This is to introduce myself, new to the forum. I have been working on this story, regarding my uncle, for a while now, for which I created a wikipedia page a few months ago, and I have referred to this on the thread I found at http://ww2chat.com/war-air/2192-french-town-honours-spitfire-hero.html : .......the wikipedia link is: Ernest Russell Lyon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for the few years of research much help has been given by other researchers, in Brittany and elsewhere. There are two areas where I would appreciate further information, if any researcher is able to find data / information not yet found, or to direct me to where more may be found and these are: 1/ A crucial link of an eye witness, or other record (probably german record) to the burial of the " inconnu" pilot casualty at Guidel on 29th July 1944 and where the casualty had come from. Whilst those reading the story will see that circumstantially we can be confident that the casualty is F/O E.R.Lyon, we still lack that final bit of conclusive evidence that will prove it beyond all reasonable doubt. 2/more information on what happened to F. Lt. W.C. Walton (Red 1 on the Rhubarb mission of 27th July 1944) after he was released as a pow at the end of WW2. I understand that after capture on the evening ( c 9.00pm) of 29th July 1944 he was imprisoned at Stalag Luft III Sagan and Belaria. Vincis
Hi Vincis, Now the name of this pilot rings a bell with me, can you tell me where he is buried? I think i have photo somewhere in my Commonwealth Roll of Honour Project files of his headstone. If its the same one i am thinking of, the person who sent it to me told me there was a french witness to the crash. If it is the same one i may still have the email or cd it came on which has the report and will send you a copy of it. What are your aims with your research? Cheers Sniper
Thanks Sniper We believe that he was buried at Guidel on Saturday 29th July 1944 in a grave marked originally "anglais inconnu". His Spitfire was shot down at c. 19.54hrs on Thursday 27th July 1944, at Kercaves, nr. Ploemeur, some seven or 8km distance from Guidel. So his name is not on a headstone where it is believed he was buried. His name is remembered on the headstone of his mother's grave (she pre-deceased him ) in Colinton Edinburgh. French witnesses to the crash were found and we have their witness statements. My aim is still to get official recognition to the grave of 29th July 1944 at Guidel. But, for the time being we have run out of leads. If I can also add to my knowledge regarding the mission leader F. Lt. WC Walton and what happened to him after WW2, that would be helpful. At present his squadron colleagues who are still alive do not know of his whereabouts, nor if he is still alive. As he was captured in the same area as the burial at Guidel, it may be he is able to provide corroborative evidence regarding the burial. .... but I do know we are hunting for needles in a haystack. thanks for your interest. Vincis
welcome to the forum Vincis, I wish you luck in your search as I am sure you know time is ticking. Have you contatced some of the crash invesitgation groups? they tend to dig very deep into records (excuse the pun) and hold a lot more information to their chests than they release. Also get letters out there in local and national papers searching for people who remember the gent, its always worth a try.
Hi Vincis, After reading all i can on this matter i feel the only way that this is going to be proved as p/o Lyon is for the next of kin to request a dna test. I'm not really up on the French laws and whether the CWGC will allow it but i feel its your only option left open. It would be great if this airman was at last recognised for who he is and not just as another known unto god. I think the only way that you will get anything from the German's right now is to hope that you find a german soldier who eyewitnessed the shooting down of the Spitfire and went to the crash site. As you say, a needle in a haystack. Regards Sniper
Thanks snapfish We will continue to hunt for those needles in the haystack and hope that 2011 will be the year in which another vital clue or change to the assessment of evidence for the case is the turning point. In the last few years we have had moments of pure serendipity and I am still confident that there will be more similar moments to come. Optimistically, there must be some Axis force witness still alive, but despite some notices in the german veterans media nothing has yet been forthcoming on this line of enquiry. DNA is still a possibility (which I have explored) but even that is not without some uncertainties. Vincis
Hi Vincis, I still think DNA is your best option at the moment, it would prove its not him if thats the case. Do you have access to his next of kin? Sniper
Sniper I am the closest of next of kin, F/O (Ernest) Russell Lyon is my half uncle, sharing my DNA with my grandfather, who is Russell's father. The CWGC say that they do not do DNA testing, and that once a casualty is buried in foreign soil no further exhumation should occur. Vincis Exhumation did occur in 1946 with the MREU who were unable then to identify the casualty in this grave at Guidel.
