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

[B.F.M. Droog]

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

[Andy Saunders]

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.

[B.F.M. Droog]

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

[Andy Saunders]

O'Reilly - 20
Parkinson - 21
Star - 21

Andy

[B.F.M. Droog]

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

[Andy Saunders]

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.

[B.F.M. Droog]

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

[gkopchuk]

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

[grvreijn]

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.