410717 - Unaccounted airmen - 17-7-1941

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

LAC (Obs u/t) John R. BRUMPTON - 1378383;
F/Lt William M. CROSS - 72356 - 269 Sqn (Kaldadarnes, Iceland);
AC1 George EDWARDS - 997740;
AC1 Raymond S. JACKSON - 591853, and
AC2 Edward S. REDDING - 1061485.

Also looking for the unit of two airmen commemorated for this day on the Runnymede Memorial:

F/Lt Douglas L. RAYMENT - AFC - 37536 - Panel 29, and
Sgt Raymond SADLER - 755417 - Panel 51.

Proposed aircraft losses for this day ON British territory:

Master I - N7560 - 56 OTU - crashed on landing Sutton Bridge.
Master I - T8412 - 59 OTU - flew into ground 3 miles S of Thursby, Cumberland.
Whitley I - K7237 - 10 BGS - crashed in forced landing 1½ mile W of Ruthwell, Dumfries.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Henk,

I have a note of Botha I, L6519 that ditched off Stranraer but nothing on any casualties. May be your two on Runnymede.

Regards
Ross

[Leendert]

Henk,

Details of loss of F/Lt Douglas Rayment can be found in following story: http://www3.sympatico.ca/drrennie/chap3.html

It appears he was in a Test Flight Unit flying Blenheims.

Regards,

Leendert

[alclark]

The No.4 AOS ORB recorded Brumpton as a casualty on the Botha, July 17th 1941, “Botha forced landed Loch Ryan off Cairn Ryan 1378383 LAC Brumpton Killed.”

The only fatal accident recorded by No.10 BGS was a Battle on the 18th.

July 18th 1941, “Fatal accident Battle L5775, crashed in Solway Firth off Blackshaw Bank. Sergeant Skowron (Pilot) and LAC Wetherburn (Drogue Operator) killed.”

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Warners Blenheim records for 17/7/41, the loss of Blenheim IV, P4832, of the Special Duties Flight, on Radar Calibration out of Christchurch.Sighted and chased a Balloon and are believed to have attacked it. Came down in the Channel 25mls off the Dorset coast. Flt/Lt D Rayment DFC and Sgt R Sadler seen sitting on the sinking a/c but were not subsequently found .
Regards
Dick

[PeteS]

I cant find a William M Cross or even a William Cross who might match, the youngest seems to be a man aged 49 registered in Essex SW

There are several men named George Edwards but one is likely aged 28 registered at Buckrose also registered there was Edward S Redding aged 19.

Raymond S Jackson aged 18, death registered at Salisbury

[Dick]

Hi Henk
I don't think William M Cross will come up on the England and Wales register, his Sqn was based in Iceland and he is buried at Strathy, in Caithness in Scotland.It is possible that he died in Scotland or was washed ashore there whilst operating between Scotland and Iceland.There was an airfield at Thurso but it is some distance from Strathy.
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Thanks friends for this very helpful info; much appreciated and files amended.
Regards,
Henk.

[davew]

Henk

Cross is not in the register for Scotland in 1941.
regards

DaveW

[dennis_burke]

Death status from Flight magazine

KOAS LAC (Obs u/t) John R. BRUMPTON - 1378383;
DOAS F/Lt William M. CROSS - 72356 - 269 Sqn (Kaldadarnes, Iceland); Flt. Lt. W. MacP. Cross
KOAS AC1 George EDWARDS - 997740; Same casualty list as Redding.
Not found in Flight - AC1 Raymond S. JACKSON - 591853, and
KOAS - AC2 Edward S. REDDING - 1061485. Same casualty list as Edwards

Rayment and Sadler are listed as SDF Christchurch and Special Duty Flt. Christchurch resp.

[wwrsimon]

A quick update:

AC1 George EDWARDS - 997740
AC2 Edward S. REDDING - 1061485.

Both registered in Buckrose.

The book "More Than Just a Name" by Frank Bull, Chris Bonnett & Steve Adamson, ISBN 978-1326454203, page 228, records that Redding and Edwards were killed when a Luftwaffe bomber dropped four HE bombs on Bridlington Promenade just after midnight on July 17th 1941, destroying the properties at numbers 101, 103, 105 and 107. The houses destroyed had R.A.F. personnel billeted there. Twenty two airmen escaped, but Redding and Edwards were killed, toegther with one civilian, Mr. George Ireland.

Regards

Simon

[jonheyworth]

UPGRADE to Vincent Lee Colling R84438, he died of a strangulatec hernia

[jonheyworth]

Frederick William Smith 1159212, was killed by machine gun fire whilst checking a Spitfire's guns at RAF Chilbolton

[markpeelgb]

591853 Aircraftman 1st Class Raymond Sterling JACKSON

AC1 Jackson died on July 17, 1941. The report of an inquest in the Reading Standard on 25 July indicates that he committed suicide with his service rifle and had been "depressed for some time". He was eighteen.

[jonheyworth]

Sidney W. Bowley 103682 I was killed when Harvard I N 7171 crashed near Hanki Store 11 miles East of Selukwe. Disintegrating upon striking the ground. He had 43.35 flying hours on type and 79.35 hours in total