410721 - Unaccounted airmen - 21-7-1941

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

LAC Dennis BAILEY - 936449;
LAC (Pilot u/t) Robert DALY - 1066776 (from N.Ireland), and
AC2 Leonard V. FLETCHER - 1273972 - 23 Sqn (Ford, Sussex).

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:

Hurricane I - V7572 - 52 OTU - collided with Hurricane P5208 and abandoned 3 miles W of Great Dunmow, Essex.
Hurricane I - P5208 - 52 OTU - see V7572.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Ken MacLean]

Henk,

LAC D. Bailey and AC2 L.V. Fletcher both DOAS.

LAC R. Daly missing, believed KOAS (27 Aug). Previosly missing, now reported KOAS (28 Oct).

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Bailey,21 registered at Meriden,Birmingham
Daly,30, registered at Caernarfon, Wales
Fletcher,20 registered at Chichester,right for Ford
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dick and Ken for your quick and helpful response.
Regards,
Henk.

[JohnE]

Hurricane I - V7572 - 52 OTU - collided with Hurricane P5208 and abandoned 3 miles W of Great Dunmow, Essex.
Hurricane I - P5208 - 52 OTU - see V7572.


Does anybody know the pilots names?

/John

[alclark]

Daly was recorded in the No.11 S.F.T.S. ORB as being killed while with their detachment at Llandwrog near Caernarfon.

July 21st 1941, “Llandwrog, Fatal Night Flying Accident. Oxford I V.3933. The pupil, 1066776 LAC Daly, R, had just completed dual instruction and commenced solo circuits at night. Although it was not known at this date whether any person witnesses the accident, it appears that after a normal take-off the aircraft flew straight for about a mile and then dived into the sea, becoming a total wreck. The pupil was killed, and his body must have been caught in the wreckage as it had not been found several days later. He made one successful solo landing, and it was immediately after taking off on his second circuit that the accident occurred. An Investigation was called for and will be recorded in this Record at a later date. The accident was reported by Signal T.99.”

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Al for excellent info on DALY and Oxford V3933.
Sorry John, no info on pilots Hurricanes P5208 and V7572.
Regards,
Henk.

[Ross_McNeill]

For the No.52 OTU Hurricanes

2nd LT M Ree on 5208
P/O T C Paterson on 7572

Bonth only slightly injured.

Regards
Ross

[Henk Welting]

Ross,
2/Lt M. REE on P5208 - which nationality ?

Regards,
Henk.

[JohnE]

That must be Morten Ree from Norway.

John

[Ross_McNeill]

The ORB has some gems such as:

11th June 1941
2nd Lt Muckley and 2nd Lt Irwin (US Army Corps) attached from No.53 OTU Heston for Operational Training.

So just like Coastal with the USN, Training Command had serving armed forces members of a neutral country undergoing operational training months before Pearl Harbor.

On the 26th June they were posted to RAF Hornchurch.

So the rank and airman may be US Army Corps rather than the suggested Norwegian.

No.53 OTU ORB has a similar notation on 17 May 1941 saying that General Harman and Colonel Cummings US Air Attaches visited the unit to see the US Officers under training.

26 May 1941 No.4 Course reported consisting of 4 United States Army Officers, 4 Officers and 27 Sergeants.


Regards
Ross

[jonheyworth]

Leonard Victor Fletcher 1273972, was killed in an Airscrew accident involving Havoc BJ501 at 01:45 hours at RAF Ford

[jonheyworth]

Dennis Bailey 936449 , attached to 11 OTU, died of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in Marston Green hospital Birmingham.