KIA 02/04/1945

[littleorme]

Hi,
Can anyone help me find out with which squadron an indirect ancestor was serving with when he was killed? It's not possible to ask any family member.
I know that 120985 Flt Lt Herbert Arnold Buck was killed on 02/04/1945, from the CWGC site, and where he was buried, but that's all I know. Looking at the Combat Reports on Documentsonline it's possible that he flew with either 97 or 207 Sqdn, but there are no initials shown.
You can probably tell I'm new to this site so any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Clive

[Henk Welting]

Hudson V - AM607 - RAE - GD Flight Farnborough - flight to Ringway transporting parts.
Engine fail, crashed Old Whitehall Farm, Tackley, 3 miles NE of Woodstock, Oxfordshire.
Also killed:
W/O (WOp/Ag) Gordon H. DIXON - 533999 (from Canada), and passengers:
F/Lt George KNIGHT - 79780;
Mr A.W. THOM (not listed CWGC);
Mr Ian A. HOWARTH - age 21 - buried Chipping Nortonb Rural District), and
Mr Charles R. WOODERSON - age 50 - same cemetery as Howarth.
Regards,
Henk.

[Col Bruggy]

Henk,

Re: 533999 W/O Gordon Henry DIXON RAF.

You are probably aware of this, so it is mainly for the benefit of others:

Friday, May 10, 1940.

226 Squadron, Reims-Champagne.

Battle L5247. Shot down by ground-fire during dive-bombing attack on enemy columns between Wallendorf and Diekirch and crashed in the northern suburbs of Fauborg de Luxembourg, Weimerskirch 6.30 p.m. Flight Lieutenant B. R. Kerridge captured badly wounded, died May 15. Corporal G. H. Dixon* captured badly burned. Sergeant D. I. Anthony captured unhurt. Aircraft a write-off.

See:The Battle of France Then and Now/Cornwell. p.183

* Flight. July 11, 1940. Cas. Comm. No.37 - Previously Reported "Missing, Believed Killed in Action." Now reported "Prisoner of War." - Dixon (533999), Cpl. G. H.

Dixon must have been repatriated during the war. I can't find him on any POW lists, so he must have been hospitalised due to his burns. There is also the problem of his date of death on the CWGC, which is quoted as 27-4-1945.

Col.

[Henk Welting]

Col,
I do believe that BUCK's date of death CWGC is incorrect. AM607 lost 27-4-1945 (Air Britain AA100-AZ999 latest edition); DIXON, KNIGHT, HOWARTH and WOODERSON are all listed with death date 27-4-1945.
Regards,
Henk.

[littleorme]

Hello Henk,
Many thanks - and you are so right about the date of his death. A year later he was reinterred in the family grave in Manchester. The headstone there shows his death was on 27/04/1945. This was registered with the civil authorities at Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. It all fits together.
Would you happen to know what organisation he would have been working with at the time? If it was Farnborough then it would have been civilian, I suppose.
Regards
Clive

[Henk Welting]

Clive,
Don't have any idea about the unit RAE, only know that this abbreviation stands for "Royal Aircraft Establishment". For sure somebody from the UK will give you more info this government institution.I will inform the CWGC re Buck's date of death.
Regards,
Henk.