Sgt James Dennis THORNTON - 36 Squadron

[Larry]

Evidently Sgt Thornton was part of a Wellington crew that went missing, as the following from 36 Sqn are also listed at Runnymede for the same date.

Walter George Edward Becker
Rank:Flight Lieutenant Service No:62695
Date of Death:24/01/1945
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
36 Sqn. Panel Reference Panel 265.

Harry Edwin Hastings
Rank: Flying Officer Service No:189139
Date of Death:24/01/1945
Age:23
Regiment/Service:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
36 Sqn. Panel Reference Panel 267

Stanley Walton
Rank:Flight Lieutenant Service No:125847
Date of Death: 24/01/1945
Regiment/Service:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
36 Sqn. Panel Reference Panel 266.

Henry Thomas Large
Rank:Warrant Officer Service No: 1384700
Date of Death:24/01/1945
Age: 24
Regiment/Service:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
36 Sqn. Panel Reference Panel 269.

James Murray Smith Richie
Rank: Flight Sergeant Service No:656758
Date of Death:24/01/1945
Age: 26
Regiment/Service:Royal Air Force
36 Sqn. Panel Reference Panel 272.

[Larry]

Just found this too concerning one of the crew:

Harry Edwin Hastings, Flying Officer, 189139, Royal Air Force. Harry was the son of Edwin and Emily Clara Hastings of Highnam's Park, Essex. He served with 36 Squadron, Royal Air Force, which was a Coastal Command unit, equipped with the Vickers Wellington, which flew from RAF Chivenor in an anti-submarine role. Harry had served with the squadron in the Middle East before it moved to Chivenor in 1944, and he had got engaged to Marie Lloyd, of Bush Row, Haverfordwest. On 24 January 1945 Harry was on patrol in his Wellington when it was lost at sea. He was 23 years old, and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey.

Assuming they were flying a Wellington GR Mark XIV, the Maritime version of B Mark X with a chin radome housing the ASV Mark III radar and added RP-3 explosive rocket rails to the wings, all that is needed is to sort through the 841 aircraft built at Weybridge, Chester and Blackpool to find one that was lost on 24-1-45.

[adafor]

Thanks all for your helpful replies. I have found a poem in my grandfather's belongings that was in memory of "Jimmy" Thornton, hence my interest. My grandfather was a Navigator / Observer on Mosquito NFs with 488 Squadron, so didn't serve with him operationally.

I am trying to work out if they were aquaintences prior to Operational deployment, or wether the poem was written by someone else. At any rate, it is a moving bit of work.

Adam
broodyswar.wordpress.com

[Larry]

I had a look through Air Britain's RAF Aircraft for HF serials to check on Mk XIVs lost but could not find any so perhaps others can help

From AB Serials:

36s lost Wellington XIII {NB880} on 24-Jan-45

dg