410505 - Unaccounted airmen - 5-5-1941

[Henk Welting]

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

Sgt Leslie B. BURROWS - 510346;
Cpl John CLEGG - 855242 - 8 BC, 921 (Balloon) sqn (Fazakerley);
Sgt (Pilot) Robert H. ENGLISH - 754475 - 3 Sqn (Debden, Essex) or was he 3 (C)OTU ?;
F/O John S. OSBORNE - 43301;
AC2 William J. PULLMAN - 1350809, and
AC1 Alfred L. SMITH - 1258230 - 257 Sqn (Coltishall, Norfolk).

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:

Blenheim I - L1279 - 3 (C)OTU - abandoned ½ mile N of South Molton, Devon.
Magister I - L6918 - 15 EFTS - collided with Magister P2470 and crashed Newbie, Dumfries.
Master I - T8780 - 58 OTU - dived into ground 3 miles N of Falkirk, Stirlingshire (already as casualty on this aircraft: P/O V.C. ARNOLD - RCAF J/4253).
Oxford I - T1028 - 1 (P)FTS - crashed on take-off Hucknall.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
L1279 is recorded in Warner with only injuries to P/O Ulman.
Burrows,31, is registered at Carlisle, Clegg, 30, is registered at Liverpool N(right for a unit based at Fazakerly), English,23, is registered at Saffron Walden,Essex(which is right for a death around Debden), Osborne,41, is registered at Fakenham, Norfolk, Pullman,18 is registered at Chippenham,Wiltshire, Smith,26, is registered at N Walsham, Norfolk
The date given in Air Britain for P2470 is 15/5/41 with no mention of a collision. I don't have the L Series
Regards
Dick

[CZ_RAF]

Hi Henk,

Master T8780 does not fits according to http://www.gairney.plus.com/Aircraft/58_OTU_Roll_of_Honour.htm:

Pupil pilot P/O Arnold was killed when the Master dived into the ground. His instructor, Sgt. Dunnmore, was dangerously injured. P/O. Arnold was 20 years old buried at Grangemouth Cemetery.

Pavel

[CZ_RAF]

Henk,

no info about Sgt English but just for interest - I found interesting info that he had probably a brother killed few moths before himself:

Pilot Officer C E English Pilot Royal Air Force 7th October 1940 aged 28.
754475 Sergeant R H English Pilot Royal Air Force 5th May 1941 aged 23.
Lovely and pleasant in their lives and in death they were not divided.

http://www.jwillans.freeserve.co.uk/st_andrews_cemetery_inscriptions.pdf

Pavel

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dick for your quick reply. Could Burrows (reg. Carlisle) have been on the Magister L6918 (crashed Newbie, Dumfries) ?
P2470 in P-File may be incorrect and 15-5-1940 pres. the SOC date. In L-File is clearly listed collision with P2470 and crashed Newbie, Dumfries 5-5-1941; NFD.
Regards,
Henk.

[alclark]

According to the 15 EFTS ORB Burrows wasn't in Magister L6918.

May 5th 1941, “P2470 and L6912 LAC Mierzwa and LAC Rotter. Mid-air collision at
Newbie, Annan. Former seriously injured, latter killed.”

Here is the entry from the No.58 OTU ORB:

May 5th 1941, “Master T8780, Pilot 741448 Sgt Dunmore and pupil pilot Pilot Officer V.C.
Arnold, crashed. Sgt Dunmore admitted to Larbert Military Hospital dangerously injured and
P/O Arnold was killed.”

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Pavel for info on Master T8780 and P/O ENGLISH. He was killed flying Hurricane P3677. Still hope to find out what caused Sgt (Pilot) Robert Henry ENGLISH's death 5-5-1941.
Regards,
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Al. "KU CZCI Poleglych Lotnikow 1939-1945" has Antoni MIERZWA - PAF 781189 on L691"8" and Wieslaw ROTTER - PAF 780999 on P2470.
Regards,
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

Sgt Leslie B. BURROWS - 510346; Carlisle ---> DOAS Jun 26th magazine
Cpl John CLEGG - 855242 - Liverpool N - DIED OF WOUNDS OR INJURIES RECEIVED ON ACTIVE SERVICE.
Sgt (Pilot) Robert H. ENGLISH - 754475 - Saffron Walden ---> KOAS Jun 26th magazine
F/O John S. OSBORNE - 43301; Fakenham ----> DOAS Jun 12th magazine
AC2 William J. PULLMAN - 1350809, Chippenham ---> DOAS Jun 19th magazine
AC1 Alfred L. SMITH - 1258230 - N Walsham KOAS Jun 19th magazine

Henk, no need to acknowledge this posting, unless you have further questions

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Henk,

ORB confirms crew of Anson N9817 as

Sgt Rose
Sgt McGuffie

also states that Sydney Pratt a civiilian mending the road was also fatally injured.

Sorry brain fade date for above loss 15/05/41!

No aircraft crash recorded on 5th or injuries.

Regards
Ross

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Ross for info on civilian killed in this incident; will amend my files accordingly.
Regards,
Henk.

[vrajm]

According to No.3 Sqdn ORB:

5/5/41
754475 Sgt. Pilot English R.H. was detailed as Aerodrome Control Pilot whilst the Squadron was carrying out Operational Night Flying. At 0130 hours whilst Sgt. English was operating the Chance Light on enemy aircraft with navigation lights on approached the flare path and machine gunned the Chance Light which was on. Sgt. English sustained cannon sheel wounds in the chest from which immediate death resulted.

Mojmir

[wwrsimon]

Hello

Cpl John CLEGG - 855242 - the Liverpool Echo of May 9th 1941 carried the following announcement:

ON ACTIVE SERVICE
CLEGG - May - through enemy action, whilst doing his duty, Corporal John Clegg, R.A.F., the dearly-loved husband of Jean.

F/O John S. OSBORNE - 43301 - the National Probate Calendar records that he died at Bircham Newton, Norfolk.

Regards

Simon

[jonheyworth]

William John Pullman 1350809, attached to Number 2 Signals school , died in RAF Hospital, Yatesbury of lobar pneumonia

[markpeelgb]

510346 Sergeant Leslie Bertram BURROWS

According to the Index to Allied Airmen Roll of Honour, Sergeant Burrows was killed on 4 May 1941 when his plane 'stalled and spun into the Solway Firth off Silloth (Cumberland) when recovering from a dive' during a training exercise. I'm not sure if this links up with a known plane loss (the Index lists a Harvard 1).

[jonheyworth]

Leslie Bertram Burrows 510346 , attached to Number 1 ( C ) OTU , was admitted dangerously ill to the City General hospital, Carlisle at 09:00 Hours, where he died the same day of appendicitis