400625 - Unaccounted airman - 25-6-1940

[Henk Welting]

What caused the death of AC2 Robert I. WALKER - 976642 - previously reported missing later presumed killed on active service (Flight Global), buried La Plaine-sur-Mer Communal Cem., Dept. Loire-Atlantique, France (FR1586).
Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

What caused the death of the following airmen, commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial and buried in cemeteries in Belgium and France. They may have been killed during evacuation to the U.K., some of them later recovered from the sea or their bodies washed ashore.
AC1 Reginald F. ABRAMS - 621850 - 4 Sqn - Runnymede Panel (RP) 24
AC1 William ALSTON - 637973 - RP24
AC1 Eustace T. ARNOTT - 532387 - RP24
AC1 Bernard O. BECKINGTON - 901322 - RP24
AC2 John R. BEST - 749226 - RP26
AC1 Ernest R. BIDDLE - 942880 - RP24
AC2 Sidney A. BIRD - 922154 - RP26
Cpl Geoffrey G. BURDETT - 520421 - RP21
LAC Arthur G. CHILD - 616033 - RP22
AC1 Richard CLEARY - 631845 - RP25 (from Irish Republic)
AC1 Joseph CURRIE - 634350 - RP25
LAC Alexander J. DONAGHY - 544946 - RP22
AC1 Alexander C. FLEMING - 743827 - RP25
Cpl James P. GAVINS - 512854 - RP21
LAC Harold W.E. HANSON - 517631 - 4 Sqn - RP23
LAC Dudley G. KEMP - 535214 - RP23
LAC Edgar MARTIN - 633385 - RP23
AC2 Thomas MASON - 549132 - RP27
Cpl Stanley MILLS - 570908 - 13 Sqn - RP22
AC1 Cunningham MUNN - 627591 - RP25
AC1 Arthur MUSGRAVE - 653443 - RP25
AC1 Douglas H. RICHARDSON - 550743 - 98 Sqn - RP25
AC1 George T. RIDLEY - 629767 - RP25
AC1 John M. ROBERTS - 634663 - RP26
LAC George SWIFT - 551391 - RP24
LAC George H. TAYLOR - 352704 - RP24
AC1 Charles J. TELFORD - 627498 - RP26
AC1 Leslie C. THORP - 633277 - RP26
Cpl Albert E. THORPE - 326629 - RP22
LAC George TROTH - 62712 - RP24
AC1 Douglas C. WEBB - 966677 - RP26
LAC Ernest E. WHEELER - 628716 - 53 Sqn - RP24
LAC Victor J. WHITE - 352129 - RP24
LAC Sydney V. WILMINGTON - 610598 - RP24,

and the following airmen buried in Belgium/France:

Lombardsijde Churchyard, Belgium (BEL62):
AC1 Allan J. MORAN - 623447

Lille Southern Cem., Dept. Nord, France (FR2):
AC2 Alfred W. GILBERT - 636979

Abbeville Communal Cem. Ext., Dept Somme, France (FR440):
LAC Edward A. HALL - 510251

Doingt Communal Cem. Ext., Dept Somme, France (FR472):
LAC Leonard LAURIE - 799685 - 63 Wing Servicing Unit

Angoulins Communal Cem., Dept. Charente-Maritime, France (FR1632):
LAC James T. McMASTER - 538667

Chatelaillon Plage Communal Cem., Dept. Charente-Maritime, France (FR1635):
AC2 Samuel J. McCONNELL - 632203

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Argus]

Hello Henk,

Finally I came through the whole list. Below you will find details about all the mentioned names.

AC1 Reginald F. ABRAMS - 621850 - 4 Sqn - Runnymede Panel (RP) 24 / 4 Sqdn
AC1 William ALSTON - 637973 - RP24 / HQ Base Area
AC1 Eustace T. ARNOTT - 532387 - RP24 / 51 Wing
AC1 Bernard O. BECKINGTON - 901322 - RP24 / HQ BAFF
AC2 John R. BEST - 749226 - RP26 / 2 BA
AC1 Ernest R. BIDDLE - 942880 - RP24 / HQ BAFF
AC2 Sidney A. BIRD - 922154 - RP26 / 5 R and SU
Cpl Geoffrey G. BURDETT - 520421 - RP21 / HQ BAFF
LAC Arthur G. CHILD - 616033 - RP22 / 81 Wing SF
AC1 Richard CLEARY - 631845 - RP25 (from Irish Republic) / 2 BA
AC1 Joseph CURRIE - 634350 - RP25 / BAFF
LAC Alexander J. DONAGHY - 544946 - RP22 / 21 AD
AC1 Alexander C. FLEMING - 743827 - RP25 / 2 BA
Cpl James P. GAVINS - 512854 - RP21 / 3 ASP
LAC Harold W.E. HANSON - 517631 - 4 Sqn - RP23 / 4 Sqdn
LAC Dudley G. KEMP - 535214 - RP23 / 2 BA
LAC Edgar MARTIN - 633385 - RP23 / 25 Sqdn
AC2 Thomas MASON - 549132 - RP27 / 7 ASP
Cpl Stanley MILLS - 570908 - 13 Sqn - RP22 / 13 Sqdn
AC1 Cunningham MUNN - 627591 - RP25 / HQ BAFF
AC1 Arthur MUSGRAVE - 653443 - RP25 / 2 BA
AC1 Douglas H. RICHARDSON - 550743 - 98 Sqn - RP25 / 98 Sqdn
AC1 George T. RIDLEY - 629767 - RP25 / 2 AR & SV
AC1 John M. ROBERTS - 634663 - RP26 / HQ BAFF
LAC George SWIFT - 551391 - RP24 / 21 AD
LAC George H. TAYLOR - 352704 - RP24 / 2 BA
AC1 Charles J. TELFORD - 627498 - RP26 / HQ BAFF
AC1 Leslie C. THORP - 633277 - RP26 / HQ BAFF
Cpl Albert E. THORPE - 326629 - RP22 / HQ 2 BA
LAC George TROTH - 62712 - RP24 / 3 AR & SU
AC1 Douglas C. WEBB - 966677 - RP26 / 21 AD
LAC Ernest E. WHEELER - 628716 - 53 Sqn - RP24 / 53 Sqdn
LAC Victor J. WHITE - 352129 - RP24 / 1 ASP
LAC Sydney V. WILMINGTON - 610598 - RP24, / Spelled WILLMINGTON / 2 BA

