401219 - Unaccounted airman - 19-12-1940

[Henk Welting]

What caused the death of and/or what was the place of death registration for Sgt (Pilot) James BLATCHFORD - 745212, killed on active service.
Proposed aircraft losses for this day:
Hurricane I - N2409 - 55 OTU - crashed in forced landing Urchfont, Wiltshire.
Proctor I - P6301 - 1 SS - crashed on take-off Cranwell, Lincolnshire.
Wellington IC - R1137 - SFP - crashed in forced landing Earls Barton, Northamptonshire.
Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[thorne83]

Cant find him either Henk. There is a James S E Blatchford registered in Plympton, aged 25 but this is almost certainly a different person; 'yours' is age 20 and no middle names.

Tom

[Litcham_Lad]

Henk

A James Blatchford (Aged 20) is registered in the Barnstable district at the beginning of 1941. If this is your man (as seems likely), then he was probably on Beaufort L9943 (3OTU) which crashed at on take-off at Chivenor

Maybe someone can confirm

dg

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Gents,

Sgt J Blatchford, 745212 confirmed as pilot of L9943. The C of I found that he failed to set his altimeter to zero before take off.

Regards
Ross

[Henk Welting]

Thanks friends for this useful help.
Regards,
Henk.

[Graham Moore]

There was also a LAC R W Greenwood aboard this plane, seriously injured, though survived. Any info on him? 907094 service number

[wwrsimon]

Graham

Air 78/66 has him as GREENWOOD, Roy Watling, 907094.

Wonder if it's this chap:

http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/Roy%20Watling-Greenwood-GB.html

Regards

Simon

[Graham Moore]

What is the 78/66 form?

[wwrsimon]

Graham

It's part of the Air 78 range of files, available to download for free from the National Archives website:

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2132

More details about what's in them can be seen here:

http://www.rafcommands.com/reference/air-78-and-finding-raf-other-ranks-service-number/

Regards

Simon

[Graham Moore]

I am in touch with a niece of Blatchford and trying to find a relative of Greenwood and will follow up this possible Greenwood connection. My dad is a keen motor racing fan and he reckons post war motor racers were ex ww2 airforce and army

[Graham Moore]

I have been contacted today by Roy Watling Greenwood's daughter and confirmed he is the one and same person,seriously injured aboard. She has made mention of a 3rd airman possibly, also seriously injured though the Chivenor ORB only mentions 2, caN we prove this to be wrong?

[Graham Moore]

A group of us is meeting at the crash site this Wednesday and meeting the farmer and present him with our resumee of the accident

[Graham Moore]

Visited crash site on Wednesday. Have now ruled out there being a 3rd airman aboard

a shire horse was killed in the accident too


roy Watling Greenwood was transferred to the Raf hospital with serious injuries

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

401219 - Unaccounted Airwoman and Airmen - 19-12-1940

From Henk's List -

UK
DOWDESWELL, Harcourt Edward - AC2c - 1200546 - RAFVR.
Old Shoreham Cemetery, Sussex.
Killed in the bombing of Shoreham.

From CWGC -

UK
WAAF
HICKS, Phyllis - ACW2c - 442668 - WAAF.
Old Shoreham Cemetery, Sussex.
Killed in the bombing of Shoreham.

AUSTRALIA
LENNE, Hubert Albert - P/O - 375 - RAAF.
Mackay Cemetery, Queensland, Australia.
Wirraway - A20-53 - RAAF.

GREECE
COOPER, Samuel George - P/O - 42301 - RAF.
Phaleron War Cemetery, Greece.
Gladiator II - N5785 - 80 Sqdn.

PAKISTAN
BROUGHTON, Gordon Stanley - Lac - 771504 - RAFVR.
Karachi War Cemetery, Pakistan.
Hart - K8628 - 5 Sqdn.

UK
BLATCHFORD, James - Sgt - 745212 - RAFVR.
Bedford Cemetery, Bedfordshire.
Beaufort I - L9943 - 3(c)OTU.

DICKINS, Charles John Scott - Sqdn/Ldr - 34149 - RAF (RAFO).
Beck Row (St.John) Churchyard, Suffolk.
Wellington Ic - T2803 - 99 Sqdn.

JONES, Edwin - Sgt - 523574 - RAF.
Barrow-in-Furness (Thorncliffe) Cemetery and Crematorium, Lancashire.
STOKOE, Sydney - Sgt - 754855 - RAFVR.
Heworth (St.Mary) Churchyard, Durham.
WATKINS, Iorwerth Walter - Sgt - 979229 - RAF.
Woodfieldside (Jerusalem) Chapelyard, Monmouthshire.
WILSDON, Albert Alfred - Sgt - 510613 - RAF.
Doncaster (Rose Hill) Cemetery, Yorkshire.
These four airmen were crew of Blenheim I - L6612 - 29 Sqdn.
Blenheim I - L6612 - 29 Sqdn.

Alex