410522 - Unaccounted airmen - 22-5-1941

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

F/Lt (Pilot) William A. RIDER - RCAF C/852 - 400 Sqn (Odiham Hampshire - 400 Sqn lost Tomahawk AH810; however have for this aircraft as casualty F/O Peter W. LOCHNAN - RCAF C/997, location Gower Peninsula, Glam.), and
AC1 Albert G. TRESIDDER - 1160703.

Also looking for info on:
P/O Richard G. WALES - 87420 - 254 Sqn (Sumburgh, Shetlands) - commemorated on Panel 35 of the Runnymede Memorial.

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:

Hector I - K9775 - GTS - overshot landing at Thame.
Hurricane I - P3205 - 56 OTU - crashed in forced landing Wells-on-Sea, Norfolk.
Magister I - N3931 - 5 EFTS - crashed on overshoot.
Magister I - T9678 - 15 EFTS - crashed in forced landing 8 miles E of Lockerbie, Dumfries.
Oxford I - V3152 - 15 FTS - hit balloon barrage Beechworth Avenue, Coventry.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

Rider Age 28 West Glamorgan District

Lochnan Age 27 Llanelly District

Tresidder Age 24 Aylesbury district

regards

Dennis

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Rider,28,is registered in Mid Glamorgan, S Wales. This is some way from Odiham where the Tomahawk was based but Peter Lochnan,27 is also registered in S Wales,at Llanelly. 400 Sqn got it's Tomahawks in Apr 41 and could well have been using a training facility such as a Gunnery Range in S Wales. It might explain why both are registered in the same general area.
Tressider,24, is registered at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire which could mean RAF Halton which was a Hospital as well as the RAF Apprentice Training School
Regards
Dick

[paulmcmillan]

AH810 Crashed Gower Peninsula, Glam

Would a death here be registered in Llanelly or West Glamorgan?

[dennis_burke]

http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/west%20glamorgan.html

http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/llanelly.html

Gowerton was transferred to West Glamorgan in 1934, if Gowerton is on the Gower Penninsula.

[paulmcmillan]

F/O Peter W. LOCHNAN Died of Wounds or Injuries Recieved in Action

Rider was Killed On Active Service - As a result I believe he was in Tomahawk AH810 NOT Lochnan

[davew]

What about Lysander V9361 at Pembrey on 21st for Lochnan (CWGC has 21st as dod)

regards

DaveW

[Henk Welting]

Confused by Allison in his 'They Shall Grow Not Old' where he mentions for
LOCHNAN: Was flying a Tomahawk aircraft and went missing while engaged in a sea search in bad weather;
RIDER: Tomahawk aircraft lost in a flying accident.

Only one Tomahawk lost that day. 'Sea search' and 'died of wounds or injuries received in action' for LOCHNAN has my preference for the Lysander.

What's "Dakota's" idea ?

Regards,
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

Reconsider my opinion on Lochnan and Rider, despite Lochnan was killed 21st May. Rider (killed 22nd May) would match with Tomahawk AH810. 400 Squadron was based at Odiham, Hampshire and Lysander V9361 was 225 Sqn based at Tilshead, Wiltshire.
Regards,
Henk.

[davew]

Gents

Wings over Wiltshire records that

"..while on detachment at Pembrey F/O Peter W Lochnan, RCAF, of No 400S and Sgt Cave (AG), of No 225S crashed in Lysander V9361 during bad visibility. The pilot was killed and the gunner seriously injured, The No 225S a/c was destroyed.

regards

DaveW

[Dick]

It may be significant that prior to Apr '41, 400 Sqn had been equipped with Lysanders according to Jefford's RAF Squadrons.So Lochnan could have had the qualifications to fly another Sqns Lysander with one of that Sqns Aircrew on a search mission.
Regards
Dick

[Dick]

Paul
Gowerton was in the W Glamorgan District from 1934 but just to complicate matters, Gowerton is 1/2 way between Swansea and Llanelli each of which had it's own registry Office with Gowerton in W Glamorgan!!.I suspect that W Glamorgan took out to the Irish Sea and much of the rural area outside Swansea and Llanelli but I wouldn't bet on it!! and of course,Paul, it doesn't answer your question as it would still depend on where in the Gower Peninsula the a/c came down
Regards
Dick

[paulmcmillan]

DaveW

Well caught - Wynn in MoBoB has Lochnan as being killed in Tomahawk, Hurricane Squadrons in Action has him with 400 Sqn (see it and him it in google books) and Foreman in 1941 Turning Point Part 2 has No crew ID'd for V9361

Paul

[alclark]

Henk

I had T9678 down as the 21st May from the 15 EFTS ORB, May 21st 1941, “T9678 LAC Klain, spun into wood at Paddock Hole, near Lockerbie – pilot injured.”

I also didn't have anything for the 5 EFTS accident, there was an entry in the ORB on the previous day and the pilot of that aircraft had another accident on the 20th May. Not surprisingly after two crashes in as may days he was suspended from flying training.

May 20th 1941, “C Flight, LAC Pears overshot and crashed into road by aerodrome.”
May 21st 1941, “C Flight, LAC Pears crashed on aerodrome and suspended from flying training.”

[Henk Welting]

Thanks to everyone for your part in this discussion, again solving some problems in my "unaccounted" files. Will inform Allison on Rider and Lochnan.
Regards,
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

P/O R G Wales appears in Casuatly lists as PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MISSING, NOW PRESUMED KILLED IN ACTION.

Tresider is a DOAS listing

[jonheyworth]

William Cecil Redhead 572144, died in Number 12 general hospital of a perforated duodenal ulcer

[jonheyworth]

Albert Gordon Tressider 1160703 , attached to RAF Leighton Buzzard , died at RAF Dagnal from a gun shot wound to the chest

[jonheyworth]

John William Bishop 336503 , attached to the Iraq Aircraft Depot , was killed in an evening air raid when bombs struck RAF Habbinya causing damage to the Sergeants mess and the Airman' s institute