450319 - Unaccounted Airmen - 19-03-1945

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

450319 - Unaccounted Airmen - 19-03-1945

From Henk's List -

ATC
UK
ROLFE, Pelham George - Cdt - ATC - West Row (St. Peter ) Churchyard, Suffolk. [ DoW received on 15/03/1945 when the RAF truck he was travelling in was straffed by an Bf110 ].

BELGIUM
GREATRIX, William Arthur - LAC - 1468592 - RAFVR - Brussels Town Cemetery, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium.
PHILLIPS, Angus Morley - LAC - 1721666 - RAFVR - Brussels Town Cemetery, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium.
PRESTON, Reginald - LAC - 1044556 - RAFVR - Brussels Town Cemetery, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium.

GERMANY
LAWRENCE, Richard Henry - Sgt - 546040 - RAF - Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.

ITALY
MURRAY, Michael Joseph - LAC - 646465 - RAF - Catania War Cemetery, Sicily, Italy.

UK
BUSH, Fred - LAC - 1161300 - RAFVR - Halstead Cemetery, Essex.
HARVEY, Gilbert William (Jamaican) - AC2c - 713133 - RAFVR - Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire.
JEWISS, Walter James - Sgt - 1337264 -RAFVR - Runnymede Memorial, Surrey. ( Henk had the 10th March 1945 for this loss ) - [ Lancaster I - NG491 - 103 Sqn ].
SMITH, Edwin Arthur - LAC - 1479844 - RAFVR - Church & Clayton-Le-Moors Joint Cemetery, Lancashire.

From CWGC & Geoff's sites -

UK
ASTON, Oliver - Sgt (A/G) - 1880856 - RAFVR - Eglantine Church of Ireland Cemetery, County Down. [ Liberator GR.VI - KG896 - 1674 HCU ].
BATES, Dennis Archibald - Sgt (Radio Operator-Air) - 1868033 - RAFVR - Birmingham (Yardley) Cemetery, Warwickshire. [ Liberator GR.VI - KG896 - 1674 HCU ].
CHEYNE, William David - F/O (WoP) - 157532 - RAFVR - Aberdeen (Springbank) Cemetery, Aberdeenshire. [ Liberator GR.VI - KG896 - 1674 HCU ].
EDGE, Ronald James - Sgt(A/G) - 1895861 - RAFVR - Eglantine Church of Ireland Cemetery, County Down. [ Liberator GR.VI - KG896 - 1674 HCU ].
HONEY, Cecil Andrew James - F/O (WoP-A/G) - 174869 - RAFVR - Liskeard (St. Martin) Churchyard, Cornwall. [ Liberator GR.VI - KG896 - 1674 HCU ].
HOOK, Rolinson Sidney Palliser - Sgt (Flt/Engr) - 1603654 - RAFVR - Eglantine Church of Ireland Cemetery, County Down. [ Liberator GR.VI - KG896 - 1674 HCU ].
McGILLIVRAY, Alastair Duncan - F/S (Pilot) - 1349959 - RAFVR - Oxford (Botley) Cemetery, Oxfordshire. [ Albemarle VI - V1862 - 21 HGCU ].
McNEILLY, Patrick - Sgt (WoP) - 1522944 - RAFVR - Old Monkland Cemetery, Lanarkshire. [ Liberator GR.VI - KG896 - 1674 HCU ].
SARGENT, Stanley Frederick Bright - F/O (Nav) - 165074 - RAFVR - Islington Cemetery & Crematorium, Middlesex. [ Liberator GR.VI - KG896 - 1674 HCU ].
SKINNER, Jack - W/O (Pilot) - 1332584 - D.F.C - RAFVR - Oxford (Botley) - Cemetery, Oxfordshire. [ Albemarle VI - V1862 - 21 HGCU ].
WILLINS, George Gairns - W/O (WoP-A/G) - 749543 - RAFVR - Edinburgh (Saughton) Cemetery, Edinburgh. [ Albemarle VI - V1862 - 21 HGCU ].

Alex

[malcolm_raf]

Hi

BELGIUM
GREATRIX, William Arthur - LAC - 6098 SE possibly killed during an attack on the airfield by Ar 234s.
PHILLIPS, Angus Morley - LAC - Melsbroek possibly killed during an attack on the airfield by Ar 234s.
PRESTON, Reginald - LAC - Melsbroek possibly killed during an attack on the airfield by Ar 234s.

GERMANY
LAWRENCE, Richard Henry - Sgt - 6274 SE.

