401220 - Unaccounted airmen - 20-12-1940

[Henk Welting]

What caused the death of and/or what were the places of death registration for:

AC2 Charles S.J. BROOKS - 1175992 - not found Flight archives;
AC2 Ian F. DODWELL - 1268098 - killed on active service;
Cpl Albert P. GOWERS - 844507 - 3 BC, 907 (Balloon) Sqn, Woodberry Down, N.London - died of wounds or injuries received on active service;
AC2 Robert E. ('Dick') MOORE - 1310173 - killed on active service;
LAC John C.D. SPURGIN - 1058860 - killed on active service, and
Sgt (Pilot) Thomas N. WILSON - 754004 - 600 Sqn (Catterick, Yorkshire) - killed in action (while flying in operations against the enemy) - can't find a match in Blenheim and Beaufighter file.

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:

Master I - N7617 - 8 FTS - crashed on approach at night, Montrose.
Oxford I - V3215 - RAFC - crashed on take-off at night Londonthorpe, Lincolnshire.
Tiger Moth II - N6600 - 22 EFTS - crashed on overshoot, Cambridge.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Andy Ingham]

Hello Henk

Charles S.J. BROOKS - aged 25, Wirral 1940 Q4
Ian F. DODWELL - aged 18, Wirral 1940 Q4
Albert GOWERS - aged 53, Aylsbury 190 Q4.
Robert E. ('Dick') MOORE - are you sure was he not RICHARD E. MOORE? His death is registered at Wirral aged 20
John C.D. SPURGIN - aged 18, Grantham 1940 Q4(Oxford I 3251 ?)
Thomas N. WILSON - aged 20, Richmond 1940 Q4

It would suggest the 3 deaths at wirral are conected in some way.
Regards
Andy

[paulmcmillan]

Would suggest Wilson is on

Bristol Blenheim Mk.I
Operator: RAF 600 Sqn.
Registration: L1467

http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=14841

Though says 2 casualties so missing 1

[paulmcmillan]

Yep L1467

http://www.allenby.info/aircraft/planes/dales/l9034.html

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Warner's "Blenheim" confirms loss of Blenheim If BQ-W (no serial)in a crash nr Richmond ,Yorkshire, Sgt Wilson (no initial given) killed,P/O Holmes A/G, injured but died later
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Andy, Paul and Dick for this excellent help. Second casualty on Blenheim L1467 was P/O George H. HOLMES - DFM - 84682 - who died 26-12-1940 and lies buried Catterick cemetery.
Regards,
Henk.

[markpeelgb]

The Home Security Daily Intelligence Reports for this date report a raid on Hooton Aerodrome in Cheshire (near Ellesmere Port), with three airmen killed: these are almost certainly the three casualties registered at Wirral.

[Martyn A Critchlow]

Newspaper Obituary on DODWELL states died as a result of enemy action

Martyn

[jonheyworth]

Herbert Gracey 622561 ,attached to 12 OTU, was struck and killed by a car at 22:00 hours near Dorchester, Oxfordshire

[jonheyworth]

Albert Denman Gowers 844507 , was Fatally injured in an air raid at 26 Highbury Grove, Islington

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

401220 - Unaccounted Airmen - 20-12-1940

From Henk's List -

UK
BROOKES, Charles Stanley James - AC2c - 1175932 - RAFVR.
Smethwick (Uplands) Cemetery, Staffordshire.
DODWELL, Ian Francis - AC2c - 1268098 - RAFVR.
Guildford (Stoke) Old Cemetery, Surrey.
MOORE, Richard Ernest (Dick) - AC2c - 1310173 - RAFVR.
Mortlake Crematorium, Surrey.
These three airmen were killed during an Air Raid on RAF Hooton Park.

GRACEY, Herbert - AC1c - 622561 - RAF - 12 OTU.
Dromore (St.Colman) Roman Catholic Churchyard, County Down, UK.
Death caused by being hit by a car in Dorchester.

