PDA

View Full Version : Aircrew Graves in Bermuda


Lockehaven
15th May 2011, 22:37
Hello,

I was in Bermuda recently and found the following aircrew graves in the Royal Naval Cemetery there:

GILBERT, A.G. Fleet Air Arm, HMS Newcastle, Killed 1st Nov 1941
MOULDEN, N.C. Fleet Air Arm, HMS Newcastle, Killed 1st Nov 1941

I presume that these were aircrew from a Supermarine Walrus, but does anyone know the circumstances of the loss?

Also:

TALBOT, E.C. 1st Officer, 45 Group, Transport Command
COOT, W.A. Navigator, ditto
GRACE, A.C.A. F/Engineer, ditto
MARTIN, H.M. Pilot, ditto

All killed 6th Feb 1945, presumably during a ferry flight. Anyone know the details of this crash?

Thanks.

Andy_Ingham
15th May 2011, 23:04
Liberator KL386.
Crashed into the sea shortly after take off following a refuelling stop. Aircraft was on route to the Middle East.
There were 5 Casualties.
MARTIN, H.M. - Pilot (Canadian Civilian)
TALBOT, E.C. - Co-Pilot (Canadian Civilian)
COOTT W.A. - Navigator RCAF
LAGADEC J.P. - Wireless Op (Canadian Civilian)
GRACE, A.C.A. F/Engineer RAF

Details From Though Without Anger by C Cummings

Regards
Andy

Lockehaven
15th May 2011, 23:16
Thanks Andy, I obviously need to improve my reference library!

Anyone out there got any ideas on the FAA aircrew from HMS Newcastle?

Regards.

RSwank
16th May 2011, 00:46
http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-4111-38NOV01.htm

Saturday, 1 November 1941

Lt A. C. Wilkinson with Leading Airman A.G. Gilbert and Leading Airman N. C. Moulden of light cruiser NEWCASTLE were killed when their Walrus of 700 Squadron crashed three and a half miles west of Bermuda on a dive bombing exercise.

Lockehaven
16th May 2011, 03:18
Thanks for the information, just proves the depth of knowledge that is out there, and the goodwill of fellow enthusiasts willing to share it.

Regards.

Henk Welting
16th May 2011, 16:45
Lockehaven,
You missed LAGADEC for KL386 because his grave now is in Montréal, PQ, Canada, and may have been exhumed and reinterred.
The 700 Sqn Walrus Mk.II was serial W2717 crashed into sea 3½ miles W of Bermuda on a divebombing and firing exercise (and indeed Lt (A) Alec C. WILKINSON was also part of the crew).
Regards,
Henk.

Lockehaven
17th May 2011, 07:28
Thanks Henk,

After seeing the graves in Bermuda I had to know the story behind them, my Wife thinks I'm mad (so what's new!).

Regards

Muscateer
26th May 2011, 18:25
Why on earth would one go dive bombing in a Walrus let alone practise it!!!

May they R.I.P. after such a futile death.

Muscateer.

Lockehaven
27th May 2011, 22:28
Yes, I tend to agree. I have to admit that I thought the Walrus was limited to recon missions in this context, and of course ASR duties back in the UK. I don't think that I've ever heard of a Walrus being used for offensive operations.

Regards.

Bill Walker
28th May 2011, 04:52
The Walrus sometimes carried depth charges for A/S work. The term "dive bombing" was widely misused during the war (in contrast to its prewar strict meaning of bomb release in a vertical dive), and sometimes referred to any bombing done from a descent, even if relatively shallow.

Reakes
18th February 2013, 15:58
Lt (A) Alec Crowther Wilkinson from Marsden near Huddersfield was my uncle. He was based in HMS Newcastle which had been situated in Freetown Sierra Leone during the hunt for the Graf Spee in the South Atlantic. On the ship's return to the UK he, his crew and the Walrus were dis-embarked to Bermuda so that they could do patrols over the North Atlantic to search for suspected German commerce raiders. I believe that at the time theirs was the only aircraft on the islands. My uncle lived in the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. They flew from the dockyard and on their last flight they were due to do this so-called dive bombing practise over the reefs off the islands. I have never been able to establish the exact details but I know that on pulling out of the first dive the wings folded up causing the aircraft to crash. Whether the folding mechanism had not been locked properly or there had been a mechanical failure, I do not know. Research in Bermuda is not very revealing as there seems to have been a total blackout of war news at the time.

Michael Reakes