me-109s

"One squadron aircraft was damaged on the ground, three squadron airmen were also killed in the attack."
Leading Aircraftman Evan DAVIES (1510193) 1945-01-01 6168 SE Netherlands Eindhoven (Woensel) General Ce Ref : Plot KK. Grave 256.
Leading Aircraftman Geoffrey William NICHOLSON (1722813) 1945-01-01 6168 SE Netherlands Eindhoven (Woensel) General

2.1.45 Flt Lt J D Stubbs AUS413275 crashed on take off as he was taking over for an airtest.
22.1.45 Flt Lt W G Huddale AUS410128 missing

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8391551#imageViewerLink
182 Sqdn Form 540
Cpl RAbbit was cauth in the open and fatally wounded.
Corporal Cyril Alfred RABBITT (927533) 1945-01-01 6181 SE Netherlands


https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8391607#imageViewerLink
183 Sqdn Form 540
Fg Offr Webber was attacked and shot down by a Mustang whilst in circut at Y29 with his wheels down... stupid accident
Flight Lieutenant Donald WEBBER (138091)

[RecklessRat]

From the database for 1945 (http://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/index.php?qdate=1945&qt=UN), but not mentioned above:

1945-01-01 (http://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/index.php?qname=&qcntry=&cur=0&qunit=&qnum=&qmem=&qdate=1945-01-01)
Flight Lieutenant Douglas (https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2200773/pollard,-douglas/)POLLARD (http://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/details.php?qnum=36271) (150050), 541 Sqn:

AIR 27/2013/55 (https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8414695#imageViewerLink)
January 1945

F540:
"CASUALTIES:
On January 1st 1945 F/O D. Pollard 150050 failed to return from a sortie in the Hamburg Area."

F541:
"Date: 1.1.45
Aircraft: Spitfire XI PL 889
Crew: F/O D. Pollard
Duty: Ops.G.4022
Up: 10.10
Down:

Details: Targets Job 44 A.M. Hamburg Area - Job 26 Pt.II and Job 113 AM-Job 538 AM Pt.I - Job 944 AM Stade Area. Hamburg U/B yds. A/C Failed to Return."

Regards,

Jeff

[jonheyworth]

Alfred Anderson 953984 , attached to Number 282 Wing, was killed in a road accident at 02:00 hours on the outskirts of Catania

[jonheyworth]

Clifton James Campbell 1276311 , attached to RAF Colerne , died in the County isolation hospital, Truro, of meningitis

[jonheyworth]

Cyril Benjamin Vessey 1529632 a driver from squadron HQ , was seriously wounded at Eindhoven airfield by straffing fighter whilst waiting to draw rations and died shortly after admission to hospital

[jonheyworth]

William James Holmes 1294320 , attached to Number 61 EU , was killed in an MT accident in Naples when he crashed into an unlit traffic island

[jonheyworth]

David Edward Cottrell 61646 , the C/O of Number 14 PTC was a passenger in the front of a truck along with Cook LAC J D Parsons 750463 ,and Driver MT LAC H I Elms 1244476 , were driving back to Port 2 in antwerp to pick up vehicles at 01:30 Hours when a low flying enemy aircraft fired on the truck hitting it with a cannon shell and causing it to hit a wall.. both airmen were badly injured at Cottrell was killed

[jonheyworth]

Alfred Anderson 953984 , attached to Number 62 Staging Post , went out on New year's eve at 21:30 Hours with 3 other LACs and went to a cafe where they drank large amounts of wine until 02:00 Hours on January 1. They made their way back towards their billet singing carols and banging on the doors of Civillian houses. At one house, Anderson and another Airman climbed over the fence and forced the gate open breaking the hasp, before banging on the house door. The house owner, who was in bed with his wife and with his daughter in the house, got up and armed himself with a revolver, as he thought he was about to be raided by bandits, apparently not an uncommon occurrence.
He went outside and shouted At the men and in the dark could not tell who they were nor understand them. He fired into the air, and when they did not leave in their general direction. He stated he had no intention of hitting anyone and that they left. In fact Anderson had been hit in the back and the round had passed through him, he staggered outside and then collapsed and died in hospital.
The RAF SIB investigated and the 67 year-old Italian , CINQÙEGRANI Emmanuele , of No4 via S. Giuseppe, All'Arena , Catania, was charged with a lesser offence than the murder charge first envisioned