1944 Unaccounted Airmen Reconciliation Thread

**yeoldbarn** · 15th August 2020, 10:37

Flying Officer Abel Jocelyn Mellor, RAFVR [Pilot] (142199)
Attached at 528 Squadron (Based at Little Staughton)
Died on the night of Saturday, 11 November 1944 at Little Staughton. Presumed death by natural causes as November 1944 summary states 'NIL' for operational casualties.
F/O Mellor's last operation sortie was to Wanne-Eickel (Ruhr Area) on 9th November 1944 and all crew returned safely. Operation aircraft was a Lancaster III NE140 and one of the 9 aircraft that set off for Wanne-Eickel.

**COL BRUGGY** · 15th August 2020, 11:40

Originally Posted by yeoldbarn

Flying Officer Abel Jocelyn Mellor, RAFVR [Pilot] (142199)
Attached at 528 Squadron (Based at Little Staughton)
Died on the night of Saturday, 11 November 1944 at Little Staughton. Presumed death by natural causes as November 1944 summary states 'NIL' for operational casualties.
F/O Mellor's last operation sortie was to Wanne-Eickel (Ruhr Area) on 9th November 1944 and all crew returned safely. Operation aircraft was a Lancaster III NE140 and one of the 9 aircraft that set off for Wanne-Eickel.

Hello,

Try 582 Squadron!

On the afternoon of November 11 (1944), 10 aircraft were detailed for operations and nine successfully attacked Dortmund. On their way into debriefing, each returning pilot was asked by the intelligence officer whether he had seen Flying Officer Mellor. it transpired that whilst every other member of Mellor's crew had gone out to dispersal, Mellor himself had gone missing. His body was found the following day, some distance from the airfield, in a potato field, his service revolver by his side. The 21-year-old Abel Mellor had taken his own life. He had been with the squadron almost exactly four weeks. It was the only squadron casualty that month.

Generally morale on the squadron (582), remained high, especially with the arrival of Stafford Coulson who was both well-known and respected amongst the crews. The only damper was the suicide of Flying Officer Mellor.

F/Lt Reg Cann DFC, 582 Sqn.

"He was a young, dark-haired lad, and a bit of a loner. His death was very bad for morale, but was the exception rather than the rule. I recall a couple of air gunners who got to their aircraft and couldn't go on, but again such incidents were far from typical."

See;
Master Bombers The Experiences of a Pathfinder Squadron at War 1944-1945.
Feast,Sean
London:Grub Street,2008.
pp.119-20 & 168.

Col.

**jonheyworth** · 2nd January 2021, 00:01

Andrew joy welsh was murdered .

John Boulton was killed by a V1

William Stewart died of cancer

See Facebook plugin comments for full details

**malcolm_raf** · 2nd January 2021, 11:23

Hi

According to the ORB, Boulton was killed in a V2 explosion not V1

Malcolm

**jonheyworth** · 2nd January 2021, 16:38

Robert Millar Cummings . Update to my previous entry see Facebook plugin comment for full details

**yeoldbarn** · 4th January 2021, 08:01

Sergeant Wireless Operator Charles James Brereton (552912) passed away in hospital on 7th Sep. 1944.

**jonheyworth** · 5th January 2021, 21:04

1021416 attached to number 44 group
Died in RAF hospital innsworth if
Pneumonia

**jonheyworth** · 5th January 2021, 21:08

1821237 attached to number 1
PHU died at 23 old road,
Huntley, Aberdeen of testicular
and lung cancer

**jonheyworth** · 5th January 2021, 21:30

1323723. An MT driver in
Egypt, he fell ill and was repatriated
To the UK where he died of leukemia .
His brother Ivor died with the RASC in 1942
And is buried in the same grave

**RecklessRat** · 16th April 2023, 17:46

R/277972 LAC Loyd Anson Gray DUNBAR
4 Air Observer School, London, Ontario
b. 26 Oct 1912, Port Hope, Ontario
Trade: Air Bomber
d. 28 Aug 1944 at Riverdale Isolation Hospital, Toronto, of acute anterior poliomyelitis, at 1558 with his parents in attendance. His death was considered related to military service.

Source: RCAF Service File