450115 - Unaccounted Airmen - 15-01-1945

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

450115 - Unaccounted Airmen - 15-01-1945

From Henk's List -
UK
BARDICEV, Aba ( Also known as WILLIS ) - (Czeck ?) - AC2c - 769448 - RAFVR - M19, Middle East Forces - Runnymede Memorial, Surrey.
MATTHEWS, Richard - Cpl - 648378 - RAF - Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire.

From CWGC & Geoff's sites -

EGYPT
ASHWORTH, Kenneth - Sgt - 1589628 - RAFVR - 76 OTU - Alamein Memorial, Egypt.
BROOK, Richard William - Sgt - 1587551 - RAFVR - 76 OTU - Alamein Memorial, Egypt.
CAUSER, Daniel Robert George - Sgt - 1810933 - RAFVR - 76 OTU - Alamein Memorial, Egypt.
CULLEN, Robert William - Sgt - 1824240 - RAFVR - 76 OTU - Alamein Memorial, Egypt.
GORMALLY, Kevin Patrick - Sgt - 2204564 - RAFVR - 76 OTU - Alamein Memorial, Egypt.
HEATON, William Pilkington - Sgt - 1685597 - RAFVR - 76 OTU - Alamein Memorial, Egypt.
LEIGHTON, George Bernard - F/O - 176526 - RAFVR - 76 OTU - Alamein Memorial, Egypt.
McTAGUE, James Patrick - Sgt - 1821926 - RAFVR - 76 OTU - Alamein Memorial, Egypt.
OSBORNE, Norman James - Sgt - 1627548 - RAFVR - 76 OTU - Alamein Memorial, Egypt.
PEACE, Norman John - Sgt - 3020016 - RAFVR - 76 OTU - Alamein Memorial, Egypt.

REPUBLIC of IRELAND
O'SULLIVAN, Michael - Sgt (Flt/Engr) - 1799564 - RAFVR - Castlemahon Old Graveyard, County Limerick, Republic of Ireland. [ Halifax III - LK878 - 1659 HCU ].

UK
BRYAN, Clifford Bagnell - F/L - 137302 - RAFVR - Runnymede Memorial, Surrey. [ Mosquito NF.30 - MV565 - 85 Sqn ].
BURN, Dennis Gilbert - Sgt (A/G) - 1251125 - RAFVR - Tottenham Cemetery, Middlesex. [ Lancaster III - LM619 - 1668 HCU ].(BCL vol 8 has BRUN ).
HAZELDEN, John Gordon - Sgt (Nav) - 1623968 - RAFVR - Rainford (All Saints) Churchyard, Lancashire. [ Lancaster III - LM619 - 1668 HCU ].
MANN, Cyril Reuben Clifford - Sgt (Air Bomber) - 1586368 - RAFVR - Cheltenham Cemetery, Prestbury, Gloucestershire. [ Lancaster III - LM619 - 1668 HCU ].
RAWLINSON, James - F/S (Flt/Engr) - 2218660 - RAFVR - Bootle Cemetery, Lancashire. [ Lancaster III - LM619 - 1668 HCU ].
WALTON, Geoffrey - F/S (Pilot) - 1578741 - RAFVR - Castle Church (St. Mary) Churchyard, Staffordshire. [ Halifax III - LK871 and LK878 - 1659 HCU ?? ].
WOOD, Henry - F/L - 115716 - RAFVR - Runnymede Memorial, Surrey. [ Mosquito NF.30 - MV565 - 85 Sqn ].

