410514 - Unaccounted airmen - 14-5-1941

**Henk Welting** · 23rd September 2008, 14:26

What caused the death of the following two airmen whose names are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial:

Sgt Walter JONES - 523615 - Panel 46, and
AC2 John L.F. STEDMAN - 901438 - Panel 59.

What were the places of death registration for:

Sgt Charles E. BELL - 748540;
Cpl John D. DODD - 527613 - 57 Sqn (Feltwell, Norfolk);
AC1 Frank LANDER - 1179163;
LAC Denis LAYTON - 937443;
Sgt Geoffrey MORRIS - 758256;
AC2 David OWENS - 933561 - 14 BC, 953 (Balloon) Sqn (Cardiff);
AC1 Frank SOLOMON - 1352256, and
LAC Trevor L. WILLIAMS - 633461.

Proposed aircraft losses for this day:

Blenheim I - K7142 - 5 BGS - crashed on approach Jurby.
Blenheim I - L1152 - 5 BGS - bellylanded Jurby.
Master I - N7779 - 14 FTS - spun into ground Goldstone Common, Kent.
N7927 - Master I - 5 FTS - stalled after control lost at low altitude and hit ground near ??? (location not mentioned in AB Serials L1000-N9999).
Spitfire IIA - P8161 - 9 MU - flew into ground Colne, Lancashire.
Tiger Moth II - N5456 - 9 EFTS - collided with TM N5472 near Ansty.
Tiger Moth II - N5472 - 9 EFTS - collided with TM N5456 near Ansty.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

**alclark** · 23rd September 2008, 14:58

Sgt Bell was flying Spitfire P8161, the following was in the 20 EFTS ORB, they were one of the closest RAF units to the crash site.

May 14th 1941, “A telephone message was received fro No.9 MU saying a Sgt Bell had
crashed in Spitfire P8161 at Colne, Lancashire. An Officer, P/O Palmer, was sent to
investigate and reported, on his return, that the machine was completely broken up and Sgt
Bell was killed. The civil police at Colne had taken possession of the body.”

The following is from the 5 FTS ORB, I don't quite get the bit about LAC J.B. Nicholson in the middle. I can't find him on CWGC, possibly another error in the 5 FTS records.

May 14th 1941, “758256 Sgt u/t Pilot G. Morris, 993683 LAC J.B. Nicholson and 937443
LAC D. Layton were fatally injured in a flying accident.”

**paulmcmillan** · 23rd September 2008, 15:45

For Nicholson see quert re; Unaccounted Airmen 2-5-1941

**Dick** · 23rd September 2008, 16:02

Hi Henk
Warner has no casualties for K7142 and L1152 but does have the date for L1152 as 15/5/41.
Bell,22 is registered at Nelson Lancashire which ties in with Al's information on P8161.
Dodd,26 ,is registered at Ely, Cambridgeshire ?the RAF Hospital.
Lander,19 is registered at Hendon
Layton 20, and Morris,21 have been placed in a 5 FTS a/c accident by Al. They are both registered at Whitchurch which would tie in as from Dec '40 5 FTS were operating from Ternhill (Sturtivant) and that might put them on board N7297. The third man Nicholson is not on either CWGC or the death registers
You have Owens on a Cardiff Balloon Sqn and so does CWGC but they also have him on the Runnymede Memorial(Panel 58).I found a David Owen,18 registered at Merioneth South but that seems too far north in Wales to cover Cardiff and CWGC has Owens as age 28
Solomon,20 is registered at Norwich Outer,which includes the airfield at Horsham St Faith
Williams,19, is registered at Wrexham,Flintshire N Wales
Regards
Dick

**Henk Welting** · 24th September 2008, 14:17

As ever, thanks Al and Dick for your help.
Regards,
Henk.

**thorne83** · 25th September 2008, 10:58

Hi Henk, i am not at my files at the moment, but off the top of my head Morris was in N7779 which was serving with 5 FTS (not 14 FTS) and crashed at Goldstone Lane near Cheswardine in Shropshire.

Layton was on N7927 and it crashed in the Cheswardine area aswell.

I'll post more details later!

Cheers, Tom

**thorne83** · 25th September 2008, 18:02

Hi Henk,

having checked my files Morris was solo pilot of N7779 and it crashed at Goldstone Common, Shropshire. He crashed during "deliberate low flying over cousins farm".

Layton was solo pilot of N7927 and stalled at low altitude during practice force landings. The aircraft came down at Ellerton Hall, Hinstock, Shropshire.

The interesting thing regarding Johnson is that he is listed on a nominal roll and appears on a course photo. Both accident cards for the above accidents show Morris and Layton as Solo occupants though, so i don't know how Johnson fits into the picture??!

Cheers, Tom

**dennis_burke** · 2nd November 2009, 16:49

On GRO RAF list

Walter Jones is listed as "BARRY DOCKS" this is in the South Wales area.
John L F Stedman is listed as "Cardiff"

From Flight archives

Sgt Charles E. BELL - 748540; ----> KOAS Jun 19 magazine
Cpl John D. DODD - 527613 - 57 Sqn (Feltwell, Norfolk); ----> DOAS Aug 7th magazine
AC1 Frank LANDER - 1179163; ----> DOAS Jun 19th magazine
LAC Denis LAYTON - 937443; His name is probably obscured by damage to the page but must be KOAS in same list as G. Morris
Sgt Geoffrey MORRIS - 758256; ----> KOAS June 19th magazine
AC2 David OWENS - 933561 - 14 BC, 953 (Balloon) Sqn (Cardiff); Is on GRO RAF list as 953 Sqn as expected, not likely to be in EngWal etc death registers. ----> Stedman, Owens and Jones are all included in same missing, presumed KOAS lists.
AC1 Frank SOLOMON - 1352256, ----> DOAS jun 19th magazine
LAC Trevor L. WILLIAMS - 633461. ----> DOAS July 17th magazine

Dennis
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**jonheyworth** · 1st April 2021, 20:54

John Desmond Dodd 527613 , a fitter airframe grade 2, was fatally injured in a cycle accident between Stoke Ferry and Methwold at 00:30 hours, dying of his injuries in RAF Hospital Ely.