410509 - Unaccounted airmen - 9-5-1941

[Henk Welting]

Sorry friends, can't help........the list is getting longer and longer............

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

F/Lt Harry J. BAMBER - 10220;
AC2 Rowland J.S. BLUNN - 1284382;
F/O Sydney CARLIN - MC/DFC/DCM - 81942 - 151 Sqn (Wittering, Northamptonshire);
F/O (Pilot/Instr.) Renford P. DAVEY - 83993;
Cpl Arnold D. DEARDEN - 550318 - 207 Sqn (Waddington, Lincolnshire);
AC1 James DORMAN -1055160;
W/Cdr William C. FARLEY - 10245;
AC1 Thomas R. GATES - 633735;
F/Sgt Reuben J. HARRIS - 751285;
AC2 Gordon L. HOWARD - 1095448;
Cpl Thomas E. JACKSON - 351420;
Cpl Leslie KING - 843910 - 3 BC, 906 (Balloon) Sqn (Hampstead);
AC2 Denis B. LUCAS - 1197669;
AC2 Francis J. THOMAS - 970416 - 5 BC, 913 (Balloon) Sqn (Sutton Coldfield), and
P/O (Pilot) Albert E.J. THORNE - 64931.

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:

Blenheim I - L1283 - 1 AAS - bellylanded Manby.
Blenheim I - L1360 - 54 OTU - damaged byond repair in accident; no further details.
Hurricane I - V7200 - 55 OTU - spun into ground 1 mile N of Usworth.
Magister I - L8273 - 15 EFTS - crashed in forced landing 1 mile S of Gretna, Dumfries.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Amrit]

RE: Carlin - "Carlin was killed during an air raid on the squadron's airfield."

http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/england/carlin.php
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showpost.php?p=795531&postcount=18

A

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Don't apologise-just get stuck into this lot!!
Warner reports no casualties on L1283 flown by F/Lt J Bak PAF
Blunn,26, Deardon,22, and Harris,21 are all registered at N Kesteven, Lincolnshire.
Carlin,52, and Davey,25, are registered at Peterborough (?connected to the Oxford shot down at Sibson on 8/5/41, but it would also be right for Wittering following Amrit's info on Carling and it could cover Montgomerie/y on 8/5/41)).
Bamber,51, and Lucas,27, are registered at Sleaford, Lincolnshire.
Farley,43, is registered at Nottingham,
Gates,19, is registered at Bedford,
Howard,19, is registered at Hull,
Jackson,40, is registered at Wandsworth, S London,
King,45, is registered at Pancras W Central London, a little far South for a Balloon Unit based in Hampstead but not impossible and Pancras does include a main line Rail Terminal
Thomas, 22 is registered at Solihull, Birmingham, and
Thorne ,28, is registered at Durham N E which would be the right for Hurricane V7200 at Usworth
Dorman didn't show up ? Scotland
Sorry but you did ask!!
Regards
Dick

[alclark]

Henk

Theses are the only 9/5/41 entries I have from ORBs and neither of them are of much use, other than to rule out possibilities.

5 EFTS

May 9th 1941, “C Flight, LAC Hughes lost due to bad weather. Crashed on landing at Hixon.”

15 EFTS

May 9th 1941, “L8273 LAC Chaplin, accident at Gretna, Injuries – slight abrasions to the
face.”

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Al. Will amend my files for L8273. Aircraft of 5 FTS (Hixon) may not have been a write-off as no loss is mentioned in AB Aeromilitaria 'Crashes in UK WW2'.
Regards,
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dick for this bunch of info. Good to know that I don't need to apologize as coming lists even will be longer !
Regards,
Henk.

[RockHound]

Henk,

AC1 James DORMAN, Age 30, registered in Glasgow. Cause of death given as "Lysol poisoning suicide".

54OTU ORB "Normal practice flying" No reference to any damage to L1360 (or any other aircraft) on that date.

