430525 - Unaccounted airmen - 25-5-1943

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

A - Died on active service:
AC2 Albert HUGHES - 1580348;
LAC Percy D. THURSTON - 1445340, and
S/Ldr William WILSON - 45239 - age 54.

B - Not found Flight Global:
Sgt (WOp/Ag) Thomas H. YELLOWLEES - 1114054 - 612 Sqn (Chivenor, Devon).

C - What was the GRO-lising for:
AC2 James F. CONVOY - 1397996 - age 21;
AC1 Arthur E. MAYNARD - 1724363 - age 19, and
LAC Reginald E. PLOWRIGHT - 1460296 - age 35,
who all DOAS and are buried in the Heliopolis War Cem., Egypt.

D - Proposed aircraft loss:
Hotspur II Glider - HH295 - 5 GTS - crashed in forced landing Grove Farm, Pembridge, Leominster, Herefordshire.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Theletterwriter]

Henk

Sgt (WOp/Ag) Thomas Henry YELLOWLEES - 1114054 aged 20 died in Dunbar Hospital, Thurso. His death is registered in the District of Thurso, County of Caithness, Scotland. His record indicated he died from injuries suffered for two and a half months due to war operations. This would, I assume, put the actual aircraft crash around late February or early March 1943.

Douglas

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Hughes,20, registered at Bridgenorth, Shropshire
Thurston,30, registered at York
The most likely Wilson is age 54, registered at Swindon Wiltshire. He is buried at Cirencester and if he had been based there could have been taken to RAF Wrougton Hospital just S of Swindon,hence the Swindon registration.The Hospital was a major one and is within easy reach of Cirencester in the event of accident or illness
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dick and Douglas for info.
Douglas: 612 Sqn based at Wick, Caithness, flying Wellingtons. Can't find a Wellington loss for this unit during Febr, March and April 1943. Aircraft may have returned safely to base and YELLOWLEES wounded on ops. Perhaps the ORB (Coastal Command ?) may have the solution.
Regards,
Henk.

[thorne83]

Hi Henk,

Hughes died in RAF Hospital, Bridgnorth.

Cheers, Tom

[thorne83]

Ps. Just for the record note that Bridgnorth spelt with no 'e' (a common error)!

[COL BRUGGY]

Henk,

I think we're looking for a Whitley incident on 13-3-1943. (Possibly BDXXX serial).

110651 F/O (Pilot) Roy BENZIES RAFVR +
133624 P/O (Pilot) Peter BRITTEN RAFVR +
1069917 F/Sgt (Nav.) Herbert TATTERSALL RAFVR +

All Killed in Action 13-3-1943. Same Casualty List as:

114054 Sgt (W.Op/Air Gnr.) Thomas Henry YELLOWLEES (Wounded or Injured in Action)

Flight May 13, 1943 p.514. Cas. Comm. No,232

Need one more crew member?

Col.

[Henk Welting]

That's him Col. Following info rcvd from Ross McNeill:
Whitley VII - BD678 - WL-R - took off Wick 04.10 hrs. Crashed into Ben Hutig, Sutherland whilst on convoy escort duty. BENZIES, BRITTEN and TATTERSALL killed; besides YELLOWLEES also Sgt K.J. DUBBEN and F/Sgt K.J. REEVES survived.
Regards,
Henk.

[Theletterwriter]

Thanks Dick and Douglas for info.
Douglas: 612 Sqn based at Wick, Caithness, flying Wellingtons. Can't find a Wellington loss for this unit during Febr, March and April 1943. Aircraft may have returned safely to base and YELLOWLEES wounded on ops. Perhaps the ORB (Coastal Command ?) may have the solution.
Regards,
Henk.

Henk

He died from what the record calls "deep burns". Wick is about 21 miles from Thurso and I would have thought there would have been a hospital nearer Wick. Possible burns unit in the Thurso hospital??

Douglas

[Henk Welting]

This kept us busy for a while. Must confess that Ross had initials "G.M." for YELLOWLEES.

Henk.

[dennis_burke]

C - What was the GRO-lising for:
AC2 James F. CONVOY - 1397996 - age 21; ----> 121 MU
AC1 Arthur E. MAYNARD - 1724363 - age 19, ----> 121 MU
LAC Reginald E. PLOWRIGHT - 1460296 - age 35, -----> 121 MU
who all DOAS and are buried in the Heliopolis War Cem., Egypt.

[Rich Allenby]

Henk, ref - Percy Thurston.

He sustained injuries when cycling in strong gale near Marston Moor airfield was blown off and under the wheels of a lorry. He was initially treated at SSQ and transferred to York Military Hospital, at Fulford where he died.

Source - Mr Brian Lunn.

regards Rich Allenby

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Rich to you and also Mr Brian Lunn for info on Percy THURSTON.
Regards,
Henk.

[jonheyworth]

James Frederick Convoy 1397996 and

Arthur Edward Maynard 1724363 and

Reginald Ernest Plowright 1460296

All attached to 106 MU , all died in an explosion during the demolition of unservicable bombs

[jonheyworth]

William Wilson 45239 , was admitted seriously ill to RAF Hospital Wroughton on 24 May where he died of an alveolar abscess

[jonheyworth]

Edwin Cyril Pettitt 1376336 , attached to Number 1 ADU, died when Baltimore AH 155 crashed 1 mile North of Bilbels airfield at 11:15 hours

[jonheyworth]

Albert Hughes 1580348 , attached to Number 18 ITW, died in RAF Hospital, Bridgnorth 3 days after admission of cavernous sinus thrombosis

[jonheyworth]

Peter Bentley 1266363b, attached to Number 21 Ferry Control , died in the Wyndham Hospital, Jodhpur, of heat exhaustion

[jonheyworth]

Neville Bruce Andrews 44068 | attached to 76 Squadron | was fatally injured at 09:56 Hours on 25 May when RAAF tender Number 203977 driven by LAC R.B. Grey 67484, collided with a telegraph pole at the intersection of Liverpool Road and Burwood Road in Engiled. The 4 Airmen on board were all injured and were admitted to Number 3 RAAF hospital where Andrews died from traumatic cerebral haemorrhage