and the following airmen buried in Belgium/France:

Lombardsijde Churchyard, Belgium (BEL62):
AC1 Allan J. MORAN - 623447 / HQ 51 Wing

Lille Southern Cem., Dept. Nord, France (FR2):
AC2 Alfred W. GILBERT - 636979 / HQ CFF

Abbeville Communal Cem. Ext., Dept Somme, France (FR440):
LAC Edward A. HALL - 510251 / 20 ASP

Doingt Communal Cem. Ext., Dept Somme, France (FR472):
LAC Leonard LAURIE - 799685 - 63 Wing Servicing Unit / 63 FWS

Angoulins Communal Cem., Dept. Charente-Maritime, France (FR1632):
LAC James T. McMASTER - 538667 / HQ BAFF

Chatelaillon Plage Communal Cem., Dept. Charente-Maritime, France (FR1635):
AC2 Samuel J. McCONNELL - 632203 / Numbered 632206 / 2 BA

Best regards

Finn Buch

[Argus]

Hello Henk,

More details:

AC2 Robert I. WALKER - 976642 / HQ BAFF

Best regards

Finn Buch

[Dick]

Hi Henk
I'm sure you have seen it but the following site has at least 3 of the 1st 4 names on your list as "Lancastria" victims, http://www.lancastria.org.uk/Victim_List/victim_list.html, although there is a(?) with the name and "dra 25-6 40" beside the name when the ship went down on 17th Jun. We both know that there were many bodies washed up along the French Atlantic Coast for many days after the sinking and whoever compiled the list has attributed their loss to that sinking but is clearly not sure. I shall keep looking down the list and I may well find more.
All but 4 are on the Lancastria list and with the same extra markings ie(?) and dra 26-5-40.The 4 are
AC1 R F Abrams
LAC H W E Hanson
Cpl S Mills
LAC E E Wheeler
In addition Cpl J Gavins is spelt Gavis and AC1 C J Telford is given the first names of Charles George
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

As ever, Thanks Finn for additional info.
Regards,
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dick/Finn. Look forward for any possible info on these airmen. Obscure to me why CWGC, known that they were aboard the Lancastria, has for them 25-6-1940 as date of death.
Regards,
Henk.

[Anthony Bryan]

I am a nephew of LAC Leonard Laurie 799685 63 FWS.
He lived in Oxford and I was a frequent visitor to his parents home after their loss. I understood that Leonard was driving motor transport in France when he was attacked by the enemy and died of injuries received.
I visited his grave twice, over 30 years ago. I have more information, photos and artefacts of Leonard's life.
Anthony Bryan.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Anthony. Don't need more info for my files; important to know that he died of wounds caused by enemy action in France as I assumed that he might have been a passenger on the troopship Lancastria.
Regards,
Henk.

[Anthony Bryan]

JP O'Reilly 535307 died 17 May 1940 in Perrone France. He is buried beside my uncle Leonard Laurie.

[dennis_burke]

Hi Anthony,
did you want more info on LAC O'Reilly?
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2952869/O'REILLY,%20JOHN%20PATRICK

CAuse of death is here: http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/16_squadron.html

regards
Dennis

[Pete]

AC2 Thomas MASON - 549132 - RP27 / 7 ASP
A letter was received by my GM written by a nurse stating he was injured and being evacuated to UK by Hospital Train. Nothing further known except his pipe & wallet were later returned by the American Red Cross. Always assumed to have been a Lancastria victim or possibly the Hospital Train burned out at Dieppe

[jonheyworth]

Alfred Walter Gilbert 636979 , attached to HQ Combined forces in France, was reported missing believed killed during the evacuation from France. Information was later received from the French Red Cross that he had been killed and buried near Dunkirk. June 25th was a presumed date of death . He was NOT killed on the Lancastria

[jonheyworth]

Albert Edward Hall 510251 , was reported missing during the evacuation from France. Information received later from the French Red Cross indicated that he had been killed in action and buried near Madeleine with a presumed death of 25th June