401229 - Unaccounted airmen - 29-12-1940

[Henk Welting]

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

LAC (Pilot u/t) Vernon F.le.F. ALLEN - 1259510 - killed on active service;
AC1 Louis H. ALINSON - 644929 - 13 Sqn, Hooton Park - died of wounds or injuries received on active service;
P/O (Obs) Kenneth W. EDWARDS - 85285 - killed on active service;
AC2 Thomas E. HARDIMAN - 1200688 - killed on active service;
LAC (Pilot u/t) John McC. HICKS - 924144 - killed on active service;
P/O (Pilot) Vernon S. REYNOLDS - 40742 - not found Flight archives, and
LAC (Pilot u/t) John K. SEWELL - 1183317 - killed on active service.

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:

Audax I - K5211 - 9 FTS - crashed on approach Yatton Keynell, 4 miles NW of Chippenham, Wiltshire.
Defiant I - N1806 - 141 Sqn - crashed on take-off Gravesend.
Hurricane I - V7230 - 145 Sqn - flew into ground at night Chiseldon Wood, Selhurst Park, Sussex.
Hurricane I - W9123 - 7 FPP - flew into high ground near Maesteg, Glamorganshire.
Master I - T8329 - 8 FTS - crashed on overshoot at night Montrose.
Oxford II - R6357 - 2 FTS - crashed in forced landing Tadpole Bridge, 2½ mile S of Brampton, Oxfordshire.
Tiger Moth II - T7019 - 3 EFTS - damaged byond repair in accident; location not known.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[davew]

Henk,

Reynolds & Edwards Blenheim L4868

Gil Hurricane V7230

Allen reg. at Sleaford no suggestion

Hardiman reg. at Camberwell London no suggestion

Hicks reg. at Montrose Master T8329

Sewell reg. at Wantage, possibly the TM T7019

regards

DaveW

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Edwards,24 and Reynolds,25 are registered at Huntingdon. Allen,24 is registered at Sleaford, Lincolnshire. Allinson,21 is registered at Wirral which covers Birkenhead and the area around it (?another Air raid casualty from the earlier raids).Sewell,25, is registered at Wantage(at the time it was in N Berkshire but is now in Oxfordshire but not close enough for the accident at Bampton). Hardiman,29, is registered at Camberwell, E London. I couldn't find Hicks which may mean he died in Scotland.
Regards
Dick

[Dick]

Hi Henk
If Tiger Moth T7019 was with 3 EFTS it was based at Hamble in Hampshire and a long way from Wantage(Sewell). I don't know if basic training at that time included a Nav Exercise with a landing away from base but that is about the only way it could have gone as far as the Wantage area.
Regards
Dick

[alclark]

W9123 was a non-fatal accident, the HQSFP ORB recorded as December 30th 1940, “Sgt Porada, F. force landed in Hurricane W9123 at Maesteg, aircraft struck hilltop when landing. Total wreck but pilot OK.”

[davew]

Dick

apologies for contradicting you but 3 EFTS was at Watchfield from 20/7/1940 with RLG at Kelmscot. (RAF Flying Training & Support Units)

regards

DaveW

[paulmcmillan]

Without access to Errols FYT (at the moment) is Reynolds listed as RAF or RNZAF?

Thanks

Paul

[paulmcmillan]

PS

Dave, what do you mean about 'Gil' in V7230 ?

Many Thanks

Paul

[davew]

Paul,

I added that in response to Henk's possible incident list but forgot to add that it was not fatal, Jozef Gil 76765 was injured. He was later posted missing 31/12/1942 whilst with 306S.

regards

DaveW

[Henk Welting]

Without access to Errols FYT (at the moment) is Reynolds listed as RAF or RNZAF?

Thanks

Paul

FYT Vol.1 page 104: Reynolds NZ40742 listed as RNZAF.
Regards,
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks all for this excellent help. Again some black spots gone in my files.
Regards,
Henk.

