1940 Unaccounted Airmen Database Reconciliation

**Jagan** · 2nd December 2018, 17:38

All,

I have completed the 1940 database reconciliation with the forum posts and AIR81 Records. Would appreciate review and corrections and additions.

Year/Month	Total Records	Still Unaccounted
1940	6888	1303 (18%)

January	130	43 (33%)
February	104	45 (43%)
March	184	41 (22%)
April	357	79 (22%)
May	896	106 (12%)
June	923	132 (14%)
July	575	89 (15%)
August	911	157 (17%)
September	775	143 (18%)
October	723	153 (21%)
November	684	165 (24%)
December	626	150 (24%)

The records can be looked up from http://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/index.php You can search by Year-Month (YYYY-MM) and check the "Unacc?" Checkbox to see the ones without details. There are also extra search options "Aircraft Name" and Aircraft Serial numer if you wish to use it so.

Of the 5585 records that have the details, 5326 are linked to AIR81 records, 185 are linked to posts made in the 1940 unaccounted forum, 47 are linked directly to NA Discovery Catalog.

Out of the 1303 records that are still 'unaccounted for' - a significant portion are overseas in Canada (101), Australia (79), South Africa (53), Kenya (34) and New Zealand (33) and do not have any details in AIR81 or on this forum.

About 46 records on the Runnmede memorial from 1940 are still unaccounted for.

If our members can review the still unaccounted names and add details to posts in here, I can start cross linking them to the DB. (or I can actually give direct access so that the entries can be made). I cannot link to an external site other than National Archives at present. so a post to a publicly available source (and not something taken from a commercial book) in one of our unaccounted threads would be most ideal.

PS: While accounting for many of the airmen posts on the forum, I came across several recent posts by Martyn Critchlow and wwrsimon who revisited threads after many years to fill their fates. These are linked to the DB. Shout out to both.

Added Later:

http://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/table.php
Link above will give latest numbers.

Total for the year as of 12 December:

1940

6888

1074 (15.6%)

**dennis_burke** · 2nd December 2018, 18:52

From Henk's files, The 15 April 1940 crew from 220 were on Hudson N7289 J/220
Serial number not quoted in ORB

This dates thread was on the old forum as far as I can see. CCL Vol 1 is in the attic.

**Jagan** · 2nd December 2018, 19:49

Thanks Dennis.

I still have to skim through Henks files to catch some of these. There are some possible half a dozen "Crews" in the unaccounted for that should be easy to get. eg.. http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...ame=&qt=&cur=0

**dennis_burke** · 2nd December 2018, 20:18

And for H G Webb, 224 Sqn
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?558
and
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/g...after-77-years

He is no longer on Runnymede, I suppose the database can go out of date on a daily basis with finds like that

**Jagan** · 2nd December 2018, 20:29

Will update that.

change of memorial/cemeteries are rare and are going to be few - arent they? i found another case from 1940 - which apparently was solved after being discussed on this forum http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/sho...ction-May-1940 (Planning to make a post about this soon on the main page)

**dennis_burke** · 2nd December 2018, 20:35

And Kenneth Cyrus Maddocks of 220 Sqn, is listed in the ORB and GRO as K C Merrick, the name CWGC list him having served under. That's an odd one.

In the old paper registers there was an entry for Merrick, and directing one to look at Maddocks.

**dennis_burke** · 2nd December 2018, 20:40

J S M Bromley, 264 Sqn must just have been missed, he is mentioned on the AIR81/363 http://discovery.nationalarchives.go...ls/r/C14502167

**dennis_burke** · 2nd December 2018, 20:54

Then, 08 Jun 1940

R A E Green 530356 in GRO is listed as HMS Glorious, which is also listed on the old paper CWGC registers!

Old scanned paper copies show Green, Maw, B J Griffiths, S Parsons, R Pears, J A Spence, Garrett, W J Downer,

J F Gorton, C Thomas, F D Dennis, R H Neale, L G Hills (all these actually listed as Glorious on the modern database and old scans),
I noted one of the above, Gorton, was date of death 9th Jun in the paper registers, but not in the modern database!

Also most shown here
http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1940-06JUN1.htm

**dennis_burke** · 2nd December 2018, 21:14

Squadron Leader George Archibald Marshall PRYDE (32232) is listed in GRO overseas deaths as "4 FP. Pool"

mentioned here at one time:
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/sho...ymington-Pryde

And his name is listed on http://discovery.nationalarchives.go...ls/r/C16471539
AIR 81/2287

**dennis_burke** · 2nd December 2018, 21:24

William David Sherriff 362166 is on the GRO lists as s/n '362116' with 72 Squadron.

Listed as Missing in Flight magazine 26 Sep 1940 with S/N 362116, then a year later as
PREVIOUSLY POSTED MISSING, Now PRESUMED KILLED ON ACTIVE SERVICE.—Wing. Cdr. ?. P. Laselles; Filt, Lt. J E. Pebody AFC ; Flt. Sgt. W. D. Sherriff
I'd checked AIR78, seems to be missing from page 258 of 263?
http://discovery.nationalarchives.go...ls/r/C15625677

Just seen that his probate calender entry lists his death as being 7th Jun 1940!

No mention of him seen in 72 SQn ORB so far for the month.

Just a suggestion, on 7 Jun 1940, "72 Wing S Flight" lost LAC E C Cowdery and it seems LAC T Cain on 5th Jun also, he was buried as an unknown until 1980!

Might 72 Wing have been accidentally replaced with 72 Squadron in certain records, along with a DoD error.