410811 - Unaccounted airmen - 11-8-1941

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

AC1 Charles DAY - 1154357 - 7 Sqn (Oakington, Cambridgeshire);
LAC (Pilot u/t) FOOTE, Jack H. - 1381550;
AC2 Cyril F. GALE - 1413219;
AC2 Jack GERBER - 1429029, and
AC2 Colin MASON - 1030919 - 16 BC, 939 (Balloon) Sqn (Sheffield).

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:

Botha I - L6440 - 2 AOS - crashed in forced landing Hawick, Roxburghshire.
Leopard Moth - X9383 - 6 AACU - crashed on take-off Askern, Yorkshire.
Magister I - L5940 - 5 EFTS - spun into ground Nott Hill Farm, Staffordshire.
Master I - N7713 - 9 FTS - crashed in forced landing 2 miles SE of Hullavington.
Master I - N7837 - 57 OTU - damaged byond repair; no further details.
Oxford II - V3586 - 12 FTS - dived into ground ½ mile SE of Grantham, Lincolnshire.
Spitfire I - R7066 - 61 OTU - crashed in forced landing near Heston.
Tiger Moth II - R5248 - 19 EFTS - flew into ground near Bagillt, Flintshire.

Also looking for unit of the following airman for this date commemorated on Panel 290 of the Runnymede Memorial:
AC2 Andrew SPENCE - 1065419.
Panel 290 is a high number for this period of time and it's possible that the location of the grave was not known to the CWGC at the set-up of their war graves registration or his grave lost.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Day,26, registered at Croydon, S London
Foote, registered at Grantham, Lincolnshire which could put him on Oxford V3586,
Gale,30 registered at Bridgenorth, Shropshire (the register doesn't have the middle initial),
Gerber.20, registered at York,
Mason, 19, registered at Sheffield. This area seems to cover only the City,
I found an Andrew Spence,31, registered at Aylesbury which might mean Halton Hospital but CWGC has no age to confirm that I have the right man.
Regards
Dick

[alclark]

No.5 EFTS only recorded these accidents on the 11th August.

August 11th 1941, ““A” LAC Smith damaged wing in collision. “C” LAC Owen crashed on
drome in N3854. “A” LAC Butt crashed near Uttoxeter in L5894.”

There wasn't mention of a fatality by No.16 BC, the only report from 939 Sqn was that a white flare was observed in a southerly direction from the position that B Flt were in.

[thorne83]

Gale must be one of the two men listed in No 4 Recruit Centre (Bridgnorth) ORB for August 1941 - “there were two deaths during the month and ten cases of Scarlet Fever.”

So thats one of them identified. Hopefully we can identify the other one as we go through the month's casualties!

Cheers, Tom

[Henk Welting]

Thanks friends for all your help. Enjoy the oncoming weekend.
Regards,
Henk.

[paulmcmillan]

A” LAC Butt crashed near Uttoxeter in L5894.”

L5894 was a Queen Bee that was Shot down off Weybourne 18.6.41

As L5940 spun into ground Nott Hill Farm, Staffordshire I assume this is teh aircraft involved especially as 'Nott Hill Farm, Staffordshire' is near Uttoxeter

[Henk Welting]

Paul,
Queen Bee a pilotless drone ?
Regards,
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Queen Bee was a version of the Tiger Moth designed to be flown under radio control with the equipment in the front cockpit. It was used as a Target for gunnery and also Radar and did not necessarily get destroyed in the process so it could be landed and re-used. It could also be flown by a pilot from the rear seat and in several places was so flown. There is mention of manned use in Malaya, before and during the Japanese invasion, for reconaissance, in Bloody Shambles Vol 1 . I believe there were 2 or 3 hundred built
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dick for elucidation; one is never too old to learn.
Regards,
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

DOAS AC1 Charles DAY - 1154357 - 7 Sqn (Oakington, Cambridgeshire);
KOAS LAC (Pilot u/t) Jack H. FOOTE - 1381550;
DOAS AC2 Cyril F. GALE - 1413219;
DOAS AC2 Jack GERBER - 1429029, and
DOAC AC2 Colin MASON - 1030919 - 16 BC, 939 (Balloon) Sqn (Sheffield).

DOAS AC2 Andrew SPENCE - 1065419. Rank is printed as AC1

[Ross_McNeill]

I was concerned that posting this next batch of answers from the F1180s would have put Henk under too much pressure to update after his request to remove his user name.

I now post them to contine his legacy on RAF Commands.

F1180 confirms Foote as sole fatality on Oxford V3586

Ross

[phill jones]

Master N7837 11/8/41 , Nothing listed on this date for this Master , However a 1180 FOR This Master on the 12/8/41 while serving with HQ SFS Kemble states the following U/C collapsed on landing U/C not fully locked down Red warning Light Bulb U/S Faulty Wiring

Sgt PF Brook 748409 Unhurt

phill jones

[wwrsimon]

Hello

AC2 Jack GERBER - 142902 - the Surrey Advertiser of August 16th 1941 reported that "he died on Sunday, after a short illness, aged 19."

Regards

Simon

[jonheyworth]

Andrew Spence 1065419 , attached to ACRC Regents Park, was taken seriously ill on 23 July and admitted to RAF Hospital, Halton, becoming dangerously ill on 11 August and dying at 07:25 hours of a neoplasm of the lungs with his wife, Mrs. J Spence at his bedside

[jonheyworth]

Charles Day 1154357 , attached to Number 7 Squadron , died in Croydon General hospital of peritoneal sarcoma with secondary tumours in the liver and lungs

[jonheyworth]

Jack Gerber 1429029 , attached to RAF Pocklington, died in York military hospital of cardiac faliure

[jonheyworth]

Cyril Frederick Gale 1413219 | attached to Number 1 Recruit's Centre| died in RAF Hospital Bridgnorth, of a pulmonary embolism following an operation for a hernia