411103 - Unaccounted airwoman and airmen - 3-11-1941

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

A - Died on active service:
LAC Thomas H. FISHER - 960034, and

AC1 Dennis TUDOR - 1382554.

B - Killed on active service:
LAC Alfred V. HINKS - 1184450.

C - Not found Flight archives:
AC2 Norman R. GERRISH - 1179632;
F/O (Pilot) Francis N. HEAPEY - 45271, and
Acw2 Irene M. McDONALD - 436620.

E - Proposed aircraft losses for this day:
Blenheim IV - V5797 - A&AEE - dived into ground Crichel Down, Dorset.
Hurricane I - V7461 - 59 OTU - abandoned Monk Castle, near Southwaite, Cumberland.
Master III - W8660 - 61 OTU - crashed; no further details.
Tiger Moth II - T5381 - 6 EFTS - crashed on take-off ¾ mile E of Als, Northamptonshire.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Warner has Heapey as the pilot of V5797 and killed in the accident, he also has Hinks as on the a/c but reports him only as seriously injured. Hinks' death is registered at Blandford,Dorset, in the 4th Qtr of 1941 but that still leaves the possibility that he died later than 3/11/41.
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Dick. (Snow has gone !)
Regards,
Henk.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
She who must be obeyed needed the PC but now I can resume. Our snow came and went in the same day!!
Fisher,19, registered at Chester, Cheshire(it is the County Town)
Tudor,19, registered at Knaresborough, W Yorkshire,
Gerrish,28, registered at Devizes, Wiltshire,
Irene McDonald,22, registered at Nuneaton, Warwickshire
Just to tidy up, Heapey is also registered at Blandford, Dorset as Hinks.
Regards
Dick

[dennis_burke]

Found I M McDonald DOAS by searching for the word 'Women's" only in first half of 1942, there are so few WAAF casualties its a catch all.

F N Heapey is KOAS in Deec 18th Flight, found in search for 'apey', in the same group as Hinks.

I did a google book search and this turned up!
Aeroplane and Commercial Aviation News, published 1941

Only a snippit view but they list the killed with serial numbers!!
It lists N R Gerrish as DOAS

I must add sadly that most names are hidden by the snippet view so this is not going to be much use to us! Such a pity to have all that data scanned but hidden!

[Tonym]

Found I M McDonald DOAS by searching for the word 'Women's" only in first half of 1942, there are so few WAAF casualties its a catch all.

So Few! I have 725 in my records.

Tony

[jimpyrolf]

I have been researching details of my Uncle, Francis norman Heapey, known as Frank my Mothers Brother. I have visited his grave in Winchester and my older brother has the letter written by Fredrick Betts to our grandfather outlining the events leading up to Franks death and Betts own escape from the aeroplane. I would love to know his squadron and where he was based. My late Mother said he was on a training flight and that a bomb went off in flight, which Betts letter confirms. This was written from a convalescence hospital in Torquay. If anyone is interested I can give a few more details about my Uncle.
I have always been interested in these matters and at least know what he was flying.

[Martyn A Critchlow]

AC2 Norman R. GERRISH - 1179632 - Road accident

TETBURY WIFE’S DOUBLE BEREAVEMENT On returning to her parents’ home at Tetbuiy Wednesday evening, after attending inquest on her husband, Mrs. Norman Gerrish found that her mother had also died. Aircraftman Gerrish was on seven days’ leave and had visited their home Eastbourne, his wife having been helping at her parents* home Twelve Acres Farm, Tetbury, whilst her mother was ill. The young airman was riding his motor-cycle back Tetbury when he was involved in a road accident near Devizes, receiving fatal injuries. Mrs. Gerrish’s mother, Mrs. Richard Hale, who had been ill for some tune, passed away while her daughter was attending the inquest.

Gloucester Citizen - Friday 07 November 1941

Martyn

[wwrsimon]

Hello

LAC Thomas H. FISHER - 960034 - the Liverpool Echo of November 4th 1941 reported the following:

AIRMAN'S FATAL CRASH
Thomas Henry Fisher, of the R.A.F., whose home was at Shandon Street, Cork, collided with the pavement while motor-cycling in Sealand Road, Chester, late last night, and was dead on arrival at Chester Royal Infirmary.

Regards

Simon