Regards,

David

[Henk Welting]

Thanks David for additional info on DORMAN.
Regards,
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

F/Lt Harry J. BAMBER - 10220; I cannot find him in Flight magazine, not listed with D B Lucas
AC2 Denis B. LUCAS - 1197669; DOAS Jun 19 magazine

AC2 Rowland J.S. BLUNN - 1284382; KOAS Jun 19 magazine
Cpl Arnold D. DEARDEN - 550318 - KOAS Jun 19 magazine
F/Sgt Reuben J. HARRIS - 751285; DIED OF WOUNDS OR INJURIES RECEIVED ON ACTIVE SERVICE, July 3rd magazine, only such name on CWGC, though rank is Sgt only on RAF Caualty list.

F/O Sydney CARLIN - MC/DFC/DCM - 81942 - KOAS Jun 19th magazine
F/O Renford P. DAVEY - 83993; DIED OF WOUNDS OR INJURIES RECEIVED IN ACTION.— Jun 19th magazine

AC1 James DORMAN -1055160; I can't find him on Flight listings
W/Cdr William C. FARLEY - 10245; KOAS Jun 19th magazine
AC1 Thomas R. GATES - 633735; DOAS Aug 14th magazine

AC2 Gordon L. HOWARD - 1095448; DIED OF WOUNDS OR INJURIES RECEIVED ON ACTIVE SERVICE Aug 7th magazine
Cpl Thomas E. JACKSON - 351420; I cannot find him in Flight magazine
Cpl Leslie KING - 843910 - DIED OF WOUNDS OR INJURIES RECEIVED ON ACTIVE SERVICE Aug 7th magazine

AC2 Francis J. THOMAS - 970416 - DOAS July 24th magazine
P/O (Pilot) Albert E.J. THORNE - 64931. KOAS - name give as A J E Thorne Jul 17 magazine

Henk, no need to acknowledge, unless you have further questions.

[malcolm_raf]

Hi Henk

Carlin was killed whilst serving with No 151 Sqn, during an air raid on RAF Wittering.

Malcolm

[Marks]

Hi Henk,

I believe Blunn, Dearden & Harris died when RAF Waddington was bombed 8/9/5/1941. Also killed on the Station was the NAAFI Manageress Mrs Doris Constance RAVEN. This was the worst night of bombing of the war for Waddington. Many accounts refer to three RAF casualties.

Mark

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dennis, Malcolm & Mark for (additonal) info on casualties 9-5-1941.
Regards,
Henk.

[wwrsimon]

Hello

F/Lt Harry J. BAMBER - 10220 - the National Probate Calendar records that he died at the Royal Air Force Hospital, Rauceby. His unit on the Graves Registration Report Form is given as S.H.Q. Cranwell.

F/O Renford P. DAVEY - 83993 - the National Probate Calendar records that he died at Peterborough Memorial Hospital.

W/Cdr William C. FARLEY - 10245 - the Kent & Sussex Courier of May 16th 1941 reported the following:

Many people in Burwash were sorry to learn that Bil Farley, as he was known locally, has been killed by enemy action. Forty-seven years of age, he was born at Burwash. At the time of his death he was a Wing Commander in the R.A.F. He had been serving in the forces since 1914. He joined the Sussex Regiment, and in 1916 obtained a commission in the Royal West Surrey Regiment, being transferred to the R.F.C. in 1918 as a 2nd Lieutenant. He was the Editor of "The Planesman."

