Beaufort Loss

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
Anyone have the details on the crew who were lost in DD980 on 6th December 1942 ?
Thanks
Alex

[Henk Welting]

Alex,

I've on the Runnymede Memorial:
F/Sgt W.C. TURNER - 918007;
F/Sgt R. MARSH - 776127;
Sgt E.F. TURTON - 1071289, and
Sgt A.C. ASHTON - 1072896.

Henk.

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
Thanks for the reply Henk.
I wondered about the following candidates ?
Sgt. (Pilot) C. R. F. Shackell.KOAS
Sgt. (Wop/Ag) N. K. Millard. KOAS
Sgt. (Nav) J. R. Longstaff. KOAS
Sgt. (Obs) C. W. Furlong. KOAS
Sgt. (A/g) R. E. Edgson. DoWoIOAS
F/Lt. ( BAI) N. A. Butcher. KOAS
Sgt. (Wop/Ag) B. C. Beard. KOAS
Sgt. (Wop/Ag) A. C. Ashton. KIA
Apart fro Sgt. Ashton what are your reasons for just the Runnymede Memorial names ?
I see from the Davidstow link that a few days after a visit was made by a F/Lt. Ashton from 19 Group, (IIRC). Could this Ashton have been a relation or just a coincidence ?
Thanks again for the reply , maybe others can perhaps add to the thread ?
Alex

[brewerjerry]

Hi
Davidstow crash log shows

06-12-42
0520hrs
Bristol Beaufort II DD980 of 1 Overseas Aircraft Despatch Unit RAF Portreath crashed at West Point, Porthtowan Beach. The aircraft was completely smashed. Four occupants two dead and two missing.

ashton is shown as buried on cwwg site

Name:ASHTON, ALEXANDER CHARLES
Initials:A C
Nationality:United Kingdom
Rank:Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr.)
Regiment/Service:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Date of Death:06/12/1942
Service No:1072896
Additional information:Son of Richard and Janet Ashton, of Knotty Ash, Liverpool.
Casualty Type:Commonwealth War DeadGrave/Memorial
Reference:1871 Ground.
Grave 959.Cemetery:HUYTON (ST. MICHAEL) CHURCHYARD


cheers
Jerry

[Henk Welting]

Mistake from this side. Agree with Jerry that ASHTON has a known grave.
Will check my files on remaining names.
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

Alex,
Have problems checking files. Should be helpful to know initials, death date, servicenumbers of the airmen.
Henk.

[udf_00]

Have problems checking files. Should be helpful to know initials, death date, servicenumbers of the airmen.

http://www.hut-six.co.uk/cgi-bin/sxw...lue=1&pageno=1

2nd try :
http://www.hut-six.co.uk/cgi-bin/search39-47.php

In the form fill

Date: 06/12/1942
Ship or Unit text:-
Regiment/Corps: ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE

View search results;
Right-clicking on the number in first column open a new folder.

[dp_burke]

I'd suggest these three men at least, if they were on a OADU flight to NA/ME then they would be classed as Killed in Action if lost, rather than Killed on Active Service, even if they crashed on take off.

These three men were published in Flight magazine as missing beleived killed in action:

TURNER, WILLIAM CHARLES Runn 5 (C) OTU* m/KIA
TURTON, EDMUND FITZWALTER Runn 5 (C) OTU* m/KIA
MARSH, RONALD Runn 5 (C) OTU m/KIA

http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/sho...-12-1942/page2

Each of them is on Runnymede and is listed as ex-5 (C) OTU which would have been a Beaufort training unit. Perhaps the Davidstow Moore site is a quote from a wartime ORB rather than based on research.

The 5 (C) OTU listings come from the GRO list of RAF overseas deaths.

or did 5(c)OTU loose an aircraft elsewhere that day?

And Ashton while he is buried in England, his death was registered in Redruth district, Cornwall and his name is listed as Killed in Action in the same casualty list as the men mentioned above.

I would tend towards these four men based on their KIA listing, if they crashed in a 5 (C) OTU aircraft elsewhere, I'd expect to see them as Killed on Active Service.

Ashton KIA, Turner, Turton, Marsh missing/KIA

These OADU men might appear on the strenght of their last training unit on death registers from the GRO.

The example of the Hudson FK522 shows the two RAF/RAFVR men as being OADU and 6 (C) OTU. Their was an Australian on board that aircraft so easier to determine the crew and pax.

[brewerjerry]

Hi
Davidstow website seems to be based on the cornwall police war diaries.
Usually they were pretty accurate as to how many killed and how many missing.
They were really good files and in some cases had code letters for a/c, aircrew i/d numers etc,etc.

eight minutes later there was another crash so there is always the possiblity the airmen may have been amongst the 'four other men from this incident'

0528hrs

Four other men including 78206 Flight Lieutenant John Chevalier Hardman the Engineering Officer of 1 OADU were killed after scrambling down the cliffs to try and rescue the crew.

The only real answer would be from the loss card or ORB.

cheers
jerry

[Henk Welting]

Hi all,
May add following to the names mentioned by Alex in his msg # 3:
SHACKELL - Hurricane R4232 of 55 OTU;
MILLARD - Wellington R1223 of 28 OTU;
LONGSTAFF - Wellington BJ614 of 12 OTU;
FURLONG - Wellington R1522 of 14 OTU;
EDGSON - Wellington DV724 of 15 OTU,
BEARD - Wellington R1522 of 14 OTU.
What left was:
F/Lt Norman A. BUTCHER - 66008 - an Airbomber Instructor - buried Watchfield Mil. Cem., Berkshire. He's listed as KOAS and his death registered at Wantage, Berkshire.
Looking for info on unit and cause of death.
Regards,
Henk.