400921 - Unaccounted airmen - 21-9-1940

[Henk Welting]

What caused the death of and/or what were the places of death registration for:

LAC Percy CHAPMAN - 902898 - killed on active service.
AC2 George S. EVERETT - 1260103 - died of wounds or injuries received on active service.
Sgt (Pilot) Edgar A.J. KEIGHLEY - 745306 - same as AC2 Everett.
AC2 Robert T.McW. STREIGHT - 976216 - not listed Flight archives.

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:

Oxford I - L9693 - RAFC - crashed on take-off at night near Barkston Heath.
Tiger Moth II - N6455 - 1 EFTS - location not known - damaged 21.9.40 and SOC 23.10.40
DC-3 - G-AGBC - BOAC - crashed at Heston.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Chapman,28, and Streight,19 are both registered at Grantham,Lincolnshire which might indicate the accident at Barkston Heath.
Everitt,25, is registered at Pancras. I couldn't find Keighley which might indicate Scotland
Regards
Dick

[Amrit]

AC2 Robert T.McW. STREIGHT is listed as Died on Active Service

Dick, Keighley is buried in LOSSIEMOUTH (Moray Firth), though his home town was Epsom, so that does seem to fit what you said about a Scottish registration

A

[wwrsimon]

Hello

LAC Percy CHAPMAN - 902898 - the Grave Registration Report Form records him as being with 'F.T.S.'

AC2 George S. EVERETT - 1260103 - the Grave Registration Report Form records him as being with 13 M.U.

Sgt (Pilot) Edgar A.J. KEIGHLEY - 745306 - the Grave Registration Report Form records him as being with 20 O.T.U. The Statutory Death Register on the Scotland's People Website records that he died at 7.30 a.m. at Grays Hospital, Elgin, the result of extensive burns to the body, which had occurred some 5 days previously.

AC2 Robert T.McW. STREIGHT - 976216 - the Grantham Journal of September 27th 1940 reported the following:

WENT INTO PATH OF BUS
Airman's Tragic End at Grantham
The circumstances surrounding the death of a young airman, Robert Thomas MacWilliam Streight, who was fatally injured when knocked down by a bus late on Friday night, were related to the Grantham Coroner, Mr. A. C. Malim, at an inquest at the Guildhall on Monday.
Aircraftman Rowland Hall said he and a friend were walking up St. Catherine's Road towards Harrowby Road. Crossing the road to catch a bus at the top they heard a screech of brakes. "I saw the silhouette of a person and the lighted end of a cigarette," continued witness. "It was very dark at that spot and the figure appeared to go right in front of an approaching bus. I noticed then that the cigarette flew through the air."
Evidence by Flight Sergeant Rideout showed that deceased was a keen boxer, was sober and quite happy a few minutes before the accident.
Dr. Jack A. Taylor, resident medical officer at Grantham Hospital, said Streight was dead on arrival at the hospital in the ambulance.
The coroner, returning a verdict of "accidental death," said no blame was attached to the driver, and it remained a mystery as to why the man stepped into the road.

Regards

Simon

[malcolm_raf]

Hi

According to Chorley, Wellington IA, N2900 of 20 OTU was allegedly lost in a take off accident on 16 Sep 1940 but no confirmation has been found. However, it could be that Keighley was injured in this incident as the time frame fits nicely.

Chapman - Oxford I - L9693 - RAFC - crashed on take-off at night near Barkston Heath.

Malcolm

[wwrsimon]

Thanks for that Malcolm.

Regards

Simon

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

400921 - Unaccounted Airmen - 21 - 09 - 1940

From Henk's List -

UK
CHAPMAN, Percy - Lac - 902898 - RAFVR.
Cranwell (St.Andrew) Churchyard, Lincolnshire.
Oxford I - L9693 - RAF Cranwell FTS.

EVERETT, George Sidney - AC2c - 1260103 - RAFVR - 13 MU.
Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey.
Died of injuries sustained in an Air Raid on RAF Henlow.

FOX, John Eric - AC2c - 934131 - RAFVR.
Ramsgate Cemetery, Kent.
Fell from the tower of Westminster Cathedral during an Air Raid.

KEIGHLEY, Edgar Arthur James - Sgt - 745306 - RAFVR - 20 OTU.
Lossiemouth Burial Ground, Moray.
Died at Grays Hospital, Elgin of burn injuries received some five days earlier.

QUILL, Philip - Sgt - 755038 - RAFVR - 106 Sqn.
Finningley (Holy Trinity and St Oswald) Churchyard Extension, Nottinghamshire.
Accidentally struck by an airscrew of a stationary aircraft probably at RAF Finningley.

