Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

On Flushing (Vlissingen) Northern Cemetery this unknown airman is buried:

Unknown Canadian airman
RCAF No 429 Sqn
Died 22/06/1943
Body was found near Wemeldinge in a floating rubber raft, with numbers 998 and 1000.

He was buried 25/06/1940, in grave 3B No.160, 1 deep.

In the same raft the body of Flight Sergeant (Bomb Aimer) James P.G. O'Reilly was found.

Who can this unknown airman be?

Source: Slagveld Sloedam - this page

Regards,

Bart

Re: Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

Bart

James Patrick Gallery O'REILLY was in the crew on-board Wellington HZ519 of 429 "Bison" squadron, lost 22 June 1943. Others were:

Flt Sgt W G PARKINSON
Flt Sgt C F ORLINSKI
Flt Sgt E A STAR
Flt Sgt J KOPCHUK

If this is the complete list then Star is the only contender, it seems, as his name is at Runnymede whilst all the others appear to have known graves.

Andy

Re: Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

Hello Andy,

That would be an amazing coincidence - but is a crew of 5 normal for a Wellington?
Does anyone know what Chorley says about this plane?

Regards,

Bart

Re: Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

Yes, this is the full crew Bart but something strange here. I have found reference to Parkinson on the Runnymede Memorial AND that he is buried at Flushing. Can you confirm the latter?

Andy

Re: Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

There is a 429 web site.
http://www.429sqn.ca/

Also see http://www.429sqn.ca/429sqnindex.htm

Re: Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

Interestingly, I see the site is run by Gregory Kopchuk, nephew of one of the crew.

Re: Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

This is from the CWGC:

Flight Sergeant (Bomb Aimer) James P.G. O'Reilly, RCAF R/154098, 429 Sqdn., age unknown, 22/06/1943, Flushing (Vlissingen) Northern Cemetery
Flight Sergeant William G. Parkinson, RCAF R/105126, 429 Sqdn., age unknown, 22/06/1943, missing
Flight Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Casimir F. Orlinski, RCAF R/134317, 429 Sqdn., age 19, 22/06/1943, Flushing (Vlissingen) Northern Cemetery
Flight Sergeant Sgt Ernest A. Star, RCAF R/131714, 429 Sqdn., age unknown, 22/06/1943, missing
Flt Sgt John Kopchuk, RCAF R/132169, 429 Sqdn., age 24, 22/06/1943, Flushing (Vlissingen) Northern Cemetery

Can't confirm Parkinson is buried at Flushing. The Sloedam site doesn't mention him. What's you're source on him?

Regards,

Bart

Re: Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

According to CWGC Parkinson is on Runnymede. However, "They Shall Not Grow Old" (RCAF) says that he is on Runnymede but buried at Flushing. The only explanation could be that he has since been confirmed at Flushing, but his name remains uncorrected at Runnymede? What is your local information from Flushing, Bart? It could be a typo or just plain error - in which case, the unknown at Flushing could be one of two men.

Re: Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

Hello Andy,

All sources I have are the CWCG-database and the Slagveld Sloedam-site.
On the last I found some additional information regarding the Wellington:
it crashed on (Dutch time?) 01.18 hrs 22/06/1940 in the sea near Stavenisse.

Also on the Sloedam site are a number of other unknown airman, presumably died 22/06/1943, and - according to the maker of that site - belonging to a Lancaster that crashed 17/06/1943.

Since Flushing is 300 km from where I live I cannot check on the Cemetery if F/Sgt Parkinson is or isn't buried there. I'll try to contact the maker of the site - maybe he knows more.

The information given about the unknown airmen on the Sloedam site is extraordinary - in the coming days I'll present more unknown who might be identified.

Regards,

Bart

Re: Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

Presumably you mean 1943...not 1940? I am a bit confused!

Re: Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

Andy - yes, that's a mistake, must be 1943 - will edit it.

Received some additional information from the maker of Slagveld Sloedam.

His information regarding the unknown airmen comes from the Archive of the city of Vlissingen (Flushing).

Flt Sgt John Kopchuk was also found in a rubber raft; this raft had the numbers 998 and 999
F/Sgt Orlinski was 'fished' out of the sea on 23/06/1943; buried 28/06/1943

The raft with numbers 998 and 1000 contained three bodies; O'Reilly and the two unknown.

Could the functions of the crew members be of any help in solving this case?

