400703 - Unaccounted airman - 3-7-1940

[Henk Welting]

What caused the death of LAC Frederick KEYMER - 348193 - whose name I can't find in The Times and Flight Global archives, buried Bridgwater (Wembdon Road) Cem., (Church Portion - UK5367).
Proposed a/c losses:
Blenheim I - K7112 - 5 OTU - crashed on landing Aston Down.
Oxford I - N4580 - 15 FTS - struck by R6266 while parked at Chipping Norton
(for R6266 on file: F/Sgt R.G. Morison - 564050 - killed and Sgt PRICE safe).
Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
His death is registered at Biggleswade in Bedfordshire and his age given as 39, which seems too old for trainee aircrew. There was an airfield just N of Biggleswade, and also the training centre for Ground Trades at Henlow to the SSW and Old Warden to the West.
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dick. As you see now working on July 1940, still a long way to go.
Regards,
Henk.

[wwrsimon]

Hello

From the Bedfordshire Times, July 12th 1940:

AIRMAN FOUND HANGED
How an airman hanged himself was described to the Coroner for the north district of Bedfordshire, Mr. R. G. Rose, at an inquest at an R.A.F. camp on Friday. The man was Leading Aircraftman Frederick Keymer. aged thirty-nine.
Flight-Lieut. Neubert, medical officer, said that at 11.20 a.m. on 3rd july he was called to a hut at the camp, where he found a body which had been cut down from an annex. Death was due to strangulation by hanging.
Corp. A. Ardley gave evidence of identification. The body was that of L/A/C Frederick Keymer, who was about thirty-nine. He had known him since September 1939, in France, and had last seen him alive the previous morning. He returned from France on 17th June. Since the middle of May he had been very depressed and "far away." Previous to that he had been quite cheerful.
A verdict of suicide whilst the balance of the mind was disturbed was recorded.

From the Taunton Courier, July 13th 1940:

AIRCRAFTMAN F. KEYMER
A Union Jack draped the coffin at the funeral in the Wembdon Raod Cemetery on Tuesday of Leading Aircraftman Fredk. Keymer, of 50, St. John Street, who died on the previous Wednesday, on active service. Mr. Keymer, who was 39, was prior to the outbreak of war employed at the Cellophane factory for a considerable time.
The bearers were six of his former workmates. After serving in the R.A.F. for 12 years he was placed on the Reserve, and was recalled when war broke out. He was a native of Norwich, but he had settled in Bridgwater, where he married.

Regards

Simon

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

400703 - Unaccounted Airmen - 03-07-1940

From Henk's list -

UK
JONES, Thomas James - AC2c - 973889 - RAFVR.
Aberdeen ( Brynithel ) Cemetery, Monmouthshire, UK.
Cause of death ?

KEYMER, Frederick - Lac - 348193 - RAF.
Bridgwater ( Wembdon Road ) Cemetery, Somerset, UK.
Cause of death ?
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?t=586&p=2991#2991

MILLER, Tom - Lt(A) - HMS Daedalus - RNVR - 774 Sqn FAA, RN.
Ross keen Parish Churchyard Extensions( Or Burial Ground ) Ross and Cromarty, UK.
Shark II TT - K8502 - 774 Sqn FAA, RN.

From CWGC -

EGYPT
SODERHOLM, Samuel Gustav ( Canadian) - F/O - 40194 - RAF - MiD.
TRAYHURN, Bernard Lloyd - Sgt - 562891 - RAF.
These two airmen are commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, Egypt.
They were crew of Wellesley I - L2652 - 14 Sqn.

ERITREA
DAWSON, John Clark - F/Sgt - 545075 - RAF.
Asmara War Cemetery, Eritrea.
This airman was also crew of Wellesley - L2652 - 14 Sqn.

DAVIDSON, Joseph William - Sgt - 522888 - RAF.
Keren War Cemetery, Eritrea.
Wellesley I - K7777 - 47 Sqn.

NEW ZEALAND
HAWKES, David Handford - Lac - 40739 - RNZAF.
Operational Public Cemetery, Whangarei District, New Zealand.
Vincent - NZ305 - 1 AOS(NZ).

UK
SELWYN, Harold Morrey - P/O - 39575 - RAF.
Runnymede Memorial, Surrey, UK.
Whitley V - P4972 - 51 Sqn.

MORISON, Roderick George - F/Sgt - 564050 - RAF.
Chipping Norton Cemetery, Oxfordshire, UK.
Oxford - R6266 - 15 FTS.
The Oxford was on the ground when hit by Oxford N4580.

WHITE, John Rex Burgess - Sgt - 742734 - RAFVR.
Highgate Cemetery, London, UK.
Spitfire Ia - K9928 - 74 Sqn.

HOFMANN, Eric- GAF.
THEILIG, Walter- GAF.
These two airmen rest at Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery, Staffordshire, UK.
Cause of death ?

BIEROTH, Heinrich Alexander - GAF.
RABE, Fritz - GAF.
These two airmen rest at Dyce Old Churchyard, Aberdeenshire, UK.
Cause of death ?

CHATTERLEY, Horace Turner - NA - JX.143403 - HMS Ark Royal - RN.
RIDDLER, Thomas Frank (Cornwall) - PO(A) - FX.76494 - HMS Ark Royal - RN.
These two Naval Airmen are Commemorated on the Lee-on-Solent Memorial, Hampshire, UK.
They were crew of Skua - L2915 -"A7C" - 803 Sqn, FAA,RN.

ZIMBABWE
BASSETT, Stanley Arthur - Lac - CR/3214 - SRAF.
Gerund Cemetery, Zimbabwe.
Cause of death ?

Alex

[dennis_burke]

For Beirith and Rabe
Both KG30

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/archive/index.php?t-21718.html


Then also
Do 17Z 2642 3Z+GS 8./KG 77 Baybrooks, Horsmonden
Obgfr Hoffmann, E killed
Uffz Theilig, W killed
Beobachter Oblt Gallion (Gillies?), H-G POW
Uffz Brandes, R POW
Force-landed, shot down by fighter. Bruch 100 %.

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=5775

[wwrsimon]

Alex

UK
JONES, Thomas James - AC2c - 973889 - he's buried in Aberbeeg (Brynithel) Cemetery, and his funeral was reported in the South Wales Gazette of July 12th 1940. The article records that he was killed in a motoring accident. His death was registered in Oxford, maybe?

KEYMER, Frederick - Lac - 348193 - 'Suicide while the balance of the mind was disturbed' was returned at the inquest into his death. See the newspaper articles in the original 'Unaccounted' post:

http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?586-400703-Unaccounted-airman-3-7-1940&p=128602#post128602

Regards

Simon