450317 - Unaccounted Airwomen & Airmen - 17-03-1945

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

450317 - Unaccounted Airwomen & Airmen - 17-03-1945

From Henk's List -

WAAF
UK
CRAWFORD, Edna Mary - LACW - 2092027 - WAAF - Seghill (Holy Trinity) Churchyard, Northumberland.
SELLWOOD, Joan Margaret - LACW - 475003 - WAAF - Cardiff (Cathays ) Cemetery, Glamorganshire.

FRANCE
WHITE, Jack - F/O (Nav) - 184793 - D.F.C - RAFVR - Cambrai (Route De Solesmes) Communal Cemetery, Nord, France.

UK
BANNER, Robert - AC1c - 1244037 - RAFVR - Plumstead Cemetery, London
ELLIS, Henry Kenneth - Cpl - 1308528 - RAFVR - Shrewsbury General Cemetery, Shropshire.
JONES, Leonard Cecil Arthur - Cpl - 1188258 - RAFVR - Killay (St. Hilary's) Churchyard, Glamorganshire.
MARTIN, George Edward - Sgt - 840001 - D.C.M - M.M - Order of St. George (Russia) - RAF(Auxiliary Air Force) - Maidenhead Cemetery, Berkshire.
SALTER, Harold James - F/S - 213237 - RAF - Waterlooville Cemetery, Hampshire.
SLIGHT, Cecil Howard - W/O - 9727 - RAF - Cardiff (Cathays) cemetery, Glamorganshire.

From CWGC & Geoff's sites -

EGYPT
FOSTER-STEVENS, David Douglas - Sgt - 1815729 - RAFVR - Alamein Memorial, Egypt.
GILDON, Stanley Leonard - F/O - 149062 - RAFVR - Alamein Memorial, Egypt.
LLOYD, Edmund Robert Evan - Sgt - 2209281 - RAFVR - Alamein Memorial, Egypt.
SIMMONS, Donald Geoffrey - Wng/Cdr - 36077 - RAFVr - Alamein Memorial, Egypt.

INDIA
PEARCE, John Stephen - F/S (Nav) - 1587341 - RAFVR - Kirkee War Cemetery, India.

UK
KUBIN, Valentin (Czechoslovakian) - Sgt - 787855 - RAFVR - Barry (Merthyr Dyfan) Burial Ground, Glamorganshire.

Alex

[malcolm_raf]

Hi

FRANCE
WHITE, Jack - F/O (Nav) - 136 Wing.

EGYPT
FOSTER-STEVENS, David Douglas - Sgt - possibly killed whilst flying in Baltimore V, FW589 of No 75 OTU, which failed to return from a gunnery practice over the Gulf of Suez.
GILDON, Stanley Leonard - F/O - see Foster-Stevens.
LLOYD, Edmund Robert Evan - Sgt - see Foster-Stevens.
SIMMONS, Donald Geoffrey - Wng/Cdr - see Foster-Stevens.

INDIA
PEARCE, John Stephen - F/S (Nav) - Poona.

UK
CRAWFORD, Edna Mary - LACW - registered in Reading.
SELLWOOD, Joan Margaret - LACW - registered in Ruthin.
BANNER, Robert - AC1 - registered in Woolwich
ELLIS, Henry Kenneth - Cpl - registered in Shrewsbury.
JONES, Leonard Cecil Arthur - Cpl - registered in Bridgend.
MARTIN, George Edward - Sgt - registered in Maidenhead in 2nd Quarter
SALTER, Harold James - F/S - registered in Gosport.
SLIGHT, Cecil Howard - W/O -registered in Sleaford in 2nd Quarter.
KUBIN, Valentin (Czechoslovakian) - Sgt - registered in East Glamorgan

Malcolm

[Chris Pointon]

What were the cicumstances of the death of Sgt George Martin buried at Maidenhead - he was 49 when he died but having a DCM and a MM plus Order of St George Russia meant that he must have a story to tell.

[CZ_RAF]

Hi Alex, regarding the Czech casualty:

KUBÍN
Valentýn
787 855
Sgt
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner (WOP/AG)
311 Sq
06/11/1920 Lešná (Vsetín)
17/03/1945
buried 22/03/1945 Bary Cemetery, grave R/1124
According to my sources he died in Sully Hospital, Penart, Cardiff

But as he was released from the RAF already in 1942 for medical reasons he died as member of Czechoslovak Army.

HTH

Pavel

[Resmoroh]

This for starters!:-

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 22 SEPTEMBER, 1916. 9297
His Majesty the KING has been graciously rpleased to approve of the award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal to the undermentioned Warrant Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers -and Men for acts of gallantry and devotion to duty in the field
"9242 Sjt. G. E. Martin, Wilts. E.
For conspicuous gallantry in action. He led his platoon with great dash in the attack, -organised and led a bombing party which routed the enemy from 200 yards of his trench, and set a fine example throughout the operations.

War Office,
llth November, 1916.
His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to award the Military Medal for bravery in the field to the undermentioned Non-Commissioned Officers and Men:—
9242 Coy. S./M. G. E. Martin, Wilts. R.

