410911 - Unaccounted airmen - 11-9-1941

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

AC1 Ronald A.J. BURDEN - 1266380;
LAC (Pilot u/t) Duncan COLQUHOUN - 1078042 (death registered Hatfield);
F/O Edward G. CURTICE - 79203 (death registered and burial place both Maidstone - death by natural causes ?), and
Sgt (Obs) Alex SMALLEY - 961230.

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:

Beaufighter I - V8377 - 51 OTU - spun into ground Cranfield.
Magister I - L5919 - 15 EFTS - crashed in forced landing Flash Park, Dumfriesshire.
Master I - N7993 - 5 FTS - undershot landing Childs Ercall.
Spitfire I - N3269 - 57 OTU - overshot landing Ternhill.
Master II - AZ252 - 8 FTS - crashed in forced landing 2 miles S of Brechin, Angus.
Tomahawk IIA - AH922 - 41 OTU - broke up in air Salisbury Plain.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Burden,36, registered at Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire ?the hospital at Halton
Smalley,27, is registered at Maidstone. It might connect him with Curtice but you don't have any losses in Kent
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dick for flash response.
Regards,
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

R A J Burden - DOAS Flight,
D Colquhoun - KOAS
E G Curtice - KOAS
G Smalley - KOAS

Cheers Dennis

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dennis.
BURDEN - DOAS (Flight) ? Died on active service during a flight ? (this should be KOAS). Or on the flight area ?
Regards,
Henk.

[alclark]

No his name is listed under Died on Active Service in Flight magazine.

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1941/1941%20-%202772.html?search=Burden

[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 P/O (Pilot) Thomas HAIG - 101069 - age 27, who lies buried in his hometown Larbert, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He was killed on active service; could his name have a match to any of the proposed aircraft losses mentioned in message #1 of this thread.
Regards,
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Haig,27,registered at Salisbury,Wiltshire. It could make him a candidate for the Tomahawk,AH922, but Salisbury Plain is a very big area and has been used for Military Training since at least the 17th Century. 41 OTU was based at the time at Old Sarum which is just N of the city of Salisbury (Sarum is the Roman name for Salisbury) so it does look a possibility
Regards
Dick

[davew]

Dick/Henk

I have a note to say that the Tomahawk came down at 'Netherhampton and Salisbury Race Plain' which is a horse racing circuit just outside Salisbury.

regards

DaveW

[Henk Welting]

Thanks DaveW and Dick for your quick responses. Much appreciated. Got access to the CWGC registers for Scotland, Wales and Irish Republic, and first will finish the job checking these registers with my files.
Regards,
Henk.

[Buz]

In regard to Tomahawk AH922 - Aircraft on strength 41OTU (more likely actually with No.1 S of AC). Aircraft lost when baggage door flew open, and then broke off striking the port tail plane, which detached from the aircraft. Aircraft control was lost and crashed on Salisbury plain, 11 Sep 1942, Pilot was PltOff T.Haig 101069

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Buz for additional info on the Tomahawk crash.
Regards,
Henk.

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Henk,

F1180 records Crash of Havoc BJ486 at West Malling

2 killed, Pilot listed as F/O Curtice

So list both the following as casualties on the aircraft
F/O Edward G. CURTICE - 79203 (death registered and burial place both Maidstone - death by natural causes ?), and
Sgt (Obs) Alex SMALLEY - 961230.

Regards
Ross

[phill jones]

Henk , Spitfire N3269 , From info i have This Spitfire went to 131 Sqd 15/7/41, Overshot Landing and tipped On nose
Ternhill (P/O JPC R de Puysseleyr) cat A 11/9/41, She was ROS , 15/9/41, i have she went back to 131 SQD but this must have been changed and she was delivered to 57 OTU , 11/10/41 , and suffered a Overshoot at Ternhill and DBF ,Cat E ,23/11/41 .

bw Phill jones

[Ross_McNeill]

F1180 for Tiger Moth BB739 lists Colquhoun as sole fatality.

Ross

[TwitchyBob]

Picking up this old thread, can anyone help with linking AC1 Ronald A.J. BURDEN - 1266380 (DOAS) with any the propsed aircraft losses for this day?

Thanks and regards

Bob

[malcolm_raf]

Hi Bob

As he was DOAS it is unlikely he was involved in an aircraft related accident, more likely a non-related aircraft accident or natural causes. His death is registered in Aylesbury so he possibly died in the RAF Hospital, Halton.

Malcolm

[TwitchyBob]

Many thanks for the explanation Malcolm.

Regards

Bob

[jonheyworth]

Ronald Arthur James Burden 1266380 , attached to 952 Balloon Squadron, died in RAF Hospital Halton at 09:50 Hours of carcinoma