[paulmcmillan]

Henk/Dave

Thanks for the clarity

Paul

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Dave W you have no need to apologise you are absolutely correct!!3 EFTS was at Watchfield. I got my info from the same book as you did but I didn't read down far enough!! An death in an accident to an a/c operating out of Watchfield would be reported at Wantage. The airfield was in Oxfordshire across the border with Wiltshire about 15 Kms N E of Swindon. Wantage was the office to which deaths at or near Watchfield would be reported at the time.
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dick for this additional info.
Good weekend,
Henk.

[CZ_RAF]

Hi all, I would like to re-open this thread.
Recently I found an information that

LAC (Pilot u/t) Vernon F.le.F. ALLEN - 1259510 - killed on active service;

should be killed in an accident in Cranwell.
As webiste http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=119906496 suggested:
Pilot LAC VF Allen died when his aircraft was wrecked when it stalled and spun into the ground from 200 feet on take-off. The aircraft was trimmed tail-heavy, the wing and nose rose steeply, before the aircraft entered a right-hand spin. The aircraft crashed, killing the pilot.

But I am not bale to indetify the aircraft type + serial.

Any ideas and suggestion much appreciated.

Pavel

[Ross_McNeill]

Oxford P1071

Ross

[CZ_RAF]

Many thanks as always Ross.

Pavel

[wwrsimon]

Hello

AC1 Louis H. ALINSON - 644929 - Louis Henry Allinson. The ORB has the following:

18/12/40
Flying accident Tiger Moth N.9234 on Hooton Park Aerodrome/ F/O J. R. Bellerby (41652) killed 644929 AC1 Allinson L. H. Fitter 2 seriously injured.

29/12/40
644929 AC1 ALLINSON L H Fitter 2 died of pneumonia following injuries received in flying accident on 18/12/40.

Regards

Simon

[jonheyworth]

Kenneth Malcolm Smyth 821 , attached to Number 2 ED, died in Winnipeg of enchapalitis

[jonheyworth]

Albert George Green 770566 , attached to RAF Kenley , died in Croydon General hospital of a cerebral abscess

[jonheyworth]

Charles William Foster 631332 , attached to RAF Palisades , was killed at Palisados Beach when his surfboard struck a floating log and he was drowned

[jonheyworth]

Eric Goulburn 1066110 , died in Weavers Home Hospital, Poulton, of cerebro spinal meningitis

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

401229 - Unaccounted Airmen - 29 - 12 - 1940

From Henk's List --

CANADA
SMYTH, Kenneth Malcolm - WO - 821 - RCAF.
Ottawa (Pinecrest) Cemetery, Ontario, Canada.
Cause of death, Enchapalitis.

JAMAICA
FOSTER, Charles William - AC1c - 631332 - RAF.
Kingston (Up Park Camp) Military Cemetery, Jamaica.
Cause of death, drowned.

UK
ALLINSON, Louis Henry - AC1c - 644929 - RAF.
Middleton - in - Teesdale (St.Mary) Churchyard, Durham.
Died of pneumonia following injuries received in a flying accident on the 18th December. Tiger Moth - serial number unknown - 13 Sqdn.
Database has name spelled as ALLISON ?

ALLEN, Vernon Ferguson Le Feuvre - Lac - 1259510 - RAFVR.
Cranwell (St Andrew) Churchyard, Lincolnshire.
Oxford II - P1071 - RAF Cranwell FTS.

GOULBURN, Eric - AC2c - 1066110 - RAFVR.
Halliwell (St.Peter) Churchyard, Lancashire.
Died in hospital of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis.

GREEN, Albert George - AC1c - 770566 - RAF.
Beckenham Crematorium and Cemetery, Kent.
Died in Croydon General hospital of Cerebral abscess.

HARDIMAN, Thomas Edward - AC2c - 1200688 - RAFVR - 903 Balloon Sqdn. .
Camberwell New Cemetery, London.
Killed in an Air Raid on London.

