410228 - Unaccounted airmen - 28-2-1941

[Henk Welting]

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

AC2 Robert ASHWORTH - 1116056 - not found Flight archives;
P/O (Pilot/Instr.) George R. BEALE-BROWN - 78529 - killed on active service;
Sgt (Airgunner) William F.M. HANSON - 1181630 - not found Flight archives, and
Cpl Henry R. PROUDLOVE - 623219 - killed on active service.

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:

Blenheim I - L1168 - 54 OTU - dived into ground at night near Nether Poppleton, Yorkshire.
Blenheim I - L1267 - 54 OTU - dived into ground at night Cawood, Yorkshire.
Hart I - K2435 - SFP - crashed in forced landing 1½ mile N of Bletchley, Buckinghamshire.
Oxford I - N4595 - 1 FPP - crashed in forced landing ½ mile E of Worldham near Aiton, Hants.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Ashworth,32, is registered at Darlington, Durham,Beale-Brown,32, is registered at Gt Ouseburn which is right for Poppleton and Warner has him as killed on L1168, Proudlove,21, is registered at Tadcaster,(right for Cawood) and Warner puts him on L1267. Hanson didn't come up
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Excellent info Dick; again two definitive from "the" list.
Regards,
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

P/O (Pilot) George R.M. BULEY - 60064 was killed on active service and lies buried Khirby Wharfe, Yorkshire.
Same date and same cemetery lies buried Sgt (Airgunner) William F.M. HANSON - 1181630. There must be a connection between these two airmen, however can't find a matching aircraft serial.
Will give it another try as I didn't come up with BULEY's name in my first thread.
Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Hanson still didn't come up, but Buley,24, is registered at Tadcaster,W Yorkshire an area that includes Kirby Wharfe where he is buried and also for Church Fenton
Regards
Dick

[Ken MacLean]

Henk,

Killed on Active Service, Times 26 March 1941:

BULEY, P/O G.R.M.
HANSON, Sgt. F.W.M.

Cheers, Ken

[JimCorbett1977]

Hi all,

I have:

28.02.41
Bristol Blenheim IF L1267 54 O.T.U. Church Fenton

60064 P/O George Rowley Merriman Buley pilot (K)
1181630 Sgt William Frederick Moore Hanson air gunner (K)
623219 Cpl Henry Rushton Proudlove (K)

Pilot lost control after aircraft was caught in a searchlight beam and the aircraft dived into the ground at Cawood, North Yorkshire.

Think this solves your mystery.

Jim

[Henk Welting]

Thanks all.
Jim: I had L1267 on file, however only with PROUDLOVE as casualty.
Regards,
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

AC2 R. Ashworth is DOAS in Flight mag Apr 3rd, number scanned as 111605B hence your not finding it.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dennis; file amended.
Regards,
Henk.

[Rich Allenby]

Hi folks, sorry to jump back to this, I'm also looking into the two 54 OTU losses again as I've now got the AM1180 for Blenheim L1168.

It states that the pilot of L1168 was dazzled by a searchlight beam and crashed as result of loosing control. This is the same reasons as Jim had listed for Blenheim L1267 at Cawood, too much of a co-incidence ?

L1168 had two crew on board and both killed. As we known, Beale-Brown was one (and CWGC have him as an instructor), where-as the am1180 suggests he was a trainee.

Hanson's name I would suggest has been mis-spelled in the death register and I would guess that he was the 2nd airman killed in L1168 at Nether Poppleton unless he is confirmed as being on L1267.

Sadly I do not yet have the ORB entry which would answer alot !

regards Rich

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Rich. I also have P/O G.R.M. BULEY, Cpl H.R. PROUDLOVE and Sgt W.F.M. HANSON on L1267, death of all three registered Tadcaster/W.Yorkshire. P/O BEALE-BROWN's death (L1168) was registered at Ouseburn.
Regards,
Henk.

[Barry Hanson]

HI Henk I was doing some research on my uncle who was a sergent in the RAF when i came across your posting on two Blenhiems L 1168 & L 1267 that both crashed on 28th February 1941.
L1168 was piloted by .. 78529 P/O George Reginald Beale-Brown with Sgt 1181630 Frederick William Moor Hanson.

My uncle Sgt Hanson was killed but the pilot seems to have survived. this aircraft came down North east of Nether Poppleton near York.

L 1267 came down at Cawood near Church Fenton killing both crew members 60064 P/O George Rowley Merriman Buley and 623219 Cpl Henry Rushton Proudlove.

Both aircraft were apparently on training flights and were picked up by search lights and L1168s pilot lost control due to being dazzled in the first instance, dived, recovered but stalled and then dived in, and in the ensuing dive his Sperry just toppled according to the accident report, which is why i think that the pilot survived to give this information and the fact that i haven't been able to find any information about his death at that time. my uncle is buried along side the other two killed that night at Kirkby Wharfe cemetery.
all this information i gained from the RAF museum at Hendon.

I hope that this information is helpful to you

Regards Barry

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Barry for confirming HANSON on Blenheim L1168. Strange that his death, together with the crew of L1267 (BULEY & PROUDLOVE) were registered at Tadcaster where BEALE-BROWN's death was registered at Gt. Ouseburn (may have died later ?). Amended my file.
Regards,
Henk.

[Rich Allenby]

Barry, thanks very much for posting on this forum and confirming which aircraft your uncle was in, does your uncles death certificate give any clues as to where he died, was it at the station sick quarters at Church Fenton or in hospital ? The usual seems to be "as a result of air operations" which doesn't add much.

Henk - Beale-Browns death was registered in the Great Ouseburn registration district, not exactly meaning in the village of Great Ouseburn itself but more the wider district, this took in a large area from Knaresborough, Ripon, and Easingwold but did take in the Poppletons until 1946. This would be right for Beale-Brown being killed in the accident but also right for him being taken to hospital in the area - though I would suggest the most logical one would be either York general or Fulford Military with Poppleton being so close to York and both are outside the Gt Ouseburn district.

Given we now know Barry's uncle's death was registered at Tadcaster this to me suggests it was he who was injured, perhaps not seriously at first and hence admission to SSQ at Church Fenton but then perhaps his situation worsend and he died of his injuries either there or a hospital in that district. Perhaps him giving the statement not Beale-Brown?

The AM1180 doesn't add any additional details other than 2 Killed and then a "DOT" in the Injured box.

regards Rich

Henk - ps, just catching up on your posting over the summer months.

[jonheyworth]

Robert Ashworth 1116056 , attached fo Number 1 Recieving Wing , was admitted dangerously ill to Darlington Memorial hospital on 23 February and transferred to Darlington Isolation hospital where he died of meningitis

[jonheyworth]

Ronald Alfred Evans 1197659 , attached to RAF Middleton St George, died at St. Mary's Church, Torquay, of suspected coal gas poisoning