401110 - Unaccounted airmen - 10-11-1940

[Henk Welting]

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

A - Died of wounds or injuries received on active service:
LAC (Pilot u/t) Ronald E. BROOKS - 930140;
LAC Frederick GIBSON - 744543;
P/O (Pilot) Ivor H. LIST - 83300,
AC2 Alan J. STEVENS - 1259113.

B - Missing, believed killed on active service (while engaged on non-operational flying duties or on the ground through enemy action):
AC2 Harry K. LOCKET - 627785 - 14 BC - 953 Balloon Sqn, Cardiff - Runnymede Panel 27;
AC2 Herbert S. WHEELHOUSE - 1050222 - same unit and same Panel as Locket,
AC1 William M. PARRY - 985584 - same unit as Locket but remains may have been recovered later (after publishing in Flight Magazine) as he lies buried Merthyr Tydfill (Ffrwd) Cemetery, Penderyn, Glamorganshire.

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:
Magister I - R1891 - 8 EFTS - crashed on approach Woodley.
Master I - N7483 - CFS - crashed on landing Upavon, Wiltshire.
Tiger Moth II - N6530 - 11 EFTS - spun into ground Blawhall Farm, near Scone, Perthshire (probably Blairhall Farm - 53/116284).

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Andy Ingham]

Hello Henk
The death of Ronald E. BROOKS aged 19 was registered at Reading.
Ivor H. LIST aged 24 also was registered at Reading.
There are 2 entiers in the death index for Frederick GIBSON. One aged 48 registered at Portsmouth and the other aged 32 at Pembroke.
Alan J. STEVENS aged 19 was registered at Woolwich.

LOCKET & WHEELHOUSE are not listed on the death register for England and Wales.
However William M. PARRY aged 25 is listed and his death was registered at Weston. This could suggest that all three were lost at sea in the Bristol Channel and Parry's body washed up at Weston.

Regards
Andy

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Andy for this excellent info.
Regards,
Henk.

[Resmoroh]

Henk, et al,
At this stage in WW2 'bits' of Spitfires were being made in engineering works, and coach-builders, in and around Reading. The 'bits' were supposedly taken to "Crazies Hill", or "Crazies Farm" (near - but not precisely - RAF Henley) where they were 'screwed/rivetted' together, test flown, and then sent on their way rejoicing. How much credence can be given to this is doubtful as Phillips & Powis already had a fully serviceable airfield at Woodley (less than the distance to Henley (or thereabouts). But I give you this "as is known".
Reading was not bombed until 1943 - (bit to go yet, Henk?)
HTH
Peter Davies

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Peter for ifo on Reading.
Andy, et all:
Is it possible that Locket, Parry and Wheelhouse, being assigned to a Balloon Sqn, were lost over sea on ASR duties.
Regards,
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Woodley these days is virtually part of Reading and it could be that Brookes and List were on the Magister that crashed approaching the Airfield.
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Thanks again Dick; meanwhile getting more knowledge from UK-geography rather than from my own country The Netherlands !
Regards,
Henk.

[malcolm_raf]

Henk

Balloon Sqn personnel shown on the Runnymede Memorial could have been serving on barges used to fly balloons protecting ports. There was certainly one airman lost near me in the Humber Esturay, who was washed overboard and his body was never found.

Malclom

[John Larder]

I have Brooks and List on Magister R1891.

ASR boat crew are often ascribed to Balloon Squadrons. e.g 6 crew of HSL2706 lost23/3/1944 are recorded as 969 (Balloon) Sq.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks John for confirmation BROOKS and LIST on Magister R1891.
Regards,
Henk.

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

401110 - Unaccounted Airmen - 10-11-1940

From Henk's List -

UK
GIBSON, Frederick - Lac - 744543 - RAFVR.
Godstone (St.Nicholas) Churchyard, Surrey. Died of injuries received during an Air Raid on Pembroke Dock on the 6th November.
STEVENS, Alan James - AC2c - 1259113 - RAFVR.
Eltham Cemetery, Woolwich, London.
Killed in an Air Raid on London whilst on leave.

