420829 - Unaccounted airman - 29-8-1942 (India)

[Henk Welting]

Looking for info on the death of W/Cdr (Pilot) Robert B. HARVEY - 37172 (RAF from Canada) - 45 Sqn (Asansol, India), killed on active service and buried Delhi War Cemetery.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

.........at that time the sqn was equipped with Bristol Blenheims Mk.IV.

[COL BRUGGY]

Henk,

Not quite what you want.

A.

On the 29th August (1942), news of another death reached the squadron (No.45). Fg. Off John Rowe* had been flying one of a pair of Ryan PT-22s which had crashed near Allahabad. Both pilots (the other was the Station Commander, Wg Cdr.R.B.Harvey) had been killed.

B.

Nominal Roll - 1921 - 1976.

J H Rowe Plt Off - Fg Off. Pilot. From 12/41 to 29/8/42 KFA.

Note: Died while flying on attachment to No.308 MU.

See:
The Flying Camels:The History of No.45 Sqn, RAF.
Jefford,C G
High Wycombe:Author,1995.
A. p.236
B. p.521 & 523.

* AUS400375 F/O John Heywood ROWE RAAF.

The Ryan that Rowe was flying is identified in the title of his A705 as; Ryan N 22-41. I believe this a spurious ID. (Both of the Ryans could be ex-Dutch or Chinese aircraft).

Harvey is not listed on the CVWM!

Col.

[Henk Welting]

Thanks Col; this will keep us busy for a while. Also will inform CVWM. (Could "N" be a [former] US civil registration ?).
Regards,
Henk.

[COL BRUGGY]

Henk,

We can't rule that out. There were Ryan ST/SCs (not necessarily PT-22s), registered - N26JC and N27JG, so anything is possible. A bit out of my area though.

I checked Baugher, nothing obvious there:

Known Ryan PT-22 batches.

PT-22
41-1881 to 41-1980

PT-22
41-15173 to 41-15745

PT-22
41-20591 to 41-21040

PT-22A
42-57479 to 42-57503

Col.

[Henk Welting]

Col,
Assume two PT-22 were involved. 45 Squadron didn't have this type of aircraft on their strength. Could it be both airmen had their aircraft "on loan" from the Indian Air Force ?

Henk.

[COL BRUGGY]

Henk,

The implication is that there were two (2) PT-22s involved ('one of a pair - both pilots killed').
Neither of the PT-22s would have been on 45 Sqn strength. l can find no evidence that the RAF ever had PT-22s on their books.
Rowe was attached to 308 MU, Allahabad, as a test pilot. I imagine they would have had aircraft from all over the CBI area in their park.

Col.

[paulmcmillan]

No proof but I assume N 22-41

May be tye 22 is for Ryan 22 .. Therefor the 41 could be part of CN for the NEI Ryan PT-22's which according to Aerofiles were... Of course if we had the NEI serial numbers for the NEI Ryan PT-22's...



18924 STA, 406 - > Kinner Co as test-bed
STM, 407-446 - > Netherlands East Indies AF
STM, 447-458 - > Netherlands East Indies Navy
STM, 459-475 - > Netherlands East Indies AF
STM, 476 - > Netherlands East Indies Navy
STM, 477-514 - > Netherlands East Indies AF

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello Paul,

I was aware of the Aerofiles material.

Many of the ex-Dutch STM-2s later served with the RAAF. A useful listing can be found here:

http://www.adf-serials.com/2a50.shtml

and...

http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/neth/mld/types/ryanST.htm

Still working on the problem.

Col.

[Henk Welting]

Two pictures of RNAS Ryan STM's in "75 Jaar MLD" (75 Years of Marine Luchtvaartdienst = Naval Air Service). Serial S51 of an STM and S11 of an STM-S2 (floatplane).

Henk.