440508 - Unaccounted Airmen - 8-5-1944

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

440508 - Unaccounted Airmen - 8-5-1944

From Henk's list -

WAAF
UK
COOKE, Violet Rose - ACW2 - 2146969 - WAAF - Highgate, London.

UK
DEANS, Erneste - F/S (pilot) - 1562062 - RAFVR - West Kilbride, Ayrshire.
GRISENTHWAITE, William - AC2c(A/G U/T) - 2225824 - RAFVR - Penrith, Cumberland.
HOLLAND, Desmond - AC2c(A/G U/T) - 1593681 - RAFVR - Rawcliffe, Yorkshire.
KILLMAN, Ronald Alexander - AC2c(A/G U/T) - 1878597 - RAFVR - Bath (Haycombe), Somerset.
KNOWLES, William Arthur - AC2c(A/G U/T) - 3002388 - RAFVR - Burstow (St. Bartholomew), Surrey.
MURPHY, John - AC1c - 1047158 - RAFVR - Stockton-On-Tees (Durham Road), Durham.
ROBINSON, John Gordon - AC2c (A/G U/T) - 3042103 - RAFVR - Helmsley, Yorkshire.
SHOESMITH, Ronald - AC1c (A/G U/T) - 1606926 - RAFVR - Old Woking Burial Ground, Surrey.
SMERDON, Harold - Cpl - 286075 - RAF - Spalding, Lincolnshire.
WALKER, Cecil - F/L - 5004 - RAF - Kearsley New, Lancashire.

From CWGC & Geoff's sites -

UK
AUSTIN, Alan - F/L (Pilot) - 123302 - D F C - RAFVR - Manchester Southern, Lancashire. [ Horsa - LJ496 - 1665 HCU ].
FALCONER, Sidney Godfrey - F/L (Pilot) - 129233 - D F C; D F M - RAFVR - South Shields (Harton), Durham. [ Horsa - LJ496 - 1665 HCU ].
HALL, William Stanley - LAC - 1220191 - RAFVR - Stoke-On-Trent (Hartshill), Staffordshire. [ Martinet TT I - HP361 - 1 AGS ].
MITCHELL, Ronald Bertram - Sgt(Pilot) - 919453 - RAFVR - Highcliffe (St. Mark), Hampshire. [ Oxford I - ED282 - 18 AFU ].

Alex

[malcolm_raf]

Hi

UK
COOKE, Violet Rose - ACW2 - registered in Islington.
DEANS, Erneste - F/S (pilot) - killed whilst flying in Anson, LV300 or MG131 of No 7 AGS, which collided with another aircraft of the same unit during a cine-gun camera training exercise and crashed into the sea off Porthcawl.
GRISENTHWAITE, William - AC2 (A/G U/T) - see Deans.
HOLLAND, Desmond - AC2 (A/G U/T) - not Eng/Wales.
KILLMAN, Ronald Alexander - AC2 (A/G U/T) - see Deans.
KNOWLES, William Arthur - AC2 (A/G U/T) - see Deans.
MURPHY, John - AC1 - not Eng/Wales?.
ROBINSON, John Gordon - AC2 (A/G U/T) - see Deans.
SHOESMITH, Ronald - AC1 (A/G U/T) - not Eng/Wales?.
SMERDON, Harold - Cpl - registered in Bromsgrove.
WALKER, Cecil - F/L - registered in Don Valley.
AUSTIN, Alan - F/L (Pilot) - Horsa - LJ496 - 1665 HCU ].
FALCONER, Sidney Godfrey - F/L (Pilot) - Horsa - LJ496 - 1665 HCU ].
HALL, William Stanley - LAC - probably Martinet TT I - HP361 - 1 AGS ].
MITCHELL, Ronald Bertram - Sgt(Pilot) - Oxford I - ED282 - 18 AFU ].

Malcolm

[Tim Bishop]

Hello All,

Martinet HP361 confirmed as notes below:

HP361 P& Powis 1690 / C 23 (c) Mercury XXX 04.03.43 1 A.G.S., Pembrey;24.11.43 Flying Accident Cat A damage, 1 A.G.S., Pembrey, whilst towing over the sea aircraft struck by lightning. Pilot Sergeant CARETTE, Jules (1299853) B.A.F. Uninjured, Unknown T.T.O. Uninjured. Accident time15.30, Duty: Drogue Towing; Unknown date of repair and return to 1 A.G.S., Pembrey; 08.05.44 Flying Accident Cat E damage, 1 A.G.S., Pembrey, aircraft performing unauthorised low flying when struck the bow of a tree that was 30’ high and dived into ground. Aircraft crashed at Cwrt Malle Farm, Carmarthenshire where the fiancée of the T.T.O worked. Pilot Sergeant KINEL, Jacek (P.704307) P.A.F. Killed, T.T.O. Leading Aircraftman HALL, William Stanley (1220191) Killed. Accident time 09.55, duty: Drogue Towing; 17.05.44 S.O.C.

Regards,

Tim

[wwrsimon]

Re: MURPHY, John - there's a John J Murphy, aged 22, registered in Newark, June 1944 on FreeBMD...a possibility?

Regards

Simon

[Martyn A Critchlow]

SMERDON, Harold - Cpl - 286075 - accidental death, died from injuries received in a collision with a lorry.
(Lincolnshire Echo, 15 May 1944)

Martyn

[jonheyworth]

Violet Rose Cooke (spelled COOK in some records ) 2146969 , a clerk GD attached to RAF Cosford, was taken seriously ill on 4 May and admitted to the Royal Northern hospital, London E7 where she died of unknown causes at 22:00 hours. A post mortem found she had died of septacemia following an illegal abortion. An inquest held on 11 May and 1 June left an open verdict as no further details could be discovered following investigations

[dennis_burke]

Further to the information on this old archived thread:
http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/09612.php

J P J Desloges died on board Douglas A-14B 42-54746, or as recorded by the French Air Force, 254.746.

His service file contains a report from French Air Force CRRA (Centre de Reparments Et De Ravit?ailments De L'Air), Aircraft A.24 B "254.746" crashed following engine failure, piloted by 2Lt COUTANT, Georges Fernand

The flight was returning W/C Desloges to Rabat from Casablanca.

[jonheyworth]

John ( JOSEPH ) Murphy 1047158 , attached to RAF Winthorpe. Was admitted dangerously ill to Newark EMS hospital on 6 May where he died of diabetes

[jonheyworth]

Stanley Albert Crouch-Baker 1613603 , attached to 5016 AC Squadron , was transferred from RAF hospital, West Kirby, to the Soutgern Hospital, Dartford on 6 June. He became dangerously ill on 3 July , and whilst awaiting medical discharge from the RAF , died of gastritis

[malcolm_raf]

Hi Jon

"Stanley Albert Crouch-Baker 1613603 , attached to 5016 AC Squadron , was transferred from RAF Hospital, West Kirby, to the Soutgern Hospital, Dartford on 6 June. He became dangerously ill on 3 July , and whilst awaiting medical discharge from the RAF , died from gastritis"

Can you recheck this one - CWGC has his death as 8 May (before these events) and I have him dying in Doncaster Royal Infirmary, cause unknown, having been admitted on 24 April? He was attached to No 18 OTU attached from No 5016 AC Sqn.

Malcolm