GOWERS, Albert Penman - Cpl - 844507 - RAF (AAF) - 907 Balloon Sqdn.
Aldenham ( St.John the Baptist) Churchyard, Hertfordshire.
Fatally injured during an Air Raid on Islington.

SPURGIN, John Charles Dewing - Lac - RAFVR.
Little Brickhill (St Mary Magdalene)Churchyard, Buckinghamshire.
Oxford I - V3215 - RAF Cranwell FTS.

From CWGC -

EGYPT
FRITH, Victor Thomas Harry - F/O - 40467 - RAF.
LYLE, George Hartley - Sgt - 550312 - RAF.
McKIM, Edward Montague William - Sgt - 580620 - RAF.
These three airmen are commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, Egypt.
They were crew of Blenheim IV - T2059 - 113 Sqdn.

FRANCE
MILLIGAN, Peter - Sgt - 629402 - RAF.
PLANT, William Sidney - Sgt - 620004 - RAF.
TIPLADY, Charles Maurice - Sgt - 745261 - RAFVR.
WEBB, Nelson Henry - P/O - 44594 - RAFVR - DFM - MiD.
These four airmen rest at Lanester Communal Cemetery, Morbihan, France.
They were crew of Beaufort I - L4474 - 217 Sqdn.

SOUTH AFRICA
KAPP, Frederick - Pupil Pilot - 103802 - SAAF.
Port Elizabeth (South End) Cemetery, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
SETZKORN, Joseph Wilhelm Herman - 2Lt - 47899 - SAAF.
Cape Town (Wynberg St.Johannis)) Evangelical Lutheran Church Garden of Rememberance, Western Cape, South Africa.
These two airmen were crew of Miles M14 Hawk Trainer III - 1479 (ex ZS-AMS) - SAAF which collided with 1476 (ex ZS-AMR).

UK
COLEMAN, Philip Basil - P/O - 88462 - RAFVR.
Hawarden (St.Deiniol) Churchyard, Flintshire.
Car accident. Details ?

DOBBIE, Kenneth James - P/O - 79157 - RAFVR.
Cadder Cemetery, Lanarkshire.
ELLERINGTON, George Raymond - Sgt - 627175 - RAF.
Lund (All Saints)Churchyard, Yorkshire.
RIDDELL, Norman Grey - Sgt - 616809 - RAF.
Amble West Cemetery, Northumberland.
WARD, Richard (Canadian) - P/O - 42471 - RAF.
Great Bircham (St.Mary) Churchyard, Norfolk.
These four airmen were crew of Hudson I - N7333 - 206 Sqdn.

COOPER, Frederick Edgar Howard - F/Lt - 34001 - RAF.
WARD, Edward Noel - P/O - 81340 - RAFVR.
These two airmen rest at Manby (St.Mary) Churchyard, Lincolnshire.
EVANS, Sidney - Sgt - 654511 - RAF.
Hinckley Cemetery, Leicestershire.
These three airmen were crew of Hampden I - X2981 - 61 Sqdn.

HOOKER, Harold Edwin - P/O - 85920 - RAFVR.
Hawarden (St.Deiniol) Churchyard, Flintshire.
Master I - N7965 - 57 OTU.

WILSON, Thomas Norman (Cornwall) - Sgt - 754004 - RAFVR.
CatterickCemetery, Yorkshire.
Blenheim I - L1467 - 600 Sqdn.

Alex

[RecklessRat]

Hi Alex

COLEMAN, Philip Basil - P/O - 88462 - RAFVR.
Hawarden (St.Deiniol) Churchyard, Flintshire.
Car accident. Details ?

KILLED IN CRASH In a car crash at Hawarden. Flintshire, last night. Pilot Officer Philip Basil Colman, aged 19, of The Vicarage, Crondall, near Farnham Surrey, was killed, and Flying Officer Cunliffe, aged 19, is in Chester Royal Infirmary suffering from suffering from head injuries.

Source:
Published: Saturday 21 December 1940
Newspaper: Liverpool Evening Express
County: Lancashire, England

The Liverpool Echo of the same date has '...when the car which he was traveling was involved in a collision with another car at Hawarden, last night'

Jeff