410731 - Unaccounted airmen - 31-7-1941

[paulmcmillan]

Leading Aircraftman Thomas Frank SPIBY 749041, http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...hp?qnum=112432

A visitor left the following FB message. But this needs to be confirmed:

My mother in law Olive Moyses at the time lived at 6 peatling road Leicester next door to Thomas Frank Spibys wife Constance Spiby and there son Roger On the night Thomas died both women counted the planes coming back in from there mission as they flew over there houses close to the airfield and all planes were accounted for. Frank's plane crashed on landing at the airbase.his wife who was distraught,went round to my mother in laws to stay while she recovered from the shock. Unfortunately my mother in law and her daughter have both passed away now

I think the messages may have been mixed up over time - he was certainly aircrew at start of war (Air gunner) but not by 31 July 1941 when he killed he was groundcrew (as confirmed by fact still LAC rank and role) but he was killed in a Motor Accident as stated below in newspaper

Leicester Evening Mail Sat August 2 1941
Page 6
Killed on Duty
LA/C Thomas Frank Spiby RAFVR of Peating-road, Countesthorpe ,
has been killed in a motor accident while on duty.
Mr. Spiby, who was aged 29, leaves a wife
and one child. His mother is Mrs Neal of Medway-street, Leicester.
He was the grandson o the late Major T. Spiby of the Leicester
Territorials.
Joining the RAFVR at the outbreak of war, Mr. Spiby had taken
part in bombing raid over Norway as an air-gunner, but latterly
he had been on the ground staff. He was formerly employed by
Hannibal's of Willow-street, Leicester.


Additionally he was no where near Leicester when he was killed - I think they mixing up an aircraft accident local on same date ?


Deaths Sep 1941 (>99%)
Spiby Thomas F 29 Aldershot 2c 373 Scan available - click to view


DetailSource
Name: Thomas Frank Spiby
Rank: Leading Aircraftman
Death Age: 29
Birth Year: abt 1912
Death Date: 31 Jul 1941
Military Base: Bracknell, Berks
Service Number: 749041
Unit: Army Co-Op Cmnd Hq
Command: Army Co-Op Cmnd
Residence Place: Countesthorpe, Leicestershire
Burial Place: Welford Road Cemetery, Leicester

[jonheyworth]

Quite . Another family misconception , no aircraft, not aircrew, but still lost his life serving his country and worthy of remembrance

Thomas Frank Spilby 749041 , attached to HQ ACC , was seriously injured in a motor car accident near Frimley Green and was admitted to the Connaught military hospital, Aldershot, where he died the same day of his injuries

[jonheyworth]

Thomas Frank Spiby 749041 | attached to HQ Army Co-operation Command | was fatally injured when the RAF lorry in which he was a passenger, overturned on a S bend, knocking down the S bend sign and crashing into a ditch near the Jolly Farmer pub Bagshot at approximately 07:20 Hours on 31 July. He was admitted dangerously ill to Connaught military hospital, North Camp where he died of a broken neck and a frontal bone contusion. The driver LAC Sidney Liscombe was also injured