AC1 Thomas R. GATES - 633735 - the Staffordshire Times of May 16th 1941 reported the following:

FATAL ACCIDENT AT MARSTON
Motor-cyclist Who Drove Too Fast
A fatal accident at an 'S' bend in Cranfield Road, Marstopn, on May 8th, was described to the Bedford Borough Coroner (Mr. R. G. Rose) at the County Hospital on Monday, when he held an inquest on L/A/C Thomas Russell Gates, aged nineteen, who died at the hospital last Friday.
L/A/C Dennis John Clarke said that he was riding a motor-cycle in Cranfield Road, Marston. Gates came on in front of him and gave what he thought was a "wave on" signal. A lorry was approaching five or six hundred yards away. There was a dangerous 'S' bend and he did not try to overtake Gates, who appearedto hit the side of the lorry...he said he and Gates were not racing.
Recording a verdict of accidental death, the Coroner said it seemed clear that the speed of the motor-cycles was too fast to enable them to negotiate the corner safely. It was also clear that the lorry was on its proper side of the road and that the accident was not the fault of the driver.

AC2 Francis J. THOMAS - 970416 - the Evening Despatch of May 13th 1941 reported the following:

Verdicts of accidental death were recorded at a Solihull inquest to-day on two R.A.F. men, Leading Aircraftman Henry Victor Caren, aged 24, and A/C Francis John Thomas, aged 22, who died from injuries received when a motor-cycle on whichthey were travelling in Stratford Road, Hockley Heath, collided head-on with a motor-van. The van turned over and the motor-cycle burst into flames.

Caren is listed on this entry:

http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?2792-410510-Unaccounted-airmen-10-5-1941&highlight=caren

P/O (Pilot) Albert E.J. THORNE - 64931 - the Graves Registration Report Form confirms him with 55 O.T.U.

Regards

Simon

[Jagan]

Sergeant Douglas George FINNEY (755088) 1941-05-09 37 Sqdn Iraq Basra War Cemetery


died the previous night of injuries he received on May 4th. He was a crew member of aircraft T2893, Capt P/O Curry which was airborne for a few moments at 2252 hours when it fell back, struck a barbed wife fence on teh boundary of he aerodropme and burst into the flames. four crew members escaped with slight injuries, but Sgt Finney was seriousness injured. He succeeded in kicking a hole in the aircraft in the geodetic large enough to crawl through. Sgt Cox was still trapped in the aircraft when some of the bombs exploded but PO curry, sgt Evens and Sgt McGregor displayed great courage and succeeded in extricating in through the rear turret still alive but severely burnt.


http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8411189

But T2893 appeared to have been written off elsewhere. So which aircraft is this? Is it N2893 ?

[malcolm_raf]

Hi Jagan

It was T2983 not 2893

Malcolm

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

P/O Curry and LAC Garner were awarded George Medals for their actions during this incident:

CURRY, P.O. Peter Talcott 84314 - Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 37 Sqn., R.A.F - Saving life in aircraft crash - Shaibah airfield, Iraq - 4 May, 1941.

GARNER, L.A.C. Harry Robert 901077 - Royal Air Force - R.A.F. Station, Shaibah - Saving life after aircraft crash - Shaibah airfield, Iraq - 4 May, 1941.

See:
Dragons Can Be Defeated:A Complete Record of the George Medal's Progress from 1940 to 1983.
Henderson, D. V. GM. (Major Ret'd).
London:Spink & Son,1984.
pp.32 & 41.

See also: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35217/page/3987

Col.

[jonheyworth]

Redford Percy Davey 83993 , attached to Number 14 SFTS, was seriously injured in Oxford W 6636 when it was shot down by an intruder over Sibson late on 8 May. He was admitted to Peterborough Memorial hospital where he died of his Injuries

[jonheyworth]

Denis Brian Lucas 1197669 , attached to RAF Cranwell, was admitted seriously ill to RAF Hospital Rauceby on 9 February, becoming dangerously ill on 23 March, dying of a cerebral abscess

[jonheyworth]

Harry John Bamber 10220 , attached to SHQ RAF Cranwell, was seriously injured in a road accident at 08:05 Hours dying in RAF Hospital Rauceby the same day of a compound fracture of the skull

[jonheyworth]

Thomas Edward Jackson 351420 | A medically discharged RAF pensioner at the time of his death, died at 59 Chalmont Road, Tooting, London of acute nephritis secondary to chronic Brights disease