Who is Temp Captain John Charles Willett "Died 16/17th November 1918"

[paulmcmillan]

Ok here is a good one

Temp Captain John Charles Willett

RAF Cas Card

http://fotos.crowfile.com/_fotos_/99...00001218.jpg?1

Died natural causes 17th November 1918 at home

No record on CWGC for a John Charles Willetts who died on that date - no FreeBMD record only
Dec 1918

Willett John 73 Westbury W. 5a 266 Scan available - click to view <- To Old
Willett John 45 Lewes 2b 379 Scan available - click to view
Willett John 51 Prestwich 8d 508 Scan available - click to view
Willett John Henry 53 Nantwich 8a 746 Scan available - click to view


He has an AIR 76/549/45 record empty except "died 16 Nov 1918"

https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...ils/r/D8242025


We can eliminate these 2


Births Jun 1889 (>99%)
Willett John Charles Wolstanton
1889 to 1952


Births Sep 1896 (>99%)
Willett John Charles Lambeth ->
1939 Register London, England -> Army Service Corps WW1


There is a 2nd Lt J C Willett in Machine Gun Corps in 1917 no further trace

No J C Willett on 1918 Air Force List

I am beginning to feel like this is an administrative incident that mushroomed

Unless Commonwealth or Scottish

Thanks

Paul

[wwrsimon]

Paul

From the National Probate Calendar, I think he may be:

WOOLLETT John Charles of 23 Tooting Bec Gardens, Streatham, Surrey died 16 November 1918 at 16 South Road, Hythe, Kent. Administration London 23 Seotember to Dorothy Woollett widow.

Which would make him this chap:

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/fi...rles-woollett/

His death was reported in the Streatham News, Balham and Tooting News and Borough of Wandsworth Chronicle (!) on Friday November 22nd 1918:

Capt. J. Woollett R.A.F.
We regret to announce the death, at the age of 27, from pneumonia following influenza, of Captain John Charles Woollett, R.A.F., at Hythe on the 16th inst. He was the only son of Dr. C. J. Woollett of Ambleside, 23 Tooting Bec Gardens, who has practised in Streatham for over 20 years.

It gives a potted history of his military career; enlisted in August 1914, trained at Brixton, went to France in 1915. Joined the R.F.C. in June 1916, and flew patrols over the western front until he returned to England in the summer of 1918. He was appointed to the Aerial School of Gunnery at Hythe, and moved to Hythe after he married in September 1918. He had played in a football match for his unit early in November, when he caught a chill which brought on double pneumonia which led to his death within 10 days.

Regards

Simon

[paulmcmillan]

Simon - well done ! I would never have got him - good sleuthing - many many thanks

[paulmcmillan]

This is confirmed in

Title: Name Woollett, John Charles Date of Birth: 20 May 1891
Item number: 6709308
Catalogue reference: AIR 76/561/16

Serving H Branch, 1 1 School of Aerial Gunnery, Hyde

He is on CWGC

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/fi...rles-woollett/