S/l 39998 A.j.a Llewellin Raf

[phill jones]

I Am Seeking Information About The Death Of This Raf Officer Killed While With 232 Sqd Could Have Been Co Of Sqd .
Had Also Flown With 19 Sqd .?
He Was Killed In A Hurricane While Taking Off In Coarse Pitch And Hit The Mast Of A Junk .singapore ,24/3/42 .
Was Also A Flight Instructor At 53 Otu .
Apart From The Usual London Gazette Entries I Have Very Little
Again I Thank You In Advance

[allan125]

I Am Seeking Information About The Death Of This Raf Officer Killed While With 232 Sqd Could Have Been Co Of Sqd .
Had Also Flown With 19 Sqd .?
He Was Killed In A Hurricane While Taking Off In Coarse Pitch And Hit The Mast Of A Junk .singapore ,24/3/42 .
Was Also A Flight Instructor At 53 Otu .
Apart From The Usual London Gazette Entries I Have Very Little
Again I Thank You In Advance

Hi Phil

Your date must be incorrect - by 24 March 1942 Singapore had been in Japanese hands for about 5 weeks, it surrendered on 15 February 1942, and the squadrons had been evacuated - 232 moved to Palembang on 1 Feb '42.

According to Rawlings "Fighter squadrons of the RAF" 232 was incorporated with 242 squadron on 25 February 1942 at Tjililitan. Your man is shown as CO from Oct '41 - Jan '42, and then Feb '42 - Feb '42 with S/L Landels taking over Jan '42 - Jan '42, then S/L R E P Brooker (lost in 1945 when Wing Leader of 122 Wing) Jan '42 - Jan '42 and Feb '42 - Feb '42. S/L Brooker is also shown as CO of 242 squadron from Jan '42 - Mar '42. The combined squadron is deemed to have distintegrated in Java approx 10 March 1942.

Hope this helps?

cheers

Allan

[dennis_burke]

there is a snippet of 'Bloody Shambles' by C. F. Shores, B. Cull, Yasuho Izawa
on google books which says:


"Following breakfast, Flt Lt Sharp offered the services of his 258 Squadron detachment and their two Hurricanes to Sqn Ldr Llewellin and, after a swift telephone call to Air HQ to obtain permission, the five pilots were officially attached to the unit. Just after 0930 'A' Flight landed from a patrol to be relieved by 'B' Flight, but almost at once (at 0945) they were ordered to scramble. In his haste to get airborne, Llewellin failed to fasten his seat harness or, it would seem, to set his propeller to fine pitch. With the blades apparently clawing ineffectively at the air in coarse pitch, the Hurricane struck the mast of a junk in the harbour as it struggled sluggishly into the air; it crashed into the sea, carrying Llewellin to his death"

No clue in the snippets as to where this occured.

[phill jones]

Allan[/QUOTE] Indeed your info is much welcomed and indeed correct , the date of death is correct , but my location is wrong , many thanks bw phill

[phill jones]

[QUOTE=dennis , many thanks for the info it will indeed help bw phill

[allan125]

Hi Phil

he is commemorated on the Singapore memorial - perhaps that is where you got the idea it was in Singapore?

from CWGC.org

In Memory of
Squadron Leader ARTHUR JOHN ALEXANDER LLEWELLIN
39998, 232 Sqdn., Royal Air Force
who died
on 24 March 1942
Son of Arthur E. and Lillian Llewellin; husband of Pamela Llewellin, of Woodford Wells, Essex.
Remembered with honour
SINGAPORE MEMORIAL

Let's hope that somebody can give a full quote from "Bloody Shambles"

cheers

Allan

[brian]

Hi Phil

I suggest you obtain a copy of my 'Hurricanes over Singapore' for fuller details of him and 232 Squadron. If you are really interested I could sell you a signed copy!!

He did crash into Keppel Harbour, Singapore in Z5482 on 7 February 1942.

Cheers
Brian

[dennis_burke]

Brian
is the date of death on CWGC incorrect then or is the Z5482 crash a different one?

Dennis

[brian]

Hi Dennis

The date on CWGC is incorrect - he was killed on 7 February 1942.

Cheers
Brian

[dennis_burke]

Had you any luck in telling them this? You must have ORB and other details to show them if you contacted them?

[phill jones]

It looks like i have opened up a small can of worms , my interest lies IN THE FACT that S/L Llewellin was before going overseas a Flight Instructor at No 53 OTU , my labour at the moment . again my very sincere thanks to all , looks like i will have to get the book .

[brian]

Hi Dennis

No, I have not contacted CWGC re Llewellin. In fact, I wasn't aware that the date of his death had been incorrectly recorded. However, I believe there are others who were lost during the fighting in Singapore, Sumatra and Java whose recorded dates of death are incorrect.

Regarding Llewellin, I believe that he had very little operational experience before being given this command and was lost on his first operational flight from Singapore, thus leaving 232 Squadron without a CO.

Cheers
Brian

[phill jones]

Brian , looking at your last message , i am not sure if you know , but if my notes are correct then i believe that S/L Llewellin , had flown with 19 sqd and 29 sqd before 232sqd .
but again how much operational flying i am not 100% sure.i looked up the Wikipedai list of pilots and aircrew who flew in the Battle Of Britain , S/L.Llewellin flew in the BoB, with 29 sqd .
what i found of interest was the fact that they listed his DATE OF DEATH as 7/2/42 .