LOCKETT, Harry Kenneth - AC2c - 627785 - RAF - 953 BalloonSqn.
WHEELHOUSE, Herbert Salt - AC2c - 1050222 - RAFVR - 953 BalloonSqn.
These two airmen are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey.
PARRY, William Morgan - AC1c - 985584 - RAFVR - 953 Balloon Sqn.
Merthyr Tydfil ( Ffrwd) Cemetery, Penderyn,Glamorganshire.
These three airmen were aboard Barrage Balloon Drifter "Marcelle" when it struck a mine.

From CWGC -

KENYA
COTTON, Dennis Montague Carrington - Air Cpl - P/4915 - SAAF.
KNEEN, John Guthrie - Lt - 179991 - SAAF.
KNOX - PERKINS, Arthur Desmond - Capt - 202901 - SAAF - 5 Sqn SAAF.
Van NOUHUYS, Jan Jozua - Capt - 87452 - SAAF.
DAVIS, Harry George Ernest - F/Lt - 83484 - RAFVR.
LOUDON, Frank Mackenzie - Sqn/Ldr - 34046 - RAF - AFC.
These six airmen rest at Nairobi (Forest Road) Cemetery, Kenya.
They were crew of Lockheed 14 - AX688 - SAAF.

UK
BROOKS, Ronald Edward - Lac - 930140 - RAFVR.
Charton Cemetery, Greenwich, London.
LIST, Ivor Hardy - P/O - 83300 - RAFVR.
Reading Crematorium, Oxfordshire.
These two airmen were crew of Magister I - R1891 - 8 EFTS.

FRASER, William - AC2c - 1355470 - RAFVR - 49 Sqn.
Dyke Parish Churchyard, Moray.
KING, Ronald Walter - AC1c - 925805 - RAFVR - 49 Sqn.
Lindfield Rural (Walstead) Cemetery, Sussex.
RENNIE, Robert - AC2c - 1307761 - RAFVR - 49 Sqn.
Edinburgh (Piershill) Cemetery, Edinburgh.
These three airmen were hit by an aircraft ( Beaufort N1153, 118 Sqn) at RAF Scampton.
Air81/4170 Also has a Cpl W, BARCLAY as being killed in this incident. But could not find him in CWGC ?

CHALDER, Harry Hutchinson - P/O - 43691 - RAFVR.
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (St.Nicholas) Cemetery, Northumberland.
Spitfire Ia - X4409 - 41 Sqn.

CAVE, William - Sgt - 751648 - RAFVR.
HYLAND, Robert Cecil - Sgt - 580658 - RAF.
THOMAS, Thomas - Sgt - 561946 - RAF.
These three airmen were crew of Hampden I - L4149 - 50 Sqn.

DAWSON, Eric Henry - F/O - 41384 - RAF.
LAMB, John Robert Graham - Sgt - 581017 - RAF.
WHITE, William - Sgt - 625991 - RAF.
These three airmen were crew of Blenheim IV - R3753 - 114 Sqn.

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

Alex

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

UK.

Re: FRASER, KING and RENNIE.

The Nissen Hut Tragedy.

10 November, 1940.

Shortly after 01.30hrs on Tuesday 10th, No 83 Squadron Hampdens were becoming airborne for a minelaying operation. During their take-off run, the aircraft of Sgt Garwell (X2964) and crew smashed into a nissen hut.
Tragically, three men inside the hut, 19 year old AC1 Ronald King (a member of 49 Sqdn) AC2 William Fraser and AC2 Robert Rennie (believed to be airfield defence personnel) were killed in this ghastly accident. The aircrew survived the accident unharmed.

See:
Beware Of The Dog An Operational Diary of 49 Squadron. Spanning 49 Years 1916 - 1965.
Ward, John.
Belper:JoTe Publications,1997.
p.63.

and...

Hampden I
Serial: X2964.
Units: 83 (OL-X).
Date: 9/10.11.40.
Cause: Failed to become airborne and hit nissen hut, Scampton.
Crew: Sgt A J Garwell, Sgt Kirke, Sgt R J Flux Sgt White all unhurt. Three killed and one injured in Hut.
Duty: Bombing Lorient.

See:
The Hampden File.
Moyle,Harry.
Tonbridge:Air-Britain(Historians),1989.
p.120.

Col.

[Alex Smart]

Hello Col,
Thanks for the details Re: FRASER, KING and RENNIE.
I see that as well as the three killed mention is made of a Forth airmen being injured.
I wonder if that could have been Cpl W, BARCLAY , maybe he survived and was not killed. Would explain why I could not find him in CWGC.
Alex