401211 - Unaccounted airman - 11-12-1940

[Henk Welting]

What caused the death of and/or what was the place of death registration for:

LAC Thomas H. WATSON - 636354 - 231 Sqn (Newtonards, County of Down) - not found Flight archives.

Aircraft losses this day:

Oxford II - N4848 - RAFC - flew into ground 1 mile S of Barkston LG.
Tiger Moth II - N9319 - 13 EFTS - crashed in forced landing near Petworth, Sussex.
Whitley I - K7187 - 7 BGS - crashed on take-off Stormy Down.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Amrit]

He is reported as Died on Active Service

A

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Amrit; we can close that chapter.
Regards,
Henk.

[Martyn A Critchlow]

LAC Thomas H. WATSON - 636354
Accidentally shot
Thursday 12 December 1940, Belfast News-Letter, Antrim, Northern Ireland

Martyn

[jonheyworth]

James Joseph Houston 1107532 , died of a fractured skull and a cerebral haemorrhage following a fall from a lorry

[jonheyworth]

James Joseph Houston 1107532 , attached to 222 squadron, died when he fell from a moving lorry

[Alex Smart]

Hello,

401211 - Unaccounted Airmen - 11-12-1940

From Henk's List -

UK
GREEN, Frank William - AC2c - 992154 - RAFVR.
Ketley (St.Mary the Virgin) Churchyard, Shropshire.
Cause of death ?

HOUSTON, James Joseph - AC2c - 1107532 - RAFVR - 222 Sqdn.
Stockport Borough Cemetery, Cheshire.
Death caused when he fell off a moving lorry.

VAUGHAN, Cuthbert Cyril - AC1c - 840962 - RAF (AAF) - 902 Balloon Sqdn.
Greenwich Cemetery, London.
Cause of death ?

WATSON, Thomas Henderson - Lac - 636354 - RAF - 231 Sqdn.
Cadder Cemetery, Lanarkshire.
Death caused by being shot by accident.

From CWGC -

BELGIUM
DONLON, James Frederick - Sgt - 521006 - RAF.
GIFFORD, Vivian Charles - Sgt - 549511 - RAF.
RICHARDSON, Patrick Ranby - F/Sgt - 565331 - RAF.
These three airmen rest at Zedelgem Churchyard, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.
They were crew of Blenheim IV - T1897 - 105 Sqdn.

GERMANY
ATKINSON, Alfred Stanley - Sgt - 652440 - RAF.
McCONNELL, ER599 - Sgt - 1755215 - RAFVR.
LIDDELL, Eric Beck (Squibs) - F/O - 40234 - RAF.
These three airmen rest at Rheinberg War Cemetery, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.
They were crew of Hampden I - X3117 - 50 Sqdn.

NEW ZEALAND
SHARP, Basil Rawdon Hastings - Lac - 401785 - RNZAF.
Gisborne, (Taruheru) Cemetery, Gisborne District, New Zealand.
WRIGHT, Leslie - Lac - 401799 - RNZAF.
Hamilton East Public Cemetery, Hamilton City, New Zealand.
These two airmen were crew of Gordon - NZ632 - 1 SFTS.

UK
FISHER, Eric George - Sgt - 936320 - RAFVR.
Burton-upon-Trent Cemetery, Staffordshire.
Blenheim IV - R3672 - 114 Sqdn.

KANCIAK, Stanislaw - Sierzant - P/792746 - PAF - 300 Sqdn.
Blackpool (Layton) Cemetery, Lancashire.
Died in a motorcycle accident.

MCGREGOR, Hugh Biggins - Sgt - 745347 - RAFVR.
Larkhall Cemetery, Dalserf , Lanarkshire.
Hind - K4647 - 610 Sqdn.

APPLEBY, Sidney George John - Lt(A) - HMS Ark Royal - RN.
GRANT, Joseph William Alfred - S/Lt(A) - HMS Ark Royal - RN.
These two Naval Airmen rest at Gibraltar North Front Cemetery, Gibraltar.

CLARK, Leslie Oswald - LA - FX.76303 - HMS Ark Royal - RN.
Lee-On-Solent Memorial, Hampshire.
(CWGC has date as being 12/12/1940).

These three Naval Airmen were crew of Swordfish - P4253 - 818 Sqdn FAA,RN.

Alex

[davew]

Alex

Hugh McGregor's aircraft was possibly Spitfire P9451, The Hind K4647 is not listed as having served with 610, in fact it was was transferred to SAAF in June 1940.

See Bailey's 610 (County of Chester) Squadron AAF 1936-1940, Fonthill 978-1-78155-714-3 pages 493 to 495.

DaveW

[Alex Smart]

Hello Dave,
Not sure on this one, see the forums database -

http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...hp?qname=K4647

Alex

[Andy Marden]

Alex,
You must always the remember that the database is effectively automatically generated.
So because AIR 81/4529 incorrectly says "Sergeant B H B McGregor: killed; aircraft accident, mid air collision between Spitfire K4647 and Spitfire P9451, 610 Squadron, 11 December 1940" then it will pick up that serial and that is what will appear. It needs someone to spot the error and ask for a correction.
However, Sgt McGregor was a 610 Sqn Spitfire pilot. AIR 81/4529 at least got the type correct.
All evidence points to the serials of the two aircraft involved being P9451 and X4649, as Dave says. See also:
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/sho...0827#post30827
I have amended the database.
Andy