400711 - Unaccounted airmen - 11-7-1940

[Henk Welting]

What caused the death of:

Sgt (Pilot) John C. JOHNSTON - 748063 - killed on active service (Flight Global), buried Glasgow Necropolis (UK7486), and

AC2 Kenneth C. WARD - 906775 - died of wounds or injuries received on active service (Flight Global), buried City of London Cem., Manor Park, Eastham (UK3468).

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:

Lysander II - P 9097 - 231 Sqn - crashed in forced landing Castlewellan, Co. Down.
Magister I - R1965 - 5 EFTS - crashed on overshoot Meir.
Oxford II - P8927 - 11 FTS - spun into ground 3 miles NE of Shawbury.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
There is a death of a John C Johnston age 25,registered at Whitchurch in Shropshire which might be close enough for the accident N W of Shawbury but is probably too far for the one at Meir,which is in N Staffordshire. A Kenneth C Ward age 20 is registered at Carlisle but that is a long way from the suggested accidents
Regards
Dick

[davew]

Hello Henk, welcome back.

The accident '3m NE of Shawbury' would put it in the area of Stanton upon Hine Heath which is in the Whitchurch registration area so P8927 looks good.

regards

DaveW

[Henk Welting]

Thanks DaveW and Dick. Could it be possible that AC1 WARD was injured and died same day in a hospital at Carlisle ? No idea about distance between Carlisle (what's in Cumberland ?) and crash location in Shropshire.
Regards,
Henk.

[paulmcmillan]

I would also suggest that died of wounds could be an accident days before... I do not know how the casualties are listed differently if someone is killed in the actual incident or a hour later in hospital - are they both classed as 'killed on active service' or is the second one 'killed as a result of injuries recieved' - and what is the classification of this, if they reached hospital alive or were alive when in ambulance??

[Dick]

Hi Henk
I'm sorry but the distance looks too great. Carlisle to Shropshire is about 170 KMS and there would have been better Hospital Facilities much closer if needed, say in Liverpool or Manchester or the city of Chester
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dick and Paul for additional info.
Henk.

[thorne83]

Hi Henk, Johnstone was part of 22 Course at Shawbury and was indeed killed in P8927. The aircraft came down at Stanton after going into a spin during a tight steep turn. He was the sole occupant of the aircraft.

Cheers, Tom

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Tom for confirmation serial and that he was sole occupant.
Regards,
Henk.

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

400711 - Unaccounted Airmen - 11-07-1940

From Henk's list -

UK
CHAPPELL, Charles John - AC2c - 631703 - RAF.
Highgate Cemetery, London.
Cause of death ?

RODEN, Tom Charles - F/Sgt - 349128 - RAF.
Bassaleg ( Bethel ) Baptist Chapelyard, Monmouthshire.
Cause of death ?

WARD, Kenneth Charles - AC2c - 906775 - RAFVR.
City of London Cemetery and Crematorium, Manor Park, Essex.
Cause of death ?

From CWGC -

BELGIUM
BENNETT, Benjamin Michael - Sgt - 649294 - RAF.
EMMERSON, Norman - Sgt - 642716 - RAF.
HOPES, Denis Beach - Sgt - 741881 - RAFVR.
ISHERWOOD, Leonard - Sgt - 550470 - RAF.
YOUNG, Frederick - Sgt - 517288 - RAF.
These five airmen rest at Schoonselhof Cemetery, Antwerpen, Belgium.
They were crew of Whitley V - N1424 - 58 Sqn.

FRANCE
DIXON, Frederick John Powell - Sgt - 742124 - RAFVR.
Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France.
Hurricane I - N2485 - 501 Sqn.

NETHERLANDS
FRANCE, Eric Basil Hartley - Sgt - 580739 - RAF.
HOSSACK, Ian Milne - P/O - 33568 - RAF.
LEAMY, Edward Dennis - Sgt - 569067 - RAF.
ROSE, Clarence - Sgt - 631369 - RAF.
These four airmen rest at Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Gelderland, Netherlands.
They were crew of Hampden I - P4366 - 144 Sqn.

HUBBARD, William Charles - AC1c - 625793 - RAF.
MATHIAS, Anthony Ronald - P/O - 41603 - RAF.
WHITEHEAD, Arthur Wilfred Alexander - F/O - 70731 - RAF.
These three airmen rest at Rotterdam (Crooswijk) General Cemetery, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.
They were crew of Anson I - N5220 - 500 Sqn.

KENYA
HUGHES, Dennis Haig - Air Sgt - 47935 - SAAF.
RANKIN, Neville Keith - Lt - 102766 - SAAF.
These two airmen rest at Nairobi War Cemetery, Kenya.
They were crew of Hartbees - 802 - 40 Sqn SAAF.

UK
JOHNSTON, John Cameron - Sgt - 748063 - RAFVR.
Glasgow Necropolis, Glasgow.
Oxford II - P8927 - 11 SFTS.

BARRON, Philip Henry - F/Lt - 90323 - RAF.
Leeds ( Lawnswood ) Cemetery, Yorkshire.
Spitfire Ia - L1069 - 609 Sqn.

MITCHELL, Gordon Thomas Manners - P/O - 90484 - RAF (AAF).
Willian (All Saints ) Churchyard, Herefordshire.
Spitfire Ia - L1095 - 609 Sqn.

MUELLER, Wilhelm - GAF.
SCHLUETER, Hans - GAF.
These two airmen rest at Tangmere (St. Andrew ) Churchyard, Sussex.
Cause of death ?

Alex

[Andy Marden]

Alex,

MUELLER, Wilhelm - GAF.
SCHLUETER, Hans - GAF.
These two airmen rest at Tangmere (St. Andrew ) Churchyard, Sussex.
Cause of death ?
>> According to "The Battle of Britain Then And Now" they were part of the crew of 2./KG55 He111H G1+LK which was shot down off Selsey Beach by Hurricanes of 145 Sqn. The other three crew were made POW.

Andy

[malcolm_raf]

Hi

Roden - He was serving with No 6 OTU, Sutton Bridge when he collapsed and died as the result of myocardial degeneration.

Malcolm

[jonheyworth]

Kenneth Charles Ward 906775 , attached to Number 1 OTU, was killed in a refuelling accident

[jonheyworth]

Charles John Chappell 631703 , attached to Number 10 SFTS, died at 10:00 Hours at RAF Ternhill of an accidental gunshot wound

[jonheyworth]

Charles John Chappell 631703 , attached to Number 10 SFTS, was accidently shot and killed by 635647 AC2 W. H Harman as he was cleaning a revolver