ITALY
MURRAY, Michael Joseph - LAC - 672 Flotilla (attached).

UK
BUSH, Fred - LAC - registered in Amersham.
HARVEY, Gilbert William (Jamaican) - AC2 - registered in Melton Mowbrey.
JEWISS, Walter James - Sgt - Lancaster I - NG491 - 103 Sqn ].
SMITH, Edwin Arthur - LAC - not Eng/Wales?.
ASTON, Oliver - Sgt (A/G) - Liberator GR.VI - KG896 - 1674 HCU ].
BATES, Dennis Archibald - Sgt (Radio Operator-Air) - Liberator GR.VI - KG896 - 1674 HCU ].
CHEYNE, William David - F/O (WoP) - Liberator GR.VI - KG896 - 1674 HCU ].
EDGE, Ronald James - Sgt(A/G) - Liberator GR.VI - KG896 - 1674 HCU ].
HOOK, Rolinson Sidney Palliser - Sgt (Flt/Engr) - Liberator GR.VI - KG896 - 1674 HCU ].
McGILLIVRAY, Alastair Duncan - F/S (Pilot) - Albemarle VI - V1862 - 21 HGCU ].
McNEILLY, Patrick - Sgt (WoP) - Liberator GR.VI - KG896 - 1674 HCU ].
SARGENT, Stanley Frederick Bright - F/O (Nav) - Liberator GR.VI - KG896 - 1674 HCU ].
SKINNER, Jack - W/O (Pilot) - Albemarle VI - V1862 - 21 HGCU ].
WILLINS, George Gairns - W/O (WoP-A/G) - Albemarle VI - V1862 - 21 HGCU ].

Malcolm

[alclark]

The Aldergrove station ORB gives a full list for KG896 as:

March 19th 1945, “A flying accident occurred to Liberator KG.896 in which the crew lost their lives. (F/O Holmes, W.I. (Captain), P/O Pryda, A.J., F/O Sargent, S.F.B., P/O Appleyard, R.H., F/O Cheyne, W.D., Sgt McNeilly, P., Sgt Hook, R.S., Sgt Edge, R.J., Sgt Aston, O., Sgt Bates, D.A., One instructor (F/O Honey, C.A.J.) was also fatally injured.”

Mullaghmore also recorded the accident:

March 19th 1945, “At 0300 hours the airfield was illuminated and pyrotechnics displayed for a missing Liberator from Aldergrove. It was later discovered wrecked on high ground near Aldergrove with no survivors.”

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

Re: the loss of 1674 HCU Liberator KG896. Apart from the eight airmen named by Alex, the remaining three casualties were Commonwealth airmen:

J/42507 F/O (Pupil Navigator) Richard Henry APPLEYARD RCAF
NZ416205 F/O (Pupil Captain under instruction) William Ivan HOLMES RNZAF
AUS416205 F/O (Pupil 2nd Pilot) Alan James PRYDE RAAF

Col.

[Martyn A Critchlow]

GREATRIX, PHILLIPS and PRESTON all in same casualty communique KOAS.
LAWRENCE, Richard Henry - Sgt - 546040 not found.
MURRAY, Michael Joseph - LAC - 646465 not found
BUSH, Fred - LAC - 1161300 DOAS
HARVEY, Gilbert William (Jamaican) - AC2c - 713133 DOAS
SMITH, Edwin Arthur - LAC - 1479844 DOAS

Martyn

[jonheyworth]

Gilbert William Harvey 713133 , attached to RAF North Luffenham, was admitted seriously ill to Melton Mowbray Isolation hospital on 17 March, where he died of infective jaundice

[jonheyworth]

Michael Joseph Murray 646465 , attached to Number 672 Flotilla RN , died in the RN Sick quarters at Messina of asphyxia due to pulmonary septacemia

[jonheyworth]

Richard Henry Lawrence 546040 ,attached to Number 6249 SE , was seriously injured in a MT accident between Hevelae and Gepdern on 18 March and was admitted to Number 24 CCS , where he died of his injuries

[jonheyworth]

Fred Bush 116130, attached to RAF West Kirby, died in the Amersham EMS hospital of carcinoma

[jonheyworth]

George Robert Bond 8327 | died in Number 106 Australian general hospital at Bonegilla of pulmonary tuberculosis

[jonheyworth]

Edwin Arthur Smith 1479844 | attached to RAF Breighton | died in Beverley Base EMS hospital, of acute glomerular nephritis