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 15 FEBRUARY, 1917. 1601
Decorations and medals conferred by Field-Marshal HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA. (September 12, 1916.)
Cross of St. George, 4th Class.
9242 Serjeant (Acting Company Serjeant-Major) George Edward Martin, Wiltshire Regiment.

I suspect that you did NOT muck about with this Sgt??

HTH
Peter Davies

[Chris Pointon]

Peter - Many thanks for your reply
Chris

[jossleclercq]

Hello,

WHITE was a member of No. 138 Wing, which was based at A.75 Cambrai-Epinoy, hence logically buried in the Cambrai Route de Solesmes cemetery. Not No. 136 Wing which must be a typo. The Wing sick quarters, Wing 138, states : P/O (sic) WHITE (navigator) was injured in a car accident on the main Cambrai-Douai road at 03:00 hours on 16th March. He was transfered to No. 55 M.F.H. where he died at 23:45 hours 16th March. This makes the seventh fatal road accident since the wing arrived at Epinoy."

WHITE was actually a Flying Officer, and according to the LG entry (10th April 1945) for his D.F.C. award, his unit at the time of recommendation was No. 613 Squadron. Squadron which was part of No. 138 Wing.

Joss

[malcolm_raf]

Hi Joss

The quality of the typing on the GRO lists is not great so I probably misread 138 as 136 on the original.

Does the ORB mention the other six road accident fatalities?

Malcolm

[jossleclercq]

Hello Malcolm,

I fully understand and agree about the difficulties about reading some original pieces of archives...

They've been listed in the "unaccounted list" when the date was matching. There's not a list within the sick quarter ORB, but here's a partial list drawn from the casualties buried in the Cambrai route de Solesmes cemetery
F/L Jack OVERTON DFC, Croix de Guerre, 30 November 1944
AC1 Robert JONES, 1st January 1945
Cpl George Richard COUCHMAN, 19 January 1945
F/O Jack WHITE, 17 March 1945
There's also a Polish ground crew who was later transferred to Grainville-Langannerie cemetery in Normandy : LAC A. STANKIEWICZ. date of death on his grave is 22 November 1944. The sick quarter ORB only states "A Polish airman was killed in a road accident." No name and no date. He must have been the first of the series, the Wing having arrived just a few days before that.
There's a mention of 2 accidents in December 1944, on the road outside camp, involving French people, 1 killed in each accident, but no name and no date.

Joss

[malcolm_raf]

Many thanks Joss

That's cleared up two more of my outstanding casualties.

Malcolm

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

UK.

1244037 AC1 Robert BANNER RAFVR.

BANNER, Aircraftman 1st Class Robert, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (1244037). Henlow, Beds, Maintenance Command, 17 March 1945, Died, AC1 Banner's wife* was killed in the same incident, Age 24, Woolwich, London, Plumstead Cemetery London.

* https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/3141651/banner,-may-catherine/

See: Failed To Return, Part 2, A-B/Hobson/N&MP/2019/p.366.

Probably killed when a V-2 struck the Jackson Street, Woolwich area on 17 March, 1945.

'BIG BEN' (V-2) Incidents March 1945.

Incident No.1037 - 17th - 0811 - Woolwich.

See: The Blitz Then & Now Vol.3/Ramsey/BoB Prints/1990/pp.533-4.

I imagine there would have been other casualties in the Woolwich area due to the V-2 incident. I had a quick look at those in the Woolwich Metropolitan Borough (CWGC), and found at least another ten, including Banner's wife, May.

Col.

[jonheyworth]

Cecil Howard Slight 9727, attached to 55 Base, died in RAF Hospital Rauceby as the result of injuries sustained when he accidently fell from a door of the 11;35 pm train travelling from Nottingham to Grantham

[jonheyworth]

Joan Margaret Sellwood 475003, medically discharged at the time of her death, died in the North Wales sanatorium of tuberculosis

[jonheyworth]

Leonard Arthur Cecil Jones 1188258 , ( possible CECIL ARTHUR ), attached to Number 11 APC, became seriously ill on 19th February 1945 and was admitted to RAF Hospital St. Athan where he died of pulmonary tuberculosis

[jonheyworth]

Valentin KUBIN 787855 , died in Sully hospital, Penarth of tuberculosis

[jonheyworth]

Edna Mary Crawford 2092027 , an ACH Batwoman attached to HQ Flying Training command , was taken dangerously ill on 5 March and admitted to the Royal Berks hospital, Reading where she died of ulcerative colitis with her father , G W Crawford of Formans Row, Seaton Delaval, at her bedside

[jonheyworth]

Robert Banner 1244037 , attached to RAF Henlow, was at home on leave at 26 Jackson Street, Woolwich, when a V2 hit the street killing him and his wife, May Catherine Banner aged 22

[jonheyworth]

John Donald Davidson 5372 | a Fitter II Airframes, was a passenger in Hampden I ( a torpedo bomber ) AT109 which went missing covering a convoy on 4/5 September 1942. On 21 October, a telegram from the IRCC stated he was a POW and then that he was at Dalag Luft. Further IRCC news stated he had died as a POW on 17 March 1945. Information received from an Australia POW, Corporal Hayes stated that Davidson had died at Stalag IXC at Bad Sulza following dysentery and malnutrition after a forced march