410825 - Unaccounted airmen - 25-8-1941

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

W/O John FRASER - 329121, and
AC2 Sidney E. MANNING - 1129677.

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:

Blenheim IV - Z6170 - CGS - crashed in forced landing near Fort William, Inverness.
Blenheim IV - Z6182 - 2 (C)OTU - crashed on take-off at night Catfoss.
Magister I - L8142 - 16 EFTS - crashed in forced landing Rochester.
Oxford II - R6396 - 2 FTS - crashed on approach at night Southrop.
Tiger Moth II - N6603 - 7 EFTS - dived into ground Barton-in-the-Beans, Leicestershire.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

There is a John Fraser age 41 registered in trowbridge district but there is nothing to connect him, perhaps a bit too old to fit the bill. Perhaps he is registered in Scotland. I can't just now find a W/O J Fraser in the Flight Archives.

Sidney E Manning age 20 is registered in Southport District. He is buried in Southport also. The listings in Flight give him as A/C2 S E Manning Died on Active Service. His parents are likely to be Sidney W and Sarah A Manning.

Dennis

[Henk Welting]

As ever, thanks Dennis for your quick response.
Regards,
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

There are up to 36 John Frasers registered in Scotland, with CWGC evidence, or actually paying up to view the death certs, I can't narrow it down further.

[Theletterwriter]

Henk

I have had a look at this and as Dennis indicated, there are over 30 John Frasers deaths recorded in Scotland People for 1941. If W/O John Farser's death was recorded in Scottish records, there are two that may be an option : -

John Crombie Fraser aged 20 who is recorded as Service & War Returns

John Isles Fraser aged 31 who is recorded as both Service & War Returns and in the Marine Register.

I have had a look at a 44 year old Alexander John Fraser but I think he can be discounted. All others were either too young or too old.

Best wishes

Douglas

[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 give sole fatality on Oxford R6396 as LAC M H Chiverton, 1119616. CWGC site confirms.

Ross

[wwrsimon]

Hello

W/O John FRASER - 329121 - the Wiltshire Times fo August 30th 1941 reported the following:

TRADEGY OF ILL HEALTH
R.A.F. Officer Shoots Himself in His Bath
Worried because he suffered from a skin affliction known as psoriasis, which he said handicapped him all his life, Warrant-Officer John Fraser, R.A.F., aged 41, whose home address was given as Northern Hotel, Hythe Road, Inverness, shot himself in his bath with a revolver on Monday morning. he as a single man.
Flt. Sergt. Woods said...he spoke often about his complaint, saying that it handicapped him.
The Coroner returned a verdict that Fraser shot himself during a period of depression caused by ill-health.

AC2 Sidney E. MANNING - 1129677 - the Liverpool Evening Express of August 27th 1941 reported the following:

FATAL CRASH INTO STREET SHELTER
"Air raid shelters in the road are a necessary evil, but I think the Corporation ought to consider taking steps to make them easily dicernable at night to users of the highway," said Mr. A. V. Cunliffe (deputy-Coronner), returning a verdict of Misadventure at a Southport inquest today, on Sidney Edward Manning, aged 20, R.A.F., aircraftman, of Moss Road, Halsall.
Manning died in a Southport hospital from a fractured skull on Monday after colliding with an air raid shelter during the black-out in Kew Road, Birkdale, the previous night while riding a motor-cycle. It was stated the road was 24 feet wide, and the shelter extended 9 feet into it.

Regards

Simon