440616 - Unaccounted Airmen - 16-6-1944

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

440616 - Unaccounted Airmen - 16-6-1944

From Henk's list -

CANADA
BRADY, Ralph Poston - Cpl (Armourer) - R/88792 - RCAF - Toronto (Westminster), Ontario, Canada.

UK
HUGHES, Cyril Herbert - AC2c - 1161113 - RAFVR - Northampton (Kingsthorpe), Northamptonshire.
NICHOLS, Reginald Harry - AC2c - 1643554 - RAFVR - East Wickham (St. Michael), Kent.

From CWGC & Geoff's sites -

CYPRUS
TAYLOR, Frederick - Sgt - 1800802 - RAFVR - Nicosia, Cyprus. [ Wellington X - LN867 - 77 OTU ].

EGYPT
GREENWOOD, John Brian - F/S - 1458102 - RAFVR - Alamein, Egypt. [ Wellington X - LN867 - 77 OTU ].
HALEY, Frederick - Sgt - 611486 - RAF - Alamein, Egypt. [ Wellington X - LN867 - 77 OTU ].
McLACHLAN, Ian - F/S - 1238118 - RAFVR - Alamein, Egypt. [ Wellington X - LN867 - 77 OTU ].
SMALE<,John Gideon Richard - Sgt - 1651615 - RAFVR - Alamein, Egypt. [ Wellington X - LN867 - 77 OTU ].

FRANCE
BAKER, Ernest Reginald - Wng/Cdr (Pilot) - 40660 - D S O, D F C & Bar - RAFVR - Beny-Sur-Mer,Reviers, Calvados, France.

INDIA
SLACK, Aubrey Newman - LAC - 1613196 - RAFVR - Dellhi, India.

LEBANESE REPUBLIC
WHITLOCK, Robert - P/O - 163028 - RAFVR - Sidon, Lebanese Republic.

PAKISTAN
CAHILL, George Timithy John - F/S (Pilot) - 1335638 - RAFVR - Karachi, Pakistan.

UK
JEFFERIES, William Peter - Sqdn/Ldr (Flying Instructor) - 100542 - RAFVR - Bath (Haycombe), Somerset. [ Oxford I - ED236 - CFS ].

ZIMBABWE
STONE, Gordon Barry - AC2c (Pilot U/T) - 1473059 - RAFVR - Gweru, Zimbabwe.

Alex

[Dakota]

G'day

Brady died of natural causes.

Cheers...Chris

[greg]

Alex, re: W/C Baker, I found this: -

http://www.eregbaker.info/ww2_1944_16_june.htm

Best as always,

Greg

[malcolm_raf]

Hi

155 RSU was 155 Repair and Salvage Unit but was based at Lydda in Palestine so unlikely he was with that unit if he was buried in Karachi

However, he was killed whilst flying in Argus II, FS571 of No 144 RSU, which crashed after flying into trees at Latimber.

Malcolm

[alieneyes]

Stewart,

http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...php?qnum=17249

RSU: Seen it as both Repair and Servicing Unit & Repair and Salvage Unit

Regards,

Dave

[malcolm_raf]

Hi

CYPRUS & EGYPT
TAYLOR, Frederick - Sgt - 1800802 - RAFVR - Nicosia, Cyprus. [ Wellington X - LN867 - 77 OTU ].
GREENWOOD, John Brian - F/S - 1458102 - RAFVR - Alamein, Egypt. [ Wellington X - LN867 - 77 OTU ].
HALEY, Frederick - Sgt - 611486 - RAF - Alamein, Egypt. [ Wellington X - LN867 - 77 OTU ].
McLACHLAN, Ian - F/S - 1238118 - RAFVR - Alamein, Egypt. [ Wellington X - LN867 - 77 OTU ].
SMALE<,John Gideon Richard - Sgt - 1651615 - RAFVR - Alamein, Egypt. [ Wellington X - LN867 - 77 OTU ].

All listed as being at Qastiina

INDIA
SLACK, Aubrey Newman - LAC - serving with 326 MU.

LEBANESE REPUBLIC
WHITLOCK, Robert - P/O - probably killed whilst flying in Wellington X, HE766 of No 76 OTU, which was abandoned near Breha in Palestine during a night navigation exercise following an engine failure.

PAKISTAN
CAHILL, George Timithy John - F/S (Pilot) - possibly killed when Liberator III, BZ959 'E' of No 34 SAAF Sqn collided with a lorry and another aircraft during a fast taxying run to test the brakes, also Gore and Humphries are two other possibles.

UK
HUGHES, Cyril Herbert - AC2 - serving with 115 Sqn, registered in Northampton.
NICHOLS, Reginald Harry - AC2 - registered in Bromley.
JEFFERIES, William Peter - Sqdn/Ldr (Flying Instructor) - Oxford I - ED236 - CFS ].

ZIMBABWE
STONE, Gordon Barry - AC2 (Pilot U/T) - He was possibly killed whilst flying in Harvard II, EX242 of No 22 SFTS, which crashed in Southern Rhodesia, no further details (A-B states 17 Jun 1944).

[Big Makk]

Thank you gentlemen for your responses and pointers.
However, I remain somewhat confused (.com).
Have CWGC certificate + grave details + 1939 Register showing family in local residence.
Nothing yet traced in local newspapers recording death or subsequent family members, but there were of course larger happenings in Normandy that week which would have taken pre-dominance.

CWGC says GORE with 34 Sqdn. 34’s ORB’s (541) only records one-liner for 16 June, 1944, in that “Hurricane II LD 738, F/S Popplewell E.W., on local duty 1500-1530, carrying out A & E (Aircraft and Engine ?) Test at RAF Dergaon, Assam, India. Nothing further.
ORB 540 says “weather was again bad all day. One a/c was on an A & E Test. Nothing further.

Malcolm records in Thread 440616 of 2014 that George Timothy John CAHILL in Liberator BZ 959 of 34 Sqdn collided with a lorry and another a/c during taxi test and that GORE and Humphries are two other possibles.
But, jonheyworth in the same Thread of 2021 reports that CAHILL was killed in a flying accident in Argus FS 571 near Lafamber (where’s that? Can’t find it on Google), and Malcolm reports in same Thread of 2021 that GORE was killed in the Argus FS 571.

However Matt Poole also states that GORE killed in BZ 959.

The ORB’s for 144 RSU are not yet digitised. Am I to go through the N.A.’s to find out what happened to GORE or does someone have a definitive.

Stewart, (sorry to have gone on a bit)

[COL BRUGGY]

Malcolm,

Re: PAKISTAN - CAHILL. No.34 Sqn SAAF never served in the Far East. The unit was No 357 Sqn RAF. The date, 16-6-1944, is correct. Matt Poole discusses this incident in detail here:

http://rquirk.com/RAFLiberators/Ough...0NOTESVer1.pdf p.36 of 90 (Pg 137: BZ959).

Col.

[malcolm_raf]

Hi Col

My mistake on the sqn, but I got the date 16 Jun from the Air Britain book on the Liberator

Cahill was serving with 34 Sqn, which I inadvertently entered as 34 SAAF. The other two were serving with 144 RSU.

Were the six killed and one injured RAF because there's no corresponding losses on 10 June

Malcolm

[COL BRUGGY]

Malcolm,

Slipped up myself on date. Have amended previous posting.

Col.