430512 - Unaccounted airmen - 12-5-1943

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

A - Not found in Flight Global:
W/O Ralph G.H. CATHERALL - 335887 - age 37;
LAC Joseph RANSOM - 1200601 - age 32, and
Sgt (Pilot) Eric J. WASHINGTON - 1386139.

B - Died on active service:
LAC Robert FOOTE - 1437370;
Cpl Grenville C. HALL - 1369293;
AC2 William G. HARRIS - 1558802;
LAC Thomas V. LAWRENCE - 1115769 - age 32;
LAC Robert LOWRY - 1502000, and
LAC Fred UNDERWOOD - 1062161.

C - Proposed aircraft loss:
Beaufighter II.F - R2340 - 132 (C)OTU - crashed on approach Crauchie Farm, Prestonkirk, near East Fortune.

Regards and thanks,
Help.

[malcolm_raf]

Hi Henk

W/O Ralph G.H. CATHERALL - Horsham, Sussex (but age shown as 57)
LAC Joseph RANSOM - Dartford, Kent
Sgt (Pilot) Eric J. WASHINGTON - not Eng/Wales
LAC Robert FOOTE - not E/W
Cpl Grenville C. HALL - not E/W
AC2 William G. HARRIS - not E/W
LAC Thomas V. LAWRENCE - Sleaford, Lincolnshire;
LAC Robert LOWRY - not E/W
LAC Fred UNDERWOOD - not E/W

Malcolm

[Theletterwriter]

Henk

Sgt (Pilot) Eric James WASHINGTON - 1386139 : death registered Prestonkirk, County of East Lothian, Scotland.

The following are not registered in the Scottish records : -

LAC Robert FOOTE - 1437370 : aged 21
Cpl Grenville C. HALL - 1369293 : aged 35
AC2 William Gordon HARRIS - 1558802 : N.B. is buried in Glasgow (Eastwood) Cemetery
LAC Robert LOWRY - 1502000
LAC Fred UNDERWOOD - 1062161 : age 31

Douglas

[AL90]

Henk,
Sgt (Pilot) Eric James WASHINGTON - 1386139 was on Beaufighter R2340 which crashed at Crauchie Farm just off the end of East Fortune West/East runway.

Regards,
Alan.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks friends for all your support.
Best regards,
Henk.

[Scott McIntosh]

Thanks to Henk once again for leaving somewhat of a legacy and as it happens a name on my list of research pops up on here.

I have Eric James Washington with Beaufighter R2340 but have no record of a second name.

Is there any other information on any other crew?

[AL90]

Hi Scott,
From my files I have only one fatality on R2340.

Alan.

[Scott McIntosh]

Thanks Alan,

This seems to repeat itself in quite a few of the 2 person aircraft records that I am going through at the moment.

It repeats in another a blenheim but I have this already confirmed elsewhere that he was sole pilot.

Thanks for confirming this one though.

[wwrsimon]

Hello

W/O Ralph G.H. CATHERALL - 335887 - the National Probate Calendar records that he died at 51 Oakhill Road, Horsham, which was his home address, as reported in the West Sussex County Times of May 21st 1943:

Military Funeral for Warrant Officer
One of the first men to experiment in removing bombs from crashed German aircraft during the Battle of Britain, Warrant Officer Ralph Catherall, who died last week, was buried with full military honours on Saturday at Hills Cemetery.
W/O Catherall had resided with Mr. L. Lillywhite at 51, Oakhill Road, Horsham, for the past three years and had become well-known in the town.
He joined the R.A.F. as an apprentice in 1919 and was promoted to Warrant Officer in 1939. He served abroad and was awarded the North West Frontier Medal.

The following five airmen are all registered at Howden in the June-September quarter 1943:

LAC Robert FOOTE - 1437370 - registered East Howden. The Graves Registration Report Form gives his unit as 1658 C.U.

Cpl Grenville C. HALL - 1369293 - no unit of the G.R.R. as he was cremated.

AC2 William G. HARRIS - 1558802 - there is a 23 year old William G. Harris on FreeBMD, registered in Howden. No unit on the G.R.R.

LAC Robert LOWRY - 1502000 - the Graves Registration Report Form gives his unit as 1658 C.U.

LAC Fred UNDERWOOD - 1062161 - no unit of the G.R.R. as he was cremated.

Regards

Simon

[jonheyworth]

Thomas Vivien Lawrence 115769 , attached to 14 OTU , suffered serious burns in an accident on 20th April and was admitted to RAF Hospital Rauceby, where he died of bronchial pneumonia and his burn injuries

Jon

I have him as dying in Broadgreen Emergency Hospital, Liverpool, and his death was registered in Liverpool North, so he was probably transferred from Rauceby

Malcolm

[jonheyworth]

Robert Foote 1437370 and

Grenville Charles Hall 1369293 and

Willuam Gordon Harris 1558802 and

Robert Lowry 1502000 and

Fred Underwood 1062161 all attached to 1658 HCU, died when a fired destroyed a D Flight dispersal hut at RAF Ricall