420525 - Unaccounted airmen - 25-5-1942

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

A - Not found in Flight archives:
AC1 Gordon COTTRELL - 850240 - 914/915 (Balloon) Sqn (Northfield, Birmingham), and
AC2 Norman E. MILLER - 1716964.

B - Died on active service:
AC1 Sidney F. WELLS - 1611443 - age 32.

C - Furthermore:
Sgt (Obs/WOp) Alfred E. HARRISON - 1384501 - in Flight 24-12-1942 page 702 reported as 'missing';
P/O (Pilot) John A. HILL - 115324 - in Flight 24-9-1942 page 359 reported as 'wounded or injured in action', and
F/O (Pilot) John B. KENDAL - MiD - 83268 - commemorated on Panel 67 of the Runnymede Memorial (have a note that F/O Kendall was rescued from the sea by a lighthouse keeper 13-3-1942 after het crashlanded his Hurricane X serial P5188 of MSFU on a sandbank 1½ mile off Hilbre Island - http://www.south-lanc-aviation.co.uk/p5188.htm).

D - Proposed aircraft loss:
Blenheim IV - Z6090 - 54 OTU - dived into ground Greenburn, West Lothian.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Martyn A Critchlow]

Warner quote P/O J Hill and crewman killed in Z6090.

Regards
Martyn

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Cottrell,29, registered in Birmingham
Miller,18, registered at Blackpool. Lancashire
Wells, 32, registered at Barnet, Middlesex, N London
Regards
Dick

[Amrit]

Re: Kendal

http://www.navyhistory.org.au/the-catapult-fighters/

"Aboard the Empire Morn in QP12 Pilot Officer J.B Kendal was launched at 0855 as the weather had by now improved. There were now four enemy aircraft circling QP12 independently. The Hurricane engaged a Junkers 88, which was still circling the convoy at a height of about 1,000 feet. When the 88 was astern of the convoy the Hurricane was seen to attack opening fire at short range. It was a perfectly timed attack and must have caught the enemy by surprise. The Condor was seen to be on fire, but although it was seen to jettison its bombs it was not certain if it had crashed. By R/T Kendal was asked to confirm any possible success. Later he reported that he had found the wreckage of the aircraft and a rubber dinghy. During this time the weather was closing down and there was the problem of picking up the pilot.

The Fighter Direction Officer concluded his report - ‘Some seconds later the Hurricane was seen to dive perpendicularly, into the sea, followed immediately by Kendal, his parachute opening some 50 feet before he reached the water. Badsworth raced to the scene some half a mile ahead of her and within a few minutes had a boat out and picked him up at 1004. They signalled that Kendal was alive but very seriously injured and later that he died.’"

A

[dennis_burke]

There is a John Andrew Hill age 31 registered in Coldingham district, Berwick during 1942 in Scotland.

Alfred Edwin Harrison age 33 is also listed in Scotland in Coldingham district, Berwick.

This appears to be well away to the east the far side of Edinburgh from Greenburn, West Lothian ?. Long way to bring an injured man past a city with hospitals.

The only Q2 John A Hill in EngWal's is aged 22 in Surrey Mid East district.
I can't match the Wounded in Action listing you have for Hill in Sep 24th magazine, page numbers are 347-350.

There are two A E Harrisons killed in 1942, the man killed on May 25th is listed in Flight magazine October 15th 1942, same line as P/O J A Hill. Both listed KOAS.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Following from Martyn,Warner's Blenheim 2nd Edition quotes Harrison as the crewman who was killed along with Hill
Regards
Dick

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello Henk,

Kendal's aircraft probably:-

Hurricane I Z4873
MSFU

Ditched after operational launch 25-5-1942.

Col.

[Henk Welting]

Excellent info. Thanks friends for your support.
Best regards,
Henk.

[wwrsimon]

Hello

AC1 Sidney F. WELLS - 1611443 - the National Probate Calendar records that he died at the Military Hospital, Shenley, Elstree, Middlesex.

Regards

Simon

[RecklessRat]

Not listed above but in the database as 'unaccounted' for this date:-

1467741 AC1 Albert Ernest FORD RAFVR
http://www.rafcommands.com/database/...php?qnum=72655
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/fi...681893/ford,-/

Albert Ford
'Aircraftsman (AC1) Royal Air Force'
Died at Addington Hospital, Durban, aged 21, of 'Appendicitis; diffuse peritonitis'

From the Form of Information of a Death on FamilySearch:-
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61...2HZ?cc=2721608