421020 - Unaccounted airmen - 20-10-1942

[Henk Welting]

What were the places of death registration for:

A - Died on active service:
Sgt George C. COWLEY - 1176195, and
AC2 Sydney J. GRIMES - 1658398.

B - Killed in action:
P/O (Bombaimer) Kenneth J. HOWSON - 121777 (Have a note on file that his body was found washed 7-11-1942 at Carleton, 10 miles S of Wigtown AF; death due to multiple injuries presumed to be due to an aircraft accident). Also a note that he might have been assigned to 21 OTU, however his name is not listed by Chorley in his volume 9.

C - Not found in Flight archives:
AC2 John R. THATCHER - 994970 - 920 (Balloon) Sqn (Londonderry).

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[AlanW]

Henk,
Can confirm Howson as with 21 OTU, just wondering if he could have had something to do with Wellington HD984, missing from 21 OTU during night cross country 20/21st Oct, Chorley mentions it being strange that it was operating with only a four man crew listed.
Having said that, i note that this crew has date of death on CWGC as 21/10/42.

[Dick]

Hi Henk
Cowley,31, registered at Poole,Dorset
Grimes,20, registered at Evesham, Worcestershire
Thatcher,35, registered at Lower Agbrigg, W Yorkshire. It is a long way from N Ireland and his his unit but is close to Castleford where he came from and is buried.He may have died on leave.
Howson didn't come up but if he was washed ashore nr Wigtown he would be registered in Scotland
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Thanks AlanW & Dave.
Also assume that HOWSON may have been nr.5 on Wellington HD984 tasked a cross country flight 20/21-10-1942. Expected back to base but FTR 21th Oct means that the crew's death is dated 21st; HOWSON in fact did return and probably date of death listed being the date of departure, as he may have died between 20th Oct and 7th Nov (date his body was found washed ashore).
Regards,
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

Gents,
From: Additions and Amendments OTU's:
OTU/169 21/HD984 Crew matrix add: P/O K J Howson +
New summary: T/o 2250 Moreton-in-Marsh for a night cross-country. Presumed to have come down in the sea off Scotland's west coast. Four are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, while 19 year old P/O Howson was found on a beach named as Carleton on the Wigtown peninsular and roughly 10 miles S of the airfield at Wigtown. Certified as deceased by Wigtown's Senior Medical Officer, S/L B J Beckford, who travelled to the scene, P/O Howson from Romford in Essex is buried in Glasserton Parish Churchyard, the nearest village to where he was found and just above St Ninian's Cave.

Regards,
Henk.

[jonheyworth]

George Christopher Cowley 1176195 , attached to Number 21 STU, was admitted dangerously ill to Bovington military hospital, where he died the same day of an internal obstruction

[jonheyworth]

John Robert Thatcher 994970 | was admitted seriously ill to Pinderfields EMS hospital on 23 August and died before his medical discharge date of carcinoma of the stomach