440905 - Unaccounted Airmen - 5-9-1944

[jonheyworth]

There’s nothing else noted. My only suggestion would be to get a GRO overseas death certificate but I suspect it wouldn’t say much more

[Big Makk]

Thanks Jon.
I take your pointer, but like-wise, I don't expect it will say much more. Only an 'In Memorium' in local newspaper one year later. No modern relatives traced.
Stewart

[wwrsimon]

Hello

A bit of bckground for James Cross, via a family tree on ancestry.co.uk:

Cross was a Police Constable in Lancashire County Constabulary before the war, and in 1939 was living at 66 Cop Lane (yes, really!). He was born on August 28th 1910.

There is a photo of him in Police uniform, with the P.C. number 662 on his collar.

From the Lancashire Evening Post of September 8th 1944:

KILLED
A former member of the Lancashire County Constabulary, stationed at Hutton, Sergeant James Cross, a wireless operator air gunner in the R.A.F. Coastal Command, has been killed on active service overseas. The official intimation has been received by his wife, who resides at 66, Cop-lane, Fenwortham, Preston.
Aged 33, Sergeant Cross was a native of Forton, where his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. Cross, reside at Pear Tree House. He joined the County Constabulary about eight years ago and was engaged with the motor patrol.

His name is on the County Constabulary WW2 Roll of Honour:

https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/3342

Regards

Simon

[Big Makk]

Hi Simon.
Apologies for the delay in replying, but I did shortly after your post. I can only blame my ignorance in technology that I have not pressed the correct button to 'send' it properly.
Firstly, thanks for the post and details of Sgt. Cross' history which I have incorporated. In the meanwhile I have been plodding on with the research and have managed to trace Cross' 90 years old sister-in-law and her son/nephew. This part of the family are estranged from Sgt. Cross' side and they have no memorabilia, however we have exchanged some information and I hope to meet with them in the near future to talk things over. There are three other siblings of Cross but they are proving difficult to follow as they have tended to live in the same area for the last 150 years and descendants are all called John/Ellen etc. Makes it hard to follow the correct line. Have obtained photos of local memorial along with village one near Lancaster, along with police HQ memorial. Another distant descendant, who has done the family tree to the 1700's, though again it is an offshoot branch who has little information on our side of the family. Still got another couple of cul-de-sacs to go down before have to wind it up. Cross' wife remarried twice after the war and son possibly died in Devon with no marriage or children yet traced for sure. Still awaiting reply from 36 Sqd secretary and another 'Ancestry' contact.
Again, many thanks for your time and interest.
Stewart