421203 - Unaccounted airmen - 3-12-1942

**Henk Welting** · 13th January 2010, 12:56

What were the places of death registration for:

Sgt (Pilot) Charles R. WILDSMITH - 1387078, and
Sgt (Nav) Samuel WEAVER - 645141,
both killed on active service.

Proposed aircraft losses:
Oxford II - R6179 - 7 ADG (US) - flew into high ground Fron Hen Mtn, Llanferres, N.Wales.
Oxford I - EB754 - 3 (P)AFU - flew into ground at night Bibury.

Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

**dennis_burke** · 13th January 2010, 13:16

Again, we addressed these men off board, but I missed out Wildsmith: he is registered in Cirenchester, Gloucester

Then I have just found Felix Aldous and Samuel Weaver names matching in Ayrshire Soctland but seemingly in 1943. So perhaps their bodies were found in late 1942, early 1943.

ALDOUS, FELIX HENRY 22 Sgt WOP Kirkoswald, Ayr in 1943 Missing,bKOAS
BRINDLE, ALFRED 22 Nav AB Lichfield Staffordshire KOAS
ELRICK, GEORGE 29 GRO 31 AMES* DOAS
GODFREY, CHARLES ERIC 37 Uppingham Leicestershire DOAS
HARRILD, ERIC JOHN Runn 5 OpTu Missing,
HARRIS, GEORGE WILLIAM 24 Sgt (pilot) 23 yrs old Stafford Staffordshire or Scotland? KOAS
KING, GEOFFREY ROBERT GRO 5 BFTS TBD
PARK, KENNETH HUNTON 28 Sgt AB Lichfield Staffordshire KOAS
TAYLOR, NOBLE WILLIAM GRO ASU WD TBD
WEAVER, SAMUEL 22 Sgt Nav Monkton, Ayr in 1943 KOAS
WILDSMITH, CHARLES RAYMOND nil Sgt pilot age 21 Cirencester Gloucestershire KOAS

Where Henk does not mention a man he is OK with his cause of death, but I thought people might have comments.

**Henk Welting** · 13th January 2010, 15:26

What means that WEAVER may have been on Beaufort AW286 of 5 (C)OTU, together with Sgt P. MOORE - NZ414727, Sgt E.J. HARRILD - 1290442 and Sgt F.H. ALDOUS - 1266933.
Regards,
Henk.

**dennis_burke** · 13th January 2010, 16:00

Googling Bibury brings up much mention of Cirenchester so Wildsmith is a candidate for Oxford I - EB754 - 3 (P)AFU.

**alclark** · 13th January 2010, 20:54

Dennis, you seem unsure where G.W. Harris' death was registered. It was Stafford, being killed in Oxford BG649 along with Sgt B.A.H. Hanan RCAF close to Wheaton Aston.

**COL BRUGGY** · 14th January 2010, 05:56

Henk,

Re: Oxford II R6179.

Date: 3-12-42
A/c.Type: Oxford
Serial No.: 6179
Sqdn: 7 Air Depot Group
Group: -
Home Base: RAF Langford Lodge, Northern Ireland
Air Force -
Action: CRGC (Crash, Ground collision ie FIG).
Damage: 5
Pilot: Lowe, Joseph E.
Country: England
US State: -
Location: Hen Mt. 2 miles West, Leggerhead, Cheshire [sic], England ???(Dave Smith should be able to sort this out).

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/Dec1942O.htm

Needs tidying up!

Col.

**alclark** · 14th January 2010, 12:49

R6179 certainly did hit the hill in North Wales, the Medical Officer from Sealand attended.

December 4th 1942, “Call from Civil Police stating Oxford aircraft has crashed on top of mountain near Mold. Ambulance attended with SMO, MO and F/Sgt. 2nd Lt Lowe J (Fractured jaw) and 1st Lt Pearce (multiple minor injuries) of USA Army Air Corps, stationed at Air Dept, Langford, Northern Ireland were treated and transferred to EMS Hospital Upton.”

The location given on the USAAF Form 14 is wrong, Fron Hen is just over a mile west of Llanferres and just over two miles SW of Loggerheads.