Australian Deaths in the RAAF/RAF. How did they occur? St Vincent

GJH Carter. St Vincent

Hi Spidge

I tied to get a photo of Carter's headstone but unfortunately it was a very bright tropical morning and the suns reflection of the white stone made for a very poor photo. I was in a rush but will try another day when there is a bit of cloud around. Meanwhile here it is just for a starter.

I am waiting on my friend in Trinidad to get back to me with the three from there.

Regards
Duncan

 

Hi Duncan,

Thank you for your efforts. How dare the weather not play ball !!

Anytime you can achieve the photo will be great.


Cheers

Geoff

 

Cxx: Re the Hudson crash in Trinidad at Rio Claro - I have bits & pieces of that aircraft in our Museum! Nice to finally put crew details to those killed. We recovered the small stuff in 92/93,Machine Guns, radio etc but had to leave the under-carriage in place!
Duncan: are you the Duncan Richardson who sent us a 1932 picture of Cipriani/Lickford and others? If so, it is still on display.

 

Jerome. The same. Glad you were able to use it. Sent you a PM

 

Hi Peter,

F/O Desmond Edward MORRIS was my grandfather. I don't know much about him as he died before my father was born, so I was wondering if that book you quoted had any more info in it about him, the crash, or the crew on board or if you know of other books I should purchase.

Thanks, Tim

 

MORE INFO + CREW LIST - JOHNSON, JAMES GEOFFREY / Pilot Officer / 408252 / 220sqn

Azores


As a counter-point, PLTOFF Johnson’s personnel file (letter from the RAAF casualty section to the family) states:

“The Flying Fortress aircraft in which he was flying as Navigator, took off at 3.26 a.m. on 4th December, 1943, and was engaged on night anti-submarine sweep.

When the aircraft reached a point two miles from the end of the runway it turned to starboard, and either dived or stalled to the sea. It was not possible to determine the cause of the crash, and I regret to state that all members of the crew lost their lives.”

This isn’t to say that the info in the Stitt book is incorrect, I have seen examples of letters in other files with notes similar to “don’t mention the onboard fire prior to the crash”. It’s possible that it sounded better to state the aircraft was on a mission as compared to on its way to a scheduled servicing. (NB – PLTOFF Pearce’s file states he was on a non-operational flight)

The file lists Johnson as a Flight Sergeant at the time of his death, however, his commissioning as a Pilot Officer was promulgated shortly after the crash with an effective date of August 1943.

Also in his file is a copy of the (very faded) crew list and crash report (the name of the Pilot - D E. Morris is readable). Of the eight crew on board, there was four RAF, two Royal Canadian Air Force and two Royal Australian Air Force.

The file for PLTOFF Pearce advises that only the bodies of Johnson and the two Canadians (Flack & Boudreault) were recovered. These three are buried together in The Azores. The other five crew members are commemorated on the Runnymede memorial according to the CWGC.

MORRIS, DESMOND EDWARD – (Flying Officer - RAF) Service Number - 152320 (marked in one part of the file as 132320 FLGOFF MOMPIS)
MORRISON, ROBERT NOEL – (Flight Sergeant - RAF) Service Number – 1192004
LAWSON HAROLD – (Pilot Officer- RAF) Service Number – 140612 (149612)
PEARCE ARTHUR – (Pilot Officer- RAAF) Service Number – 406868 (PLTOFF PEARCE AHM KINNOT TO FOLLOW)
FLACK, CARL THOMAS – (Warrant Officer - RCAF) Service Number – R121119 (R 121419)
BOUDREAULT, JOSEPH EDOUARD ROCH – (Warrant Officer - RCAF) Service Number – R125388 (marked in one part of the file as BOUDREARLT J E R)
CAMPION, MICHAEL PATRICK – (Flight Sergeant - RAF) Service Number – 536151 (marked in one part of the file as 536451 FSGT CAMPTON)

Wt. Offr. Campion in 1940 was awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal, which was automatically exchanged for the George Cross by the terms of the institution of that award in September 1940. The London Gazette of 5th July, 1940, gives the following details: L.A.C. Michael Campion displayed great courage in rescuing an unconscious pilot from an aircraft which caught fire as the result of a collision between two Blenheim aircraft while taking off. Aircraftman Campion was one of the first to arrive on the scene. With Aircraftman Frost, he worked heroically, despite the imminent danger of the petrol tanks exploding, and extricated the pilot from the burning wreck. Shortly afterwards the petrol tanks exploded and the whole aircraft was rapidly burnt out. Unfortunately the pilot died later.

 

MORE INFO + CREW LIST - RYAN, NEVILLE VINCENT / Warrant Officer / 422812 / 220sqn

Azores

Besides Ryan we have the following on 220SQN "Liberator aircraft KG913 which crashed on take-off from RAF Lagens at 05.54 hrs on Thursday 6th March":


MUNCE, IAN LINDSAY – (Pilot Officer); Service Number – 186936
BENCE, LESLIE JOHN – (Flight Sergeant); Service Number – 1159989
LARONDE, HARRY DEMERSE – (Flying Officer); Service Number – J36819 RCAF
DODD, ALAN DOWSON – (Sergeant); Service Number – 1671632
SMITH E E – (Flight Sergeant); Service Number – 1533556
DOBBIE H R – (Flight Sergeant); Service Number – R223182 RCAF
EVANS, FREDERICK CHARLES DOREY – (Flight Sergeant); Service Number – 1605452 (246SQN)
HERRING, RONALD GEORGE – (Sergeant); Service Number – 1895730
REEVE, GEORGE ARTHUR – (Sergeant); Service Number – 3006273

I can’t find Smith and Dobbie on the CWGC site, maybe they survived the crash. The other eight are all are buried together in The Azores.

(Aircraft crash info from Ryan's pers file)

 

Thanks for the posts Dave.

Very useful info!

Cheers

Geoff

 

Dave,

Thank you very much for the information. I will pass it on to my family.

Tim

 

RAAF burials in Algeria

I am starting a new thread to cover what I'm finding out for this next batch of RAAF burials.

I'm just a neat freak and I don't want this thread to get too cluttered...

 

Works for me!

I have not had the time to do it as there are 66 countries for RAAF.


Cheers

Geoff

 

Albania

(After saying I was not going to post on this thread again, here I am)

Just a few things to add to what is already loaded for the three burials in Albania:

WADDELL, PETER VICTOR / Warrant Officer / 401163 / 249sq RAF - 30/03/1944

File type - Casualty - Repatriation; Aircraft - Spitfire VC JK596; Place - Durazzo, Albania; Date - 30 March 1944

********************************************************

POTTER, DENNIS HILTON / Flight Sergeant / 427021 / 624sq RAF - 1/02/1944

TENNANT, EDWARD DRAKE STEELE / Flight Sergeant / 410105 / 624sq RAF - 1/02/1944

File type - Casualty - Repatriation; Aircraft - Halifax DBB 44; Place - Tirana, Albania; Date - 1 February 1944 (624 (SD) SQN MAAF)

CREW LIST –

TENNANT, Edward Drake Steele - (Flight Sergeant); Service Number - 410105
POTTER, DENNIS HILTON – (Flight Sergeant); Service Number – 427021
STANLEY, Ronald Edwin – (Pilot Officer); Service Number – RAF 136869
BURLEFINGER, Francis Cecil Rudolph – (Sergeant); Service Number – RAF 1317535
DEVINE, James Leo – (Sergeant); Service Number – RAF 1503292
Gardner, George - (Sergeant); Service Number – RAF 2214238