Alex

[malcolm_raf]

Hi

EGYPT
ASHWORTH, Kenneth - Sgt - possibly killed whilst flying in Wellington X, LP294 of No 76 OTU, which dived into the sea off Tel Aviv after control was lost in cloud.
BROOK, Richard William - Sgt - see Ashworth
CAUSER, Daniel Robert George - Sgt - see Ashworth
CULLEN, Robert William - Sgt - see Ashworth
GORMALLY, Kevin Patrick - Sgt - see Ashworth
HEATON, William Pilkington - Sgt - see Ashworth
LEIGHTON, George Bernard - F/O - see Ashworth
McTAGUE, James Patrick - Sgt - see Ashworth
OSBORNE, Norman James - Sgt - see Ashworth
PEACE, Norman John - Sgt - see Ashworth

UK
MATTHEWS, Richard - Cpl - registered in Cambridge.
BRYAN, Clifford Bagnell - F/L - Mosquito NF.30 - MV565 - 85 Sqn ].
BURN, Dennis Gilbert - Sgt (A/G) - Lancaster III - LM619 - 1668 HCU ].(BCL vol 8 has BRUN ).
HAZELDEN, John Gordon - Sgt (Nav) - Lancaster III - LM619 - 1668 HCU ].
MANN, Cyril Reuben Clifford - Sgt (Air Bomber) - Lancaster III - LM619 - 1668 HCU ].
RAWLINSON, James - F/S (Flt/Engr) - Lancaster III - LM619 - 1668 HCU ].
WALTON, Geoffrey - F/S (Pilot) - Halifax III - LK878 - 1659 HCU ].
WOOD, Henry - F/L - Mosquito NF.30 - MV565 - 85 Sqn ].
O'SULLIVAN, Michael - Sgt (Flt/Engr) - Halifax III - LK878 - 1659 HCU ].

Malcolm

[Alex Smart]

Hello and thank you re Wellington LP294 of 76 OTU.
Now found this RAF Commands link,
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?14001-Two-recorded-losses-on-EL-ALAMEIN-MEMORIAL
Alex

[Beltzero]

How did they go missing?

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

UK (1)

769448 AC2 Aba BARDICEV (aka Robert WILLIS) RAFVR.

Aircraftman 2nd Class Aba BARDICEV (a Czech), joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (in the Middle East), but became involved in special operations under the name of Robert Willis with the code name "Anticlimax". He participated in the highly-secret Operation "Amsterdam" but was captured by the Germans on Christmas Day 1944 whilst trying to buy food dressed in a British uniform. He was executed at Mauthausen on 15 January 1945.

See:
Unearthing Churchill's Secret Army:The Official List of SOE Casualties and their Stories.
Grehan,John & Martin Mace.
Barnsley:Pen & Sword Military,2012.
p.241.

It should be noted, there is alternative advice available :

MI9/A Force in Hungary.

MISSIONS.

AMSTERDAM.

+ Rafael REISS aka Sgt Stephens aka Sgt Stephenson/Stefan RICE RAFVR.
+ Sgt Zvi BEN-YAAKOV aka Jindrich GRUENHUT aka 2Lt M JAMAY (UNCLE).
Chaim CHERMESH aka Martha MARTINOVIC (AUNTIE)
+Haviva aka Chaviva REIK aka Ada ROBINSON.

ANTI-CLIMAX.

+ Abba BARDICHEV/BERDICZEW/BERDICHEV aka Lt Robert WILLIS.
+ Rafael REISS - see AMSTERDAM.

See:
Through Hitler's Back Door:SOE Operations in Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria 1939-1945.
Ogden,Alan.
Barnsley:Pen & Sword Military,2010.
pp.10-11.

Col.

[jonheyworth]

Derek Curry 220870 , was seriously injured in a booby trap explosion onn15 January at MAP REF H435892 and was admittex to Number 103 general hospital, severely shocked and with heamorhages from bothe legs and thighs from multiple pepper pot shrapnel wounds to the legs, abdomen and face. Despite treatment, he died 8 hours after admission

[jonheyworth]

Richard Matthews 648378 , had been admitted to SSQ at RAF Bolton on 21 May 1943 and transferred to RAF Hospital, Padgate, where pulmonary tuberculosis was diagnosed. Following medical discharge he died of his condition nearly two years later