450209 - Unaccounted Airmen - 09-02-1945

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

450209 - Unaccounted Airmen - 09-02-1945

From Henk's List -

EGYPT
BROWE, William Dalton - F/S (A/G) - 2208975 - RAFVR - Fayid War Cemetery, Egypt.
EARL, William Murray - F/O (Nav/Bomber) - 172587 - RAFVR - Fayid War Cemetery, Egypt.
FINCH, John Martin - Sgt (WoP-A/G) - 1593106 - RAFVR - Fayid War Cemetery, Egypt.
PRIDMORE, John Kenneth - F/O (WoP-A/G) - 182042 - RAFVR - Fayid War Cemetery, Egypt.

UK
NICHOLSON, Richard - LAC - 539088 - RAF - Edinburgh (Corstorphine Hill ) Cemetery, Edinburgh.
REA, Gordon Thomas - LAC - 1903718 - RAFVR - Peterborough (Eastfield) Cemetery, Northamptonshire.
WRIGHT, Aldridge - LAC - 1263808 - RAFVR - Whitton (St. Botplph ) Churchyard, Suffolk.


From CWGC & Geoff's sites -

BELGIUM
McQUEEN, Alastair Norman Leigh - F/L(Pilot) - 129934 - RAFVR - Brussels Town Cemetery, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium. [ Lancaster I - HK620 - 15 Sqn ].

CANADA
HEPHER, Austin Frank - LAC - 3031915 - RAFVR - Winnipeg (Brookside) Cemetery, Manitoba, Canada.

INDIA
AMES, Stanley Charles Michael - Sgt - 1376027 - B.E.M - RAFVR - Madras War Cemetery, Chennai, India.

SINGAPORE
BARWISE, William - Sgt - 1685683 - RAFVR - Singapore Memorial, Singapore. [ could not find in "Unsung Heroes of the RAF"].
SNOWDEN, Frank - LAC - 1457872 - RAFVR - Singapore Memorial, Singapore. [ could not find in "Unsung Heroes of the RAF"].

SOUTH AFRICA
JOHNS, Peter Charles - AC2c ( Air Bomber U/T) - 1813292 - RAFVR - East London (East Bank) Cemetery, Eastern Cape, South Africa. DoI - [ Anson I - 4272 - ex EG315 - 41 AST - 8/2/45 ].

UK
DALTON, Derrick - Cpl - 942142 - RAFVR - Rotherham (Greasbrough) Cemetery, Yorkshire.
MURES, Ronald Albert - AC2c - 3045067 - RAFVR - Coningsby Cemetery, Lincolnshire. [ Lancaster I - NG453 - 83 Sqn ].

Alex

[malcolm_raf]

Hi


EGYPT
BROWE, William Dalton - F/S (A/G) - possibly killed whilst flying in either Marauder III, HD559 or HD446 of No 70 OTU, which collided with each other near El Shatt during a formation flying practice.
EARL, William Murray - F/O (Nav/Bomber) - see Browe.
FINCH, John Martin - Sgt (WoP-A/G) - see Browe.
PRIDMORE, John Kenneth - F/O (WoP-A/G) - see Browe.

BELGIUM
McQUEEN, Alastair Norman Leigh - F/L(Pilot) - He was attached to TAC HQ 21 Army Group B.L.A and was flying in Auster, ? of No 2 TAF Comm Flt when he was killed by ground fire near Beuningen, Nijmegen.

CANADA
HEPHER, Austin Frank - LAC - 5 ADS, DOAS

INDIA
AMES, Stanley Charles Michael - Sgt - RAF Secunderabad.

SINGAPORE
BARWISE, William - Sgt - possibly killed whilst flying in Expeditor I, HB201 of No 221 Grp Comm Sqn, which disappeared between Kalemyo and Jorhat.
SNOWDEN, Frank - LAC - see Barwise
also William Walter Hewitt

SOUTH AFRICA
JOHNS, Peter Charles - AC2 ( Air Bomber U/T) - Anson I - 4272 - ex EG315 - 41 AST - 8/2/45 ].

UK
NICHOLSON, Richard - LAC - not Eng/Wales?.
REA, Gordon Thomas - LAC - registered in Bourne.
WRIGHT, Aldridge - LAC - registered in Ipswich
DALTON, Derrick - Cpl - registered in Bourne.
MURES, Ronald Albert - AC2 - Lancaster I - NG453 - 83 Sqn ].

Malcolm

[wwrsimon]

With regards to the two Marauders HD446 and HD559, the South Africa War Graves Project http://www.southafricawargraves.org lists the following S.A.A.F. airmen on board HD559:

ASHURST, Harry Delville 102417V
BEEL, Hans 205473V
CARSTENS, Willem Johannes Tobias 607497V
DITTBERNER, Ludwig Paul 32552V
KERRUISH, Harold Norman 607493V
LAMBERT, Laurie Vincent 192851V
MORSE, Ronald Krummeck 606384V

Regards

Simon

[navigator1313]

BELGIUM
McQUEEN, Alastair Norman Leigh - F/L(Pilot) - He was attached to TAC HQ 21 Army Group B.L.A and was flying in Auster, ? of No 2 TAF Comm Flt when he was killed by ground fire near Beuningen, Nijmegen.


BELGIUM
McQUEEN, Alastair Norman Leigh - F/L(Pilot) - 129934 - RAFVR - Brussels Town Cemetery, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium. [ Lancaster I - HK620 - 15 Sqn ].

As this person is linked to the aircraft my uncle was on when he was KIA, I did some research on
Flight lieutenant McQueen. The following links give details regarding where the death of Alastair McQueen took place, and the text contained in these, shows that only 8 personnel were recovered from the wreckage of HK620. Records show Flight lieutenant McQueen was a pilot with No. 2 Tactical Air Force) not 15 Squadron Bomber Command, and that he died on 9th Feb 1945 at Peuninger, Holland, whilst on Air Operations supporting 21 Army Group. McQueen was flying an Auster that was hit by ground fire. His co-pilot managed to land the aircraft but McQueen was dead. The Service Return Record at the General Records of Scotland agrees with the date and place of death. As he is buried alongside the crew of HK620 and killed on the same day, there could have been some confusion as to who was actually onboard, and the Operational Record Book for the flight only mentions eight crew. This conflicts with the information that an Allied team recovered the remains of eight airmen, and that the Wireless Operator was not found at the crash site.
Additionally the records of James Hector Cowie on Ancestry only shows 8 crew members, there is no mention of Alastair Norman Leigh McQueen.

Fl. Lt. (Pilot) A.N.L.McQUEEN where did this man die?

http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?12272&p=72132#72132

The Scottish Military Research Group - Commemorations Project
http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=1453

The Scottish War Graves Project
http://scottishwargraves.phpbbweb.com/scottishwargraves-ftopic660-0-asc-0.html

The inscription reads -
In Memory of Alastair Norman Leigh McQueen, Fl Lt R.A.F.V.R.
A.R.I.B.A. of 13 Royal Circus Edinburgh. fourth son of
James McQueen of Crofts (1876-1931.)
Killed in Action in Holland 9th February in his 31st year



A.R.I.B.A -
Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects



Personally I do not think McQueen was on HK620, however the correct number of personnel onboard at the time of the crash may never be known.

[jonheyworth]

Stanley Charles Michael Ames 1376027 , attached to RAF Secunderabad, died of an accidental electric shock

[jonheyworth]

Aldridge Wright 1263808 | attached to Number 1 PHU | committed suicide whilst at home at Geneva Road, Ipswich Suffolk, being dead on arrival at Southport EMS hospital