410426 - Unaccounted airmen - 26-4-1941

[Henk Welting]

What caused the death of and/or what were the places of death registration for:

Cpl Walter ACKROYD - 938345;
Sgt (Pilot) Alfred V. BAND - 937201;
LAC Thomas McKENZIE - 1062790;
F/O (Pilot/Instr.) Cyril G.W. MOORE - 84000;
LAC (Pilot u/t) Arthur NAYLOR - 1191778;
AC1 William J. PEARSALL - 1009461;
AC2 Frederick SUGGARS - 1256987, and
F/Lt (Pilot) Nigel D.B. WOOD - 70748.

Also following airmen all assigned to 222 Squadron, Coltishall, Norfolk (air raid ?):
F/O John A. ATWILL - 84843;
AC1 Ivan FIDDES - 1062637;
F/O Harold P. ROBERTS - 74221, and
AC1 William J. SMITH - 1062806.

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:

Beaufighter II.F - R2271 - 30 MU - dived into ground Bagillt, Flintshire.
Blenheim IV - V5812 - 2 (C)OTU - abandoned Routh, near Beverley, Yorkshire.
Botha I - L6426 - 48 MU - crashed on take-off Hawarden, Flintshire.
Hurricane I - V7619 - 55 OTU - flew into high ground Allendale, near Hexham, Durham county.
Lysander II - N1294 - 6 AACU - crashed in forced landing Manley, Cheshire.
Master I - T8757 - 5 FTS - crashed on take-off 3 miles E of Cosford.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[thorne83]

Hi Henk, Moore and Naylor were on T8757 as instructor and pupil respectively. At the time 5 FTS was operating a detachment from RAF Cosford. The aircraft suffered an engine failure on take off and crashed following a "whipstall" at 1,500 feet.

Tom

[Ross_McNeill]

Hi Henk,

F/L Rose was flying V5812 solo so strike that aircraft off the list. He was injured but survived.

Regards
Ross

[RockHound]

Hi Henk,

Walter ACKROYD, age 38, registered at Spen Valley (Dewsbury / Bradford, West Yorkshire)
Alfred A BAND, Age 20, Northumberland West (Poss. V7619; Hexham is in Northumberland)
Thomas MCKENZIE, Age 35, Holywell, Flinshire (Could be either R2271 or L6426)
Cyril G W MOORE, Age 23, Wenlock, Shropshire
Arthur NAYLOR, Age 21, Wenlock, Shropshire
William J PEARSALL, Age 27, North Walsham
Frederick SUGGARS, Age 24, Wick, Caithness (Died of multiple injuries following air-raid)
Nigel D B WOOD, Age 32, Holywell, Flintshire (Could be either R2271 or L6426)

John A ATWILL, Age 26, North Walsham
Ivan FIDDES, Age 26, North Walsham (Note: BMD register has Ian Fiddes)
Harold P ROBERTS, Age 44, North Walsham
William J SMITH, AGE 29, North Walsham

Ackroyd is a local name from the Bradford area (my wife's family!). Hopefully others can help with the two Holywell registrations, but North Walsham registrations would certainly fit with the deaths at Coltishall

Regards,

David

[alclark]

No.55 OTU ORB:

April 26th 1941, “937201 Sgt Band killed in an accident to hurricane V7619 at Allerdale,
N’Humberland. A/C crashed into a hillside in bad visibility.”

No.5 FTS ORB:

April 26th 1941, “Flying Instructor F/O G.C.W. Moore and Pupil 1191778 LAC N. Naylor
received fatal injuries in a flying accident.”

[Henk Welting]

Thanks friends for this 'bulk' of info; will keep me busy for a while.
Best regards,
Henk.

[alclark]

Again, a bit mroe info from the Wick ORB:

April 26th 1941, “2245 hours. One enemy aircraft followed a Hudson in when landing and dropped a salvo of four bombs. 1256987 AC2 Suggars who was on duty on the flare path was killed instantaneously.”

[COL BRUGGY]

Re: Blenheim IV - V5812 - 2(C)OTU.

The pilot of V5812 was, in fact, AUS270 F/L Brian Frederick ROSE RAAF. On baling out, Rose had his left foot severed by one of the aircraft's proprellers. He was back flying within four months. He went on to serve on Nos. 235 and 248 Sqns, and was awarded a DFC.

Col.

[BC1]

The four registered at North Walsham were killed (as was suggested by Henk) along with 16 civilians and a further RAF officer when two 50 kg bombs scored direct hits on "The Ferry Inn" at Horning, Norfolk. There has been a lot of myth and legend about this raid. Stanford Tuck's departure from the pub after an apparent premonition of disaster is covered in Larry Forrester's "Fly for your life". Many reports speak of "Coltishall pilots" when in fact there was only one PILOT killed, F/O Van Mentz of 222 Sqn. Inevitably of course, with German spies on every street corner and Luftwaffe intelligence being top-notch (LOL), this incident has given rise to the urban myth that "Jerry knew where to find them". The Ferry Inn was rebuilt, reopened in 1956, burned down in a fire on 31 March 1965, rebuilt again, and reopened in 1966.

BC

[Henk Welting]

Thanks BC for info on the pub's name and location.
Regards,
Henk.