3 unaccounted FAA losses, May/June 1940

[Chris Goss]

An over zealous officer apparently thought that the records would be of no further use..............so they were destroyed

[Ex Shack]

Hi Bart
Beecroft is in http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1940-06JUN2.htm simply as died. He is recorded as being on HMS Daedalus which I believe is the name of the Shore Establishment at Lee-on-Solent. Both Ritchie(20/5/40) and O'Brien(6/6/40) are also recorded simply as died and both were serving on HMS Peregrine which I believe is the name of RNAS Ford
Regards
Dick

[Ex Shack]

Hi Bart
Following Paul's suggestion I found the registration of the deaths of Ritchie and O'Brien at Chichester which is consistent with Ford but Beecroft is registered at Newcastle-u-Lyme which is in Staffordshire and a long way from Lee-on-Solent. The only thing I can suggest is that he "might" have been at an RN establishment at Clayton on the edge of Newcastle. I know of it's existence because many of the buildings were used post-war as part of Clayton Hall Girls Grammar School where my wife was educated. On the Naval History site his unit is given as Daedalus II which could be a different place to RNAS Lee-on Solent
Regards
Dick