430331 - Unaccounted airmen - 31-3-1943

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

A - Killed on active servgice:
Sgt (Nav) John BARTON - 1434967;
Sgt (WOp/Ag) Leslie FITZGERALD - 1375915, and
Sgt (WOp/Ag) Alexander C.ML. McKENZIE - 1378254.

B - Died on active service:
LAC David P. McGAVIN - 1556901 - age 35.

C - Missing believed killed on active service (and commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial - also looking for unit):
F/O Clifford JACKSON - 128125 - Panel 125, and
Sgt John A.W. WARRINGTON - 952513 - Panel 168.

D - Not found in Flight Global:
Cpl Percival J. RODGERS - 1202594 - age 32 (80 Wing, Aldenham Lodge Hotel, Radlett, Hertfordshire - Radio/Radar Intelligence & Counter Measures Work).

E - Proposed aircraft losses:
Spitfire V.A - P8239 - 53 OTU - crashed in forced landing Old Walas Farm, Wenvoe, Glamorganshire.
Beaufort I - DW914 - 301 FTU - flew into ground Dance Farm, Withington, Gloucestershire (already as a casualty on this a/c: Sgt [Pilot] R.W. WOOD - RCAF R/106547).
Master II - DK923 - 17 (P)AFU - crashed on approach Bodney.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Henk,

Jackson and Warrington on HX450 (Pilot was Sgt W W Russell, 1370146)

Regards
Ross

[Dick]

Hi Henk
I found a Robert Wood(no middle initial) registered at Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Also at Cirencester were Barton,21,Fitzgerald,32, and McKenzie,27 all 4 in the 2nd Qtr of '43
possibly all on DW914
Rogers,32, registered at Barnet, Hertfordshire
I didn't find MacGavin
Regards
Dick

[COL BRUGGY]

Henk,

Spitfire VA P8239, was a presentation Spitfire - "SIALKOT II" (P9397, similarly named).

On 31 March (1943), P8239 (of 53 OTU), force-landed in a field at Loughter Old Wallace Farm,
Wenvoe, Glamorgan. Sgt J Craighead (NZ) was injured, and his aircraft was declared Category E and struck off charge.

See: Gifts of War/Boot & Sturtivant p.283

I think it would be wise to get confirmation on Craighead from Errol.

Col.

[Errol Martyn]

Craighead will have been:

NZ417030 Wt Off John Wilson Craighead
born Christchurch 11 Nov 1919
Enlisted RNZAF 21 Dec 41
Embarked 'West Point' for Canada 11 Apr 42
Graduated as pilot in Canada
To UK/att RAF
According to p367 of Vol Three of 'New Zealanders with the R.A.F.', he later flew Thunderbolts with 258 Sqn and 'also saw action over the Arakan'.

Died 2001 and is buried at Green Park Cemetery, Otago.

Errol

[Henk Welting]

Thanks friends for all this excellent info; much appreciated.

Ross: HX450 - I've a note that Sgt William W. RUSSELL was injured and died on board of HMS Abelia; CWGC has him as the WOp/Ag.

Regards,
Henk.

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Henk,

Form 1180 gave his name and service number so I took this to mean he was the captain.

When I get round to examining the ORB I'll check for crew positions.

Cheers for the name of the ship I just had a note that the died aboard the rescue vessel.

Regards
Ross

[Theletterwriter]

Henk

I have checked for LAC David P. McGAVIN - 1556901 - age 35 in the Scottish Records but there is no trace. The Scottish Records have confirmed the spelling of his name as McGavin as he was born in Glasgow in August 1907. The CWCC site records him as buried in a cemetery in Bearsden which is just North of Glasgow. It may be worth one of the forum members who have access to the English or Welsh records to have another search for the death registration using the name McGavin and not MacGavin.

Douglas

[dave bristol]

Henk, Douglas

David P McGavin aged 35 is registered in Hereford, in the second quarter of the year.


Dave Molyneux

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dave for info on McGAVIN.
Regards,
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

Henk, Douglas

David P McGavin aged 35 is registered in Hereford, in the second quarter of the year.


Dave Molyneux

Probably a connection to AC2 Roland S. STEWART also DOAS and registered Hereford.
Henk.

[dennis_burke]

Cpl. P J Rogers listed DOAS in May 27th magazine, 1943.

Scanned as Cpl. P. J. Rogers; Came up in a normal search.

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Henk

Wood, Barton, Fitzgerald and McKenzie were all four crew of DW914 which crashed on a fuel consumption test.

Regards
Ross

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Ross. Serial and crew were in my files. Fuel consumption test was new to me.
Regards,
Henk.

[jonheyworth]

Leslie Herbert Savill ( SAVILLE in his records) 1031482 , attached to Unit 7282 , was taken dangerously ill on 28 March and was admitted to Number 34 General hospital where he died at 14:00 Hours of appendicitis

Due to CWGC having his name wrong , Saville has been difficult to trace but he is now the last RAF Airman in Africa fo be accounted. Another project milestone

[jonheyworth]

David Purdon McGavin 1556901 ,attached to Number 11 SOTT, was admitted seriously ill to RAF hospital Hereford on 17 March, becoming dangerously ill on 30 March, dying of bilateral pneumonia

[jonheyworth]

Percival John Rogers 1202594 , attached to Number 80 Signals Wing, died in SSQ of a cerebral haemorrhage