From CWGC -

EGYPT
BYGRAVE, Graham Edgar - Sgt - 532192 - RAF.
CARD, Harry Duncan - F/Lt - 37934 - RAF.
PEASE, Frederick - Sgt - 564298 - RAF.
These three airmen are commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, Egypt.
They were crew of Blenheim I - K7104 - 30 Sqdn.

GERMANY
BEATTIE, John Stainton - Sgt - 910397 - RAFVR.
HEWER, Reginald Thomas - P/O - 86424 - RAFVR.
SALMON, Peter Gordon Hedley - P/O - 41071 - RAF.
SHILDRICK, Bertie - Sgt - 639947 - RAF.
YARD, Clifford Ernest Rich - Sgt - 754799 - RAFVR.
YARWOOD, Reginald William - Sgt - 755730 - RAFVR.
These six airmen rest at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.
They were crew of Wellington Ic - T2465 - 115 Sqdn.

UK
WEGRZYN, Henryk - Sierzant - P/781192 - PAF.
Newark-upon-Trent Cemetery, Nottinghamshire.
Wellington Ic - R1035 - 300 Sqdn.

EDWARDS, Kenneth William - P/O - 85285 - RAFVR.
REYNOLDS, Vernon Sinclair - P/O - 40742 - RNZAF.
These two airmen rest at Birmingham (Lodge Hill) Cemetery, Warwickshire.
They were crew of Blenheim IV - L4868 - 17 OTU.

SMITH, Wynford Ormonde Leoni - F/Lt - 37366 - RAF.
Whirlwind I - P6975 - 263 Sqdn.
VINE, Donald Martin - P/O - 83718 - RAFVR.
Whirlwind I- P6978 - 263 Sqdn.
These two airmen rest at Exeter Higher Cemetery, Devon.

HICKS, John McCall - Lac - 924144 - RAFVR.
Sutton Cemetery, Surrey.
Miles Master - T8329 - 8 SFTS.

SEWELL, John Kenneth - Lac - 1183317 - RAFVR.
Portsmouth (Milton) Cemetery, Hampshire.
Tiger Moth - T7019 - 3 EFTS.

Alex

[wwrsimon]

Alex

UK
ALLINSON, Louis Henry - AC1c - 644929 - RAF - his headstone has ALLINSON.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46590601/louis-henry-allinson

His CWGC entry used to have 'ALLISON' for him as noted here

http://www.newmp.org.uk/article.php?categoryid=99&articleid=1301&displayorder=4

but this has obviously been updated since the NEWMP page was created:

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/4028113/louis-henry-allinson/

I have N9234 as the Tiger Moth code, from the 13 Sqn ORB:

18/12/40
15.45
Flying accident Tiger Moth N.9234 on Hooton Park Aerodrome. F/O J. R. Bellerby (41652) killed, 644929 AC1 Allinson L. H. Fitter 2 Seriously Injured.

29/12/40
644929 AC1 Allinson L.H. Fitter 2 Died of Pneumonia following injuries in flying accident on 18/12/40.

See also: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/22315

Regards

Simon

[Andy Marden]

Simon,
Slight problem - N9234 is not a valid Tiger Moth serial. It was in a blackout block, preceded by N9171/N9215, and followed by N9238/N9279.
I have no reason to doubt T7109, which was SOC on 6 Jan 41 following the crash.
I cannot explain why the ORB got it so wrong...
Andy

[Andy Marden]

But wait, I see I was looking at the wrong incident! - doh!
However, the correct serial of the Tiger Moth involved in this one was N9324.
At least we can see how the 13 Sqn ORB erred!

[wwrsimon]

Thanks Andy, I'm glad we got there between us!

Regards

Simon

[Alex Smart]

Hello Simon, my error, I meant that this forum's database had the name as ALLISON, not the CWGC.
As you confirm the correct name is ALLINSON as in my first post.
Thanks for the details of the Tiger Moth serial number.
Alex

[Jagan]

Corrected everything related to ALLINSON upto this point!