430108 - Unaccounted airmen - 8-1-1943

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

A - Killed on active service:
Sgt (Pilot) Neville ALLISON - 658469, and
P/O (Obs) John G. BECK - 134364.

B - Died on active service:
LAC William H. FLOOD - 1268926 - age 30, and
Cpl Arthur YATES-DUTTON - 1113952.

C - Not found in Flight archives:
Capt (Pilot) Gordon T. PROCTER - 207316 - Royal Artillery attd AOP.

D - Proposed aircraft losses:
Blenheim V - BA194 - 54 OTU - flew into ground at night Middlefield Farm, near Duns, Berwickshire (already as casualties on this a/c: F/Lt [Pilot] R.H. HILLARY - 74677 and Sgt [Nav/WOp] K.W.Y. FISON - 1036052).
Oxford I - BG158 - 3 (P)AFU - flew into ground at night Whiteway Farm, 2 miles N of Cirencester, Gloucestershire (already as a casualty on this a/c: F/O [Pilot] R.P. FRAYN - RCAF J/15650 and probably three men killed in this incident)

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Warner confirms the 2 names as the only casualties on Blenheim BA194,Richard Hillary had been a Fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain era when he was badly burned as he recorded in his book "the Last Enemy"
Allison,22 and Beck,22 are both registered at Cirencester,Gloucestershire and could be candidates for BG158
Flood,30, registered at Chippenham, Wiltshire
Yates-Dutton30,registered at LLanelly,Carmarthanshire
Proctor,registered at St Mungo's,Dumfries.Death due to aeroplane crash,3mls S of Lockerbie,Milk Bank
Regards
Dick

[Leendert]

Henk,

On the dumfriesaviationmuseum.com website there's some info about Capt Proctor's death.
It appears that he died when his Auster Mk 1, serial LB329 of 652 Squadron came down south of Lockerbie (Kirkbank)
The info adds that Capt Proctor may have been involved in army manoeuvres in the area.

Groet,

Leendert

[alclark]

The Dumfries ORB recorded the following in respect of Capt Proctor.

January 8th 1943, “Captain Proctor, 652 Squadron is killed near Lockerbie when his aircraft struck a high tension cable. He received Compound Fracture of the skull and fracture of right femur and must have been killed instantly.”

[Henk Welting]

Thanks friends for your help. CWGC has for the Army Captain PROCT"E"R instead of PROCTOR.
Regards,
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

F/O Geoffrey W. ROSE - RAAF 402954 killed 8-1-1943 and buried Tripoli War Cem., Libya.
NAA mentions Spitfire Vc BR393 crashed at Tamer.
Air Britain for BR393: 92 Sqn - Missing 13-1-1943.
Correct serial of F/O Rose's Spitfire may have been 92 Sqn ER593.
Perhaps Col could help me out; thanks in advance.
Regards,
Henk.

[COL BRUGGY]

Henk,

Not having the benefit of the later A-B Serials volumes, I only have the following recorded for Rose:

BR393 - FTR Ops 13-1-1943 (as quoted on Rose's undigitised A705)
ER162 - Missing from interception 8-1-1943
ER593 - Missing presumed shot down by Bf109s 8-1-1943
ER679 - FTR Ops 8-1-1943

Col.

[paulmcmillan]

I have. for one of those

ER679 - FTR ops:Plt G LONGBOTTOM missing

which....

Name: LONGBOTTOM, GEORGE
Initials: G
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Sergeant (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 111 Sqdn.
Age: 20
Date of Death: 08/01/1943
Service No: 1129770
Additional information: Son of William George and Sarah Alice Longbottom, of Brigg, Lincolnshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 6. C. 3.
Cemetery: MEDJEZ-EL-BAB WAR CEMETERY

[COL BRUGGY]

That being the case, ER162 possibly:

Name: SAMUEL, FRANK BLELOCK
Initials: F B
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Flying Officer
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 601 Sqdn.
Age: 20
Date of Death: 08/01/1943
Service No: 104454
Additional information: Son of Harold and Helen Samuel, of Rossett, Denbighshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Column 269
Memorial: ALAMEIN MEMORIAL.

Col.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks friends, another problem solved.
Regards,
Henk.

[wwrsimon]

Hello

Sgt (Pilot) Neville ALLISON - 658469, and
P/O (Obs) John G. BECK - 134364 - their respective Grave Registration Report Forms confirm their unit as 3 (P) A.F.U.

Regards

Simon

[malcolm_raf]

Hi Simon

Allison and Beck were on BG158

Malcolm

[wwrsimon]

Thanks for confirming it Malcolm.

Regards

Simon

[jonheyworth]

John Darby Harris 976121 , a telephonist , was killed when his vehicle was hit by a train at a level crossing at Khroub near Constantine

[jonheyworth]

Arthur Yates Dutton 1113952, died in his billet at Bynea of a cerebral haemorrhage

[jonheyworth]

Jack Haig Medlyn , attached to Number 106 RSU , died off duty at Ferme Sagur. Initially he was thought to have died of self inflicted injuries, but his death was later confirmed as Accidental

[jonheyworth]

Henry Mills 1418649 , died of acute appendicitis, generalised peritonitis and an abscess of the illeum