Flt Sgt J.P.G. O'REILLY (bomb aimer, raft 998/1000)
Flt Sgt W G PARKINSON (?, raft 998/1000)
Flt Sgt E A STAR (?, raft 998/1000)
Flt Sgt C F ORLINSKI (W.Op./Air Gnr., in sea)
Flt Sgt J KOPCHUK (raft 998/999)

Regards,

Bart

Re: Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

Parkinson - Air Gunner
Star - Pilot
Kopchuk - Navigator

Not sure how crew functions helps, though, in identifying the unknowns? Seems we will always be left with two candidates for this grave.

Re: Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

Well, as we say in Dutch: you never know how a cow catches a hare.

Flt Sgt J.P.G. O'REILLY, age ? (bomb aimer, raft 998/1000)
Flt Sgt W G PARKINSON, age ? (air gunner, raft 998/1000)
Flt Sgt E A STAR, age ? (pilot, raft 998/1000)
Flt Sgt C F ORLINSKI, age 19 (W.Op./Air Gnr., in sea)
Flt Sgt J KOPCHUK, age 24 (navigator, raft 998/999)

Maybe the ages can give another clue. If Parkinson was for instance 30 and Star 20 years old, it could help in identification.

Regards,

bart

Re: Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

O'Reilly - 20
Parkinson - 21
Star - 21

Andy

Re: Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

Thanks Andy,

Unfortunately these ages don't differ enough to matter.

Flt Sgt E A STAR, age 21 (pilot, raft 998/1000) - missing
Flt Sgt J KOPCHUK, age 24 (navigator, raft 998/999)
Flt Sgt J.P.G. O'REILLY, age 20 (bomb aimer, raft 998/1000)
Flt Sgt C F ORLINSKI, age 19 (W.Op./Air Gnr., in sea)
Flt Sgt W G PARKINSON, age 21 (air gunner, raft 998/1000) - missing

Regards,

Bart

Re: Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

It seems a pity that we cannot say whether this is Star or Parkinson. However, as Star was pilot he could have been last to get out, or try to get out, and perhaps there is a higher chance he went down with the aircraft? But that is only supposition and has no weight of evidence to back it up.

Re: Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

Well, if you take this plane from 61 Squadron:

Type: HP52 Hampden Mk.B.1
Serial number: P4341, QR-?
Operation: Geestacht
Lost: 30/06/1940
Pilot Officer Alfred G. Pascoe, RAF 40746 (Australia), 61 Sqdn., age 23, 30/06/1940, missing
Pilot Officer Alexander C. Ennis, RAF 70896, 61 Sqdn., age 25, 30/06/1940, missing
Sergeant James W. Greig, RAF 548517, 61 Sqdn., age 21, 30/06/1940, missing
Sergeant Fred Pursglove, RAF 516705, 61 Sqdn., age 26, 30/06/1940, missing
Airborne from Hemswell. Shot down by Flak and crashed into the sea off Holland. The remains of a Pilot Officer of Hampden P4341 are buried in Schipluiden General Cemetery, Netherlands. The casualty is known to be either Pilot Officer A G Pascoe or Pilot Officer A C Ennis.
Three bodies were not recovered. All are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

You can notice that on the CWGC database pages of Pascoe and Ennis the likelyhood that one of the two is buried in Schipluiden is mentioned.

Regards,

Bart

Re: Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

F/Sgt John Kopchuk was my uncle. I have done considerable research on 429 sqn and the fate of my uncle and his crew. The full details of them are on my site at http://www.429sqn.ca/dedicate.htm

Originally O'Reilly was the only body id'ed when they washed ashore. Orlinski and Kopchuk were id'ed after the war ended. Orlinski washed ashore a day or two later. He never got in the dingy. The other body in the dingy (Kopchuk and O'reilly were in the dingy) was never properly id'ed. When they dug the body up in '45-46 to id it they couldn't find the head. The fifth member of the crew was never recovered. So the law of averages figure that Star (the pilot) never got out. So the body never id'ed is probably the rear gunner William Parkinson.

Greg Kopchuk
gkopchuk@yahoo.com
www.429sqn.ca

Re: Unknown RCAF airman, 429 Sqdn, 22/06/1943, NL
 

I agree with Greg.
I researchd a similar case. I think the fact that the grave mentions "Unknown Canadian airman" indicates that it was someone of the crew but not the pilot. If Kopchuk was id'ed after the war the grave must be of Parkinson - Air Gunner.