410529 - Unaccounted airman - 29-5-1941

[Henk Welting]

What was the place of death registration for:
AC1 Arthur B. JOHNSON - 1190905 - 6 BC, 917 (Balloon) Sqn, (Coventry)
Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Johnson,27, is registered at Coventry
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Checking CWGC registers again found an airman whose name is missing in my files. What was the place of death registration for:
Sgt (Pilot) Kenneth C. GEMMELL - 911890 - age 21.

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:
Beaufighter IIF - R2324 - 32 MU - broke up in air Llanbethery, Glamorganshire.
Blenheim I - L8377 - 54 OTU - collided near Church Fenton with Defiant N1556 of same unit.
Magister I - R1957 - 5 EFTS - crashed in forced landing Ashby-de-la-Zouche, Leicestershire.
Whirlwind I - P7006 - 263 sqn - flew into ground near Chepstow, Monmouthshire.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[malcolm_raf]

Hi Henk

It was Tadcaster so I have as a possibility for L8377 or Defiant N1556.

David Alexander Heggie was also registered at Tadcaster.

Malcolm

[alclark]

Here is the entry from the ORB.

May 29th 1941, “There was a fatal accident at 0125 hrs, when two aircraft, Blenheim L8377 and Defiant No.1556 collided in mid air. The cause is rather obscure; but owing to the presence of enemy aircraft in the vicinity aircraft were ordered to orbit different positions at previously agreed heights. The aircraft collided over one of these positions, one of them apparently having failed to carry out orders correctly. The two Pilots No.911890 Sgt K.C. Gemmell and No.1053585 Sgt D.A. Heggie were both killed, and both aircraft destroyed.”

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Al and Malcolm. I already had HEGGIE being sole occupant on Defiant N1556.
Regards,
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

Checking CWGC cemetery registers again found the name of an airman sofar missing in my files. What was the place of death registration for:
LAC William S.D. JAMES - 572898 - age 19,
and can his name being matched to any aircraft loss given in my message #3 of this thread.
Regards,
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

He is registered in the third quarter of 1941 in the East Glamorgan District, Glamorganshire.

Could be related to Beaufighter IIF R2324.

[NiallC]

Hi Henk

Whirlwind P7006 ( in your posting No. 3) was being flown by Sgt. Donald Tebbit when it crashed - possibly in an attempt to fly under the Sharpness Bridge. Tebbit unhurt, but aircraft wrecked. Tebbit was placed under open arrest pending charge, but charges dropped due to lack of evidence. He was bounced out of the squadron a few weeks later, but returned 16 months later.

Niall

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dennis and Niall.

Henk.

[Henk Welting]

Again found the name of an airman sofar missing in my files. What was the place of death registration for:
Sgt (WOp/Ag) Charles R. BATEMAN - 1153647,
whose name I couldn't find in the Flight archives.
Regards,
Henk.

[COL BRUGGY]

Hi Henk,

1153647 Sgt (W.Op./Ag) Charles R BATEMAN - unit quoted as; 3(C) OTU, in GRO War Deaths (RAF All Ranks) 1939-1948.

Col.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Col, again a little bit closer !
Regards,
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

Gents,
I've the loss of a 3 (C)OTU Beaufort (X8916) for this date (29-5-1941) with the names of five (??) missing crew:
F/Sgt E.D. GLYDE - 745132;
Sgt J. CHRISTIE - 989700;
Sgt S.J. TYSON - RCAF R/68073;
Cpl W.J.N. WARREN - 571753 (a questionmark), and
AC2 B.H.S. DICKERS - 1404406 (a questionmark).
Could there be any connection to BATEMAN ?
Regards,
Henk.

[malcolm_raf]

Hi Henk

Checking the GRO lists, Dickers and Warren were not shown even though the are listed as being on the Runnymede.

Checking the England Death registers, Dickers is registered in the Wirral, Cheshire and Warren is registered in the 3rd Qtr in East Glamorgan, Wales, so they are unlikely to aboard the same aircraft.

Bateman is registered in Bideford,Devon so if he was aboard X8916 his body may have washed ashore.

Malcolm

[dennis_burke]

Probably not needed at this stage but for what its worth:

James and Gemmell are listed as KOAS in same Casulaty list in Flight July 3rd 1941.

Cpl W J N Warren is KOAS July 3rd magazine

A B JOhnson is DOAS July 17th Magazine

Sgt C R Bateman found as KOAS Flight Mag July 17th
E D Glyde & J Christie, S J Tyson all missing July 17th Magazine

AC2 B H S Dickers is listed DOAS Sep 25th 1941 magazine

[Henk Welting]

Hi Henk

Checking the GRO lists, Dickers and Warren were not shown even though the are listed as being on the Runnymede.

Checking the England Death registers, Dickers is registered in the Wirral, Cheshire and Warren is registered in the 3rd Qtr in East Glamorgan, Wales, so they are unlikely to aboard the same aircraft.

Bateman is registered in Bideford,Devon so if he was aboard X8916 his body may have washed ashore.

Malcolm

Thanks Malcolm.
DICKERS' (DOAS) and WARREN's (KOAS) deaths registered and nevertheless commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial means that their graves may have been lost.
Regards,
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

Following from a 1942 thread, Warren death is registered on same page as LAC William S.D. JAMES - 572828, in East Glamorgan, linking them both perhaps then to
29-5-1941 - BEAUFIGHTER R2324 , OF 32 MU ON 29/5/41 FOLLOWING THE MAINSPAR FAILING , FOLLOWING A DIVE , HE SURVIVED , HIS CREW OF 2 WERE KILLED .
THE A/C CRASHING AT RED HOLM FARM , LLANBETHERY ST-ATHAN

[Henk Welting]

Dennis,
This could be a plausible explanation; annotations made.
Regards,
Henk.

[phill jones]

Henk ,just to confirm my records show that the crewmembers of BEAUFIGHTER R2324, ARE
1/ 572828 LAC WSD JAMES BURIED PONTYPOOL PANTEG CEMETERY
2/ 571573 CPL WJN WARREN REMEMBERED AT RUNNYMEADE,PANEL 289.

bw phill jones

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Phill, same idea was brought up by Dennis. I amended my files accordingly.
Regards,
Henk.

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Henk,

F1180 for R2324 gives 2 killed 1 injured.

Pilot listed as P/O Sheppard 89261

So suggest he was injured and James and Warren other casualties on board.

Regards
Ross

[jonheyworth]

Basil Henry Seth Dickers 1404406 , an equipment assistant attached to RAF Hooton Park, died in RAF Hospital, West Kirby of spinal meningitis a day after admission

[jonheyworth]

Arthur Bertram Johnson 1190905 | was accidently injured at 15:30 Hours on 28 May at Coventry, with multiple injuries to the hands and face caused by an exploding shell detonator. He was admitted to Gulson Road hospital, where he died late the same day ( NOT on 29 May as stated by CWGC )