430305 - Unaccounted airwoman and airmen - 5-3-1943

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

A - Not found Flight Global:
LAC William H. GRANGER - 1319930, and
ACW2 Hilda A. MESURE - 2029827.

B - Missing believed killed on active service (Casualty Communiqué 225 - Flight 29-4-1943):
LAC (WOp/Ag u/t) Douglas E. HILL - 1198740 (buried Warsop Urban District Council Cemetery [Late Additional Burial Ground], Nottinghamshire), and
LAC (WOp/Ag u/t) Arthur L. NUTTER - 1035566 (buried Southport [Duke Street] Cemetery, Lancashire).

C - Killed on active service:
Sgt (Pilot) Harold V. WHITESIDE - 1317555.

D - Proposed aircraft losses:
Magister I - R1980 - 2 FIS - crashed in forced landing West Cairnbeg, Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire.
Hotspur II Glider - BT619 - 5 GTS - crashed on approach Shobdon.
Master II - DM164 - 7 (P)AFU - crashed on take-off Sibson.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[AlanW]

Henk,
Granger....Croydon.
Mesure....Brighton.
Whiteside....Hunts, North.
Nutter....Burghead, Morayshire. According to Death certificate, last seen March sixth, (which conflicts with yours and CWGC date) body found in Burghead Bay, August 4th 1943 approx 9 miles West of Lossiemouth. Drowning suspected but not verified.

Hill....Ardersier, Innverness Shire. Body was found on 30th May 43, 300yds West of Salmon Fishery at Whiteness Island,(Shetland Isles) death presumed 5th March due to drowning, left foot severed.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Alan. Keep my fingers crossed for more info on NUTTER and HILL as I do believe they may been involved in a flying accident (March too cold for swimming !!).
Regards,
Henk.

[AlanW]

Henk,
Not sure if this will help from the certificates, the registrar was informed by Kinloss for Nutter, and from Dalcross for Hill. Does this mean that thats where they were from?.

[Dick]

Hi
The fact that the deaths of Nutter and Hill were registered at points along the S Coast of the Moray Firth suggests that the Shetland site might be a misunderstanding. Burghhead is close to Kinloss with the Bay sweeping past the airfield,and if a body was identified as RAF, Kinloss is a logical place to take it and therefore the Kinloss "admin" would likely have been involved in the reporting.In a similar way Ardersier is only about 3 mls from Dalcross(the current Inverness Airport) an active station at the time.I think you might be looking for a Coastal Command or Training loss in the Moray Firth around early March 1943 with later recovery of the bodies when they came ashore in places separated by about 40 mls
Regards
Dick

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Henk,

I do not have a crew noted but on the 5th March, Botha L6408 suffered an engine failure and ditched 5 miles east of Fort George, Inverness-shire.

Regards
Ross

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Ross' Botha looks promising.Fort George is on a headland just N of Ardersier and Dalcross and it would seem reasonable for bodies to be washed up along the shoreline to the S and E of the ditching. The Botha ,by then , was used as a training a/c and would be a likely one in which 2 Trainees, who had not yet got their Flying Badge, would be airborne.
Regards
Dick

[COL BRUGGY]

Henk,

Re: Magister I R1980 - 2 FIS.

I can't tell you much, but what I can tell you is that; AUS413090 P/O Edmond John McKEE RAAF, and AUS413448 P/O Osborne Gilbert Keith SUTHERLAND RAAF were aboard Magister I R1980. Sutherland was injured, McKee OK.

Col.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Col. Also info on aircraft losses without (fatal) casualties are welcome.
Regards,
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dick & Ross for the discussion on Botha L6408 and crash location.
Thanks AlanW for your PM and info on the death certificates.
Regards,
Henk.

[alclark]

The following came from the 2 AGS ORB.

May 30th 1943, “Received a message from the Police Station, Ardersier that the body of an airman had been washed up on the seashore between Fort George and Nairn. The body was later identified as 1198740, LAC Hill, D.E. from R.A.F. Station, Evanton, and his death was presumed to have taken place on 5/Mar/43 and was due to drowning. His left foot was severed, but no other injuries were apparent on external examination.”

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Al for the additional info on HILL, much appreciated.
Regards,
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

A/CW2 H A Mesure DOAS April 29th 1943 magazine.

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Henk,

Master II - DM164

F/Sgt P A T Read
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2735432

Sgt Whiteside

Accident happened at 22:00 hrs when the aircraft collided with a blister hangar. Read died wthin a few hours.

Regards
Ross

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Ross for this and all other 'goodies'; much appreciated.
Regards,
Henk.

[wwrsimon]

Hello

LAC (WOp/Ag u/t) Douglas E. HILL - the Graves Registration Report Form gives his unit as 8 A.G.S.

Regards

Simon

[jonheyworth]

Hilda Agnes Mesure 2029827 , an MT Driver attached to Number 4 MT school in TTC at Brighton was seriously injured in a vehicle accident on Kings Road , Brighton , dying of her injuries in the Royal Sussex hospital

[jonheyworth]

Charles McKay Reid 1558533 , a gunner in the RAF Regiment detatched to Number 2 ADU , was shot in the disciplinary tent at LG 237 at 17:55 Hours by AC2 A.A. Smith 1462353. Smith was placed under close arrest and taken to Cairo by DAPM the same night. It is understood the shooting was deemed accidental

[jonheyworth]

P/780889 Michal Lewczuk was admitted seriously ill to RAF Hospital Rauceby on 1 July 1942, suffering with pericardial effusion. He became dangerously ill on 10 December 1942, but was downgraded to seriously ill on 15 January 1943 but again became dangerously ill on 14 February. Dying of cardiac faliure following pericarditis

[jonheyworth]

William Herbert Dempsey 67786 | attached to RAAF Williamstown | was on guard duty at the main gate when at 22:05 Hours he accidently shot himself in the left chest , dying shortly afterwards