STREIGHT, Robert Thomas McWilliam - AC2c - 976216 - RAFVR.
Carnmoney (Church of the Holy Evangelists) Church of Ireland Churchyard and Extension,
At night stepped into the road and was hit by a passing Bus. Declared dead on arrival at Hospital.

THOMSON, Forbes - AC2c - 977226 - RAFVR.
Newmachar Cemetery, Aberdeenshire.
Died in the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading. Cause of death ?

From CWGC -

CANADA
PORTER, Albert Edward - AC1c - R/56893 - RCAF.
Morris Cemetery, Manitoba, Canada.
Death caused by the mid air collision of two RCAF training aircraft.
Porter's Aircraft Fleet Finch II - 4449 in collision with Fleet Finch I - 1018.

UK
COX, Alex Robert Temple - P/O - 33509 - RAF.
Brentwood (Woodman Road) Cemetery, Essex.
SIMS, Victor William - Sgt - 903535 - RAFVR.
Barkingside Cemetery, Ilford.
These two airmen were crew of Lysander III - R9077 - 4 Sqn.

WARDEL - KNIGHT, Eric Cecil - Sgt - 742468 - RAFVR - 142 Sqn.
Littleover (St.Peter) Churchyard, Derbyshire.
Killed in a motorcycle accident.

TOPOLNICKI, Juliusz Jaroslaw - Porucznik(F/O) - P/76722 - PAF - KW, ML.
Exeter Higher Cemetery, Devon.
Hurricane I - L1894 - 601 Sqn.

PELZER, Gustav - GAF.
Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery, Staffordshire.
Cause of death ?

Alex

[alieneyes]

CANADA
PORTER, Albert Edward - AC1c - R/56893 - RCAF.
Morris Cemetery, Manitoba, Canada.
Death caused by the mid air collision of two RCAF training aircraft.
Aircraft type/serial number's ?

Porter's file states Fawn No. 2 No. 4449 (presumably Fleet Fawn Mk II). Pilot was F/O CC Moran. Accident occurred near Brighton, Ontario.

Porter suffered "compound fractures of middle right tibula, fibula and left humerus; fractures of both bones left ankle joint, femur through right knee joint, neck of right humerus, left radius and Ulna (lower third),
cervical spine, jaw, skull in right occipital region; multiple fractures of ribs bilateral and multiple lacerations head and face - death instantaneous"

"Passenger unable to get out of plane and use his parachute. Reason unknown"

C1063 S/Ldr Charles Cecil Moran went on to be awarded the DFC for his time on No. 418 Squadron. Hugh's database adds the following re this 1940 accident:

https://www.rcafassociation.ca/herit...d_all&type=all

Notes: Injured 21 September 1940 when he had to bale out of an aircraft near Brighton. This arose from the collision of aircraft 1018 and 4449 involving the death of AC2 Porter. The pilots were Moran and a F/O Hill, both of whom were deemed to have engaged in dangerous flying. Indeed, Moran was considered the more blameworthy. A memo dated 27 November 1940 (Air Commodore Robert Leckie to Air Officer Commanding, No.1 Training Command) was incredibly damning: (a) He was not authorized to undertake any formation flight. (b) When in the air he allowed two other aircraft, the pilots of which as far as he could tell were complete strangers and having done so not only did he carry out dangerous manoeuvres such as diving at the ground but was foolhardy enough to indulge in formation aerobatics, without ever considering if they were capable of doing so. (c) He purposely dived the formation dangerously low over his own home in order to show off. (d) He failed to make any provision for the proper equipment with which to communicate to his passenger with the result that the unfortunate AC2 Porter could not have been informed that the pilot was abandoning him and letting the aircraft crash to the ground.

Regards,

Dave

[wwrsimon]

Alex

PELZER, Gustav - the only casualty on board Do-215 W/Nr 0023 VB+KK of 2/Aufkalrungsgruppe 121, shot down near Trawsfynyedd by P/O/ Dennis A. Adams of 611 Sqn.

See:

https://www.pbase.com/gefailgof/image/104561354

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gefailgof/7788199384

Regards

Simon

[jonheyworth]

Edgar Arthur James Keighley 745306 , was seriously injured in a flying accident when Wellington 1A N2900 crashed at RAF Lossiemouth at 15:10 Hours. Admitted to Gray's Hospital, Elgin , he died of shock secondary to severe burns to the face, arms and legs