410417 - Unaccounted airmen - 17-4-1941

[Henk Welting]

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

A - Killed on active service (while engaged on non-operational flying duties or on the ground through enemy action - may have been air raid London):

AC1 Robert E. BOTTERILL - 611765;
AC2 Fred HEATON - 1024463;
LAC William MUIR - 40074, and
AC1 Cyril PARTINGTON - 1005904.

B - Died of wounds or injuries received on active service:

Cpl Arthur MILES - 841742 - 2 BC, 903 (Balloon) Sqn, Forest Hill, Surrey, and
LAC (Pilot u/t) Kenneth R. MOSELEY - 1166145.

C - Not found Flight Global archives:

F/Lt Seymour F. CLIFFORD - 79077;
AC2 Francis W. LOCK - 915685, and
LAC Robert H. PROCTOR - 1284690.

D - Wounded or injured in action:

F/Sgt (Wop) John BROWN - 627077 - 107 Sqn (Leuchars, Fifeshire) - killed in air with cat. B damage to aircraft - looking for Blenheim serial number.

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:

Oxford I - L9682 - 11 FTS - crashed on approach Moreton Corbet, Shropshire.
Tiger Moth II - T7156 - 19 EFTS - crashed in forced landing Woodcroft Farm, Willaston, Cheshire.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Heaton,33, Muir,49, and an Arthur R Miles,29, are registered in Lewisham S E London, Moseley,19, is registered at Shrewsbury Shropshire,which could be right for L9682, Clifford,38,is registered at Chelsea SW Central London, Lock,19, is registered at Oxford, Proctor,26, is registered at Grantham, Lincolnshire. Partington and Botterill didn't come up ?Scotland
Regards
Dick

[Dick]

Henk
The only 2 losses for 107 Sqn on 18/4/41 recorded in Warner were both lost to Flak off Farsund, Norway but Brown's name is not in either crew. The A/c were R3740 and R3783. The crews are all on Runnymede whilst CWGC record Brown as buried at Weeton, his home town.
Regards
Dick

[Andy Ingham]

Hello Henk
The death of John Brown was registered at Wick, Scotland. It is recorded that he died due to compound fracture of the skull due to Enemy action.
His death is listed in Warner's Blenheim.
V5516 Overshot Leuchars on return from shipping patrol at night in bad weather, crashed into river, F/S J Brown DFM Killed, A/C DBR.
Regards
Andy

[thorne83]

Moseley was the solo pilot on Oxford L9682 when he stalled on approach to Shawbury.

Cheers, Tom

[Dick]

Andy
It is odd but in my copy of Warner (2nd edition) there is no mention of Brown on board V5516 although the incident is there as you describe. The 3 crew, all "safe", are S/Ldr D Briggs, P/O P Halls and Sgt V Johnson.The date given is 17/4/41
Regards
Dick

[Andy Ingham]

That is strange.
I have a 1st edition dated 2002.
P 303 Appendix 3 - BC Losses in anti shipping sorties.
Andy

[Dick]

2nd Edition 2005 same appendix only "promoted" to p304
Watch this space - someone will know!!
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Gents,
Can't believe that BROWN was on V5516; this aircraft was a write-off where I've a note (unknown source) that the aircraft he was on returned with Cat.B damage. For the time being keep his name on my 'unaccounted list'.
Regards,
Henk.

[davew]

Gents

the Wick district death register records that he died of a compound fracture of the skull on the 18th 'due to enemy action'
V5516 crashed at Leuchars

regards

DaveW

[dennis_burke]

Robert E Botterill age 21 listed in Lewisham district, 3rd quarter of 1941.

Cyril Partington age 29 also listed in Lewisham district, 3rd Quarter 1941.

Act. Flt Lt. S F Clifford is listed KOAS in June 19th 1941 magazine.

LAC R H Proctor is DOAS May 22nd magazine.

Found AC2 F W Lock DOAS June 12th magazine

[Henk Welting]

There's much work to be done; thanks friends for all your support.
Regards,
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

Gents

the Wick district death register records that he died of a compound fracture of the skull on the 18th 'due to enemy action'
V5516 crashed at Leuchars

regards

DaveW

Hello Ross,
Refer to CC Losses Vol.1 page 113. Please advise.
Regards,
Henk.

[jonheyworth]

Fred Heaton 1024463, attached to RAF West Drayton was killed in an air raid, being posted as missing for some time

[jonheyworth]

Francis Smith, 1062392, A medically discharged airman at the time of his death, died at Roehampton hospital of a cereberal abscess and a lung abscess. I believe he is buried in Doncaster

[jonheyworth]

Stephen John Bamber 1482653, attached to RAF Nutts Corner, died from a fractured skull when he fell from an RAF lorry

[jonheyworth]

UPGRADE to Seymour Fitzclare Clifford 79077, he was killed in an air raid at Cranmore Court, Chelsea

[jonheyworth]

UPGRADE to Andrew Gordon Rintoul C 3455 collapsed and died of a heart attack shortly after a route March at Number 1 Manning Depot, Toronto

[jonheyworth]

Francis Walter Lock 915685 , attached to 54 MU , was admitted to the Hughes College Military hospital on 23 March, where he died at 06:20 Hours of carcinoma of the lung