420927 - Unaccounted airwoman and airmen - 27-9-1942

**wwrsimon** · 17th January 2018, 13:15

Hello

LAC John L. BILLINGTON - 1450923, age 36 - the Harrogate Herald of October 14th 1942 reported the following:

L.A.C. J. L. BILLINTON [sic]
The death occurred recently of Leading Aircraftman John Leonard Billinton (R.A.F.), of Edgware Road, Middlesex, second son of Mr. Tom Billinton, 20, Granville Road, Harrogate, and the late Mrs. Billinton.
L.A.C. Billinton went to St. Peter's School and Technical Institute at Harrogate, and was a boy chorister in Christ Church and St. Peter's Church choirs. Before volunteering for the R.A.F. he was employed at Handley Page's aviation works.

The Graves Registration Report Form states he was with 30 M.U.

F/Sgt Robert COCKROFT - 351465 - the Biggleswade Chronicle of October 9th 1942 reported the following:

DEATH OF FLT/SERGT. R. COCKCROFT
We regret to record the death which occurred in a Lincolsnhire hospital on September 27th of Flt.-Sergt. Robert Cockcroft, R.A.F., of 3, Grange Street, Clifton.
Flt-sergt. Cockcroft, who was 48 years of agem enlisted in 1914 at the outbreak of the war andwas one of the guard of honour in France to His late Majesty King George V. In 1921 he joined the R.A.F. and saw service in an aircraft carrier and in the Middle East. He was invalided home and never regained good health.
He leaves a widow, a daughter and a son. The eldest son, Vernon, was accidentally killed earlier this year while serving with the R.A.F. in Canada.

His son was 1216583 Robert Vernon Cockcroft:

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/c...robert-vernon/

and

http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/sho...-1942-(Canada)

Regards

Simon

**Ian_Portsmouth** · 7th August 2018, 20:43

Hello Ross, returning to the site after a hiatus of seven years !
The controversy continues. The supposed second airman involved, a Thomas Blair Stewart FF/FX 90749, R.N. LEADING AIRMAN (ty) Home station H.M.S. Daedalus, DOB 18-7-1922, p.o.b. Johnstone, Renfrewshire,
is officially listed as having died 21-9-1942,at Sealand, some six days before my Great Uncle, W.A.R.Bowring, died.
I can find no trace of the existence of Thomas Blair Stewart in this world, apart from the detail as above, in the Army & Navy death records, obtained through Ancestry site.
It all seems to be an official cover-up & understandable, given the value of propaganda at the time.

**dennis_burke** · 8th August 2018, 12:50

Thomas Blair Stewart very much existed, refer to his CWGC entry, parents names etc. Scottish born man.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/c...-thomas-blair/

His name is mentioned on this thread as his is the only close by 'young' name on the adjacent death register pages for Hawarden district

From freebmd.org.uk

Deaths Sep 1942

ASTBURY Martha A 64 Hawarden 11b 212
Brown Margaret E 49 Hawarden 11b 212
Campden Harriet 75 Hawarden 11b 212
Ellis Sarah A 57 Hawarden 11b 212
King Annie M 77 Hawarden 11b 212

Croose William 78 Hawarden 11b 213
Davies William H 57 Hawarden 11b 213
Flanagan Thomas 69 Hawarden 11b 213
Roberts William 68 Hawarden 11b 213
Stewart Thomas B 20 Hawarden 11b 213

Bowring William A R 34 Hawarden 11b 214
Brownhill Ruth E 0 Hawarden 11b 214
Cottrell Ellen 77 Hawarden 11b 214

he is also on the Scottish national War memorial

There is rarely any cover up or anything shady, these aircraft were prone to crashing, it didn't take any interference, sabotage or the like, there was enough mechanical and weather related problems to account for most deaths.

if you would like to try clear it up, you could order the death certificate for your relative and for Stewart to see were they killed in the same location with similar circumstances. You will not get the specific answer on teh internet.

**dennis_burke** · 8th August 2018, 14:26

I just checked Ancestry.com and there is a database I don't recall seeing before

ADM 104: Service Registers and Registers of Deaths and Injuries

And for T B Stewart FAA/FX 90749 is states PLACE OF DEATH "Sealand, Cheshire", no more detail unfortunatly.

**Rollino76** · 2nd March 2019, 16:07

Hello Ian....

I hope you are still on this thread as I also have a great Uncle William Bowring who I believe was a test pilot who was killed during a flight. If it is the same William Bowring then at the time he was married to my Great Auntie, Ruby (Rollings). If it is the same William Bowring I can tell you a little more!

**Ian_Portsmouth** · 10th May 2020, 10:26

Hello Rollino, I've just revisited this site to find your message, now a year old. Hope you still have access. yes, William Arthur Reginald Bowring is one & the same. We can swap info & I have his parade stick & wings, plus lots of photos, as my Great Grandparents saved everything.Ian

**Rollino76** · 10th September 2020, 07:45

Hello Ian...it would be good to hear from you. If you are from the Rollings side of the family I also have a lot of photographs that my grandfather, Arthur Rollings gave to me of his family. I’m finding this site a little hard to use so feel free to email me at: mrrollings@hotmail.com. I will also tell you what I know about William Bowring. Best wishes, Andy

**Rollino76** · 3rd April 2021, 17:26

Originally Posted by Ian_Portsmouth

Hello Rollino, I've just revisited this site to find your message, now a year old. Hope you still have access. yes, William Arthur Reginald Bowring is one & the same. We can swap info & I have his parade stick & wings, plus lots of photos, as my Great Grandparents saved everything.Ian

hello Ian...I’m not sure what happened to that message....but you can contact me by email at: mrrollings@hotmail.com.

Best wishes,

Andy