420530 - Unaccounted airmen - 30-5-1942

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

A - Died on active service:
AC2 John G. COPELAND - 1782028;
LAC Vincent CROSBIE - 1067147, and
Sgt Horace P. PRICE - 621469 (in Flight listed as Cpl).

B - Not found in Flight archives:
LAC Leslie F. WILLIAMS - 1281889.

C - Also looking for unit and possible cause of death of following airmen commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial:
F/Sgt Tom COOK - 944083 - Panel 73, and
W/O Brian DOYLE - 580430 - Panel 72.

D - Proposed aircraft losses:
Lysander I - R2575 - 4 AGS - crashed on landing Morpeth.
Spitfire IIA - P7563 - 53 OTU - crashed in forced landing 1 mile S of Llantwit Major, Glamorganshire.
Havoc I - AH452 - 1451 Flt - crashed on approach Gilston, 1½ mile E of Hunsdon (already as a casualty on this a/c: F/Sgt [Pilot] C.M. CHUTE - RCAF R/85421).
Mustang I - AG350 - 41 OTU - crashlanded Oatslands Hill.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[CZ_RAF]

Hi Henk,

W/O Doyle was with No. 16 OTU according to Chorley:

RoH/104 add 580430 W/O DOYLE Brian 30-05-42 16 OTU [Mark Haycock 12/09/08]
http://www.rafinfo.org.uk/BCWW2Losses/BC-RoH.htm

Pavel

[Martyn A Critchlow]

Following Pavel, Cook was also 16 OTU

Volume 9 RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War
Roll of Honour 1939-47 - amendments and additions
RoH/101 add 944083 F/S COOK Tom 30-05-42 16 OTU [Mark Haycock 12/09/08]
RoH/104 add 580430 W/O DOYLE Brian 30-05-42 16 OTU [Mark Haycock 12/09/08]

Martyn

[Martyn A Critchlow]

From my local newspaper archives W/O Brian DOYLE was killed on the 1,000 bomber raid on Cologne

Martyn

[malcolm_raf]

Hi Henk

Copeland - Weston, Somerset
Crosbie - Buckrose, East Yorkshire
Price - Biggleswadw, Bedfordshire.

Williams - there is a 29 year old Leslie E in Lambeth, London

Malcolm

[Marks]

Henk,

Cologne 'The First 1000 Bomber Raid' Charles Messenger page 48 mentions 16 OTU Pilot whose Wellington got into a spin. He ordered the crew to bale out, but after three of them had done so, managed to right the aircraft and land at Stradishall. The three who baled out were never seen again.

Mark

[alclark]

I wonder if Cook was involved in the following from the RAF Valley ORB:

May 30th 1942, “A Botha from Bodorgan ditched near the coast, one occupant being rescued by a Naval Launch from Holyhead, the other occupant being killed. Unfortunately No.275 Air/Sea Rescue Squadron were not informed of the ditching owing to a misunderstanding and were consequently not on the scene.”

[Ross_McNeill]

Here is the RNLI record for the Botha crash.

LLANDDWYN, ANGLESEY.
At 12.25 in the afternoon of the 30th May, 1942, a Botha aeroplane was seen to crash into the sea about half a mile S.E. of Llanddwyn Island. The wind and sea were moderate, but there was a heavy surf on the beach. Leaving a woman in charge of their post with instructions to telephone for the R.A.F. rescue launch, two auxiliary coastguards, one aged 59 and the other 63, put out in a small boat, whichthey launched with the help of visitors.
Within twenty minutes of the crash they reached the aeroplane. Her wings were just awash. They found and rescued a badly injured airman. The other airman had been trapped inside and drowned. At one o’clock the R.A.F. rescue boat from Belan arrived and took aboard the rescued man. - Rewards, £2.

RNLI Records of Service 1939-46

Ross

[COL BRUGGY]

Hi Alan,

'A Botha from Bodorgan'.

Fatality more likely, 1335894 Sgt (Pilot) Edward Andrew CLACK RAFVR. Death registered Anglesey E. Aircraft probably Botha I W5088 - Crashed near Llanddwynn Island 30-5-1942. (Unit ? - 1AACU ?). See: http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1167

Col.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks all for your help.
Col: Also have CLACK on W5088 however as unit 48 MU.
For all: Is it possible that besides DOYLE and COOK also F/Sgt (Obs) David M. BAIRD - RCAF R/76305 was on board of the 16 OTU Wellington (Runnymede Panel 102) and whose death is listed as being "31"-5-1942. Would be thankful if I had the a/c serial and name of the pilot who landed safely at Stradishall.
Best regards,
Henk.