450516 - Unaccounted Airmen - 16-05-1945

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

450516 - Unaccounted Airmen - 16-05-1945

From Henk's List -
ITALY
BAKER, William Henry - LAC - 1089396 - RAFVR - Salerno War Cemetery, Italy.
SPOONER, Frank Russell - LAC - 1252212 - RAFVR - Salerno War cemetery, Italy.

UK
MOTHERSOLE, Dennis Leslie - P/O - 166872 - RAFVR - Hasland Cemetery, Derbyshire.
THOMASON, Kenneth Harcourt - LAC - 625666 - RAF - Cardiff Western Cemetery, Glamorganshire.
TURNER, Ronald - LAC - 1409692 - RAFVR - Langton-By-Partney (SS. Peter & Paul) Churchyard, Lincolnshire.
VEITCH, Christopher Hardie - F/O(Flt/Engr) - 155829 - RAFVR - Oxford (Botley) Cemetery, Oxfordshire.

From CWGC & Geoff's sites -

INDIA
BLANKS, Leonard Frederick - F/O (Pilot) - 181264 - RAFVR - Ranchi War Cemetery, India. [ Beaufighter X - NV598 - GATU ].
STORER, Frederick Norman - F/S(Nav-WoP) - 1579964 - RAFVR - Ranchi War Cemetery, India. [ Beaufighter X - NV598 - GATU ].

UK
BLAIR, James - Sgt(Nav) - 1568087 - RAFVR - Llanbeblig Public Cemetery, Caernarfon, Caernarvonshire.[ Anson I - N9911 - 9(O)AFU ].
PEARCE, Ronald William - Cpl - 575901 - RAF - Redgrave (St. Mary) Churchyard, Suffolk. [ Sunderland V - PP116 - 461 Sqdn ].
SORRELL, Harold - F/S (Pilot) - 1395539 - RAF - Frittenden (St. Mary) Church burial Ground, Kent. [ Anson I - N9911 - 9(O)AFU ].

Alex

[malcolm_raf]

Hi

ITALY
BAKER, William Henry - LAC - 15 AMES.
SPOONER, Frank Russell - LAC - 15 AMES.

INDIA
BLANKS, Leonard Frederick - F/O (Pilot) - Beaufighter X - NV598 - GATU ].
STORER, Frederick Norman - F/S(Nav-WoP) - Beaufighter X - NV598 - GATU ].

UK
MOTHERSOLE, Dennis Leslie - P/O - registered in Wallingford.
THOMASON, Kenneth Harcourt - LAC - registered in Grimsby.
TURNER, Ronald - LAC - registered in Ely (RAF Hospital?).
VEITCH, Christopher Hardie - F/O(Flt/Engr) - registered in Abingdon.
BLAIR, James - Sgt(Nav) - Anson I - N9911 - 9(O)AFU ].
PEARCE, Ronald William - Cpl - Sunderland V - PP116 - 461 Sqdn ].
SORRELL, Harold - F/S (Pilot) - Anson I - N9911 - 9(O)AFU ].

Malcolm

[pietrzak309]

Ronald William Pearce - Sunderland V PP116 From 461 Squadron Milford Haven. During take off aircraft started to swing and in the swell started to Porpoise and nosed into the sea. Only casualty. Courtesy 'Price of Peace' Colin Cummings. His brother, 24 year old Sgt. Maurice George Arthur Pearce also killed - France 03rd May 1940. Blenheim 53 Squadron.

[COL BRUGGY]

pietrzak309,

Cpl Pearce was not the only casualty aboard 461 RAAF Sqn Sunderland V PP116:UT-K, he was the only fatality, as the following from the 461 RAAF Sqn ORB (p.920 of 946) shows:

In view of the above it is all the more regrettable that the Squadron's record should have been broken on the 16th May, when PP116 (K), when taking off on a test flight under F/O F. N. SORRELL (Aus.424611), swung violently, nosed in, and partially sank. F/O SORRELL being thrown through the window into the sea. A member of the ground staff of 8461 Servicing Echelon - CPL. PEARCE - was unfortunately killed, and F/O SORRELL and F/SGT. WILKINSON, A. (Aus.430528) were seriously injured; F/O CLACHER, L. W. (Aus.425602) also being hurt. The accident has been investigated by a Court of Inquiry, the report not yet being available.

Col.

[Martyn A Critchlow]

MOTHERSOLE, Dennis Leslie - P/O - 166872
VEITCH, Christopher Hardie - F/O(Flt/Engr) - 155829

Both DOAS in Casualty Communique 557 – Flight 3 Jan 1946

Martyn

[Martyn A Critchlow]

MOTHERSOLE, Dennis Leslie - P/O - 166872 - killed in a cycle accident

British Newspaper Archive - Friday 25 May 1945 , Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald

Martyn

[jonheyworth]

Thomas Edwin John 553991 died in Bridge of Earn emergency hospital from heart failure following an
Appendicitis operation

[jonheyworth]

Kenneth Newman 162659 , was killed in a road accident on the Louth road, half a mile East of RAF Ludford Magna

[jonheyworth]

Denis Galley 1098272 , was lost in Beaufighter EL500 which was lost off Piraeus Harbour , Sergeant Hanvar survived

[jonheyworth]

Kenneth Harcourt Thomason 625666 , attached to RAF Kirmington, died in Grimsby and District general hospital of a left occipital lobe abscess

[jonheyworth]

William Henry Baker 1089396 and

Frank Russell Spooner 1252212 ,

Both attached to Number 15 Anti malaria control unit , were killed in the explosion of either a discarded mortar bomb or grenade at Gaudo Airfield whilst on duty. At 10::00 hours. Spooner died
Instantly, Baker at 14:05 hours

[jonheyworth]

Christopher Hardie Veitch 155829 , attached to 10 OTU , died of acute pulmonary oedema due to mucus obstruction of the brinchus aggravated by an esophageal cyst

[jonheyworth]

Ronald Turner 1409692 | attached to RAF Witchford | drowned in the River Ouse at Little Thetford, Stretham, Ely at approximately 20:35 Hours. His body was recovered and removed to Ely mortuary