RAF Losses as at 31st December in each year of WW2

[Larry]

We are all familiar with the total of 55,000 killed in Bomber Command in WW2 but does anyone have a record of how many aircrew were killed in each year of the war from air operations; training, support and operational missions on a world wide basis?

[MW Giles]

Some simple searching on the cwgc database will get you a fairly good result

e.g a quick check showed 7596 Air Force personnel died in 1940

[Larry]

Sadly I have had no luck on that site especially if it gives 1800 pages to look through in response to the question, many of which are nothing to do with Aircrew losses

[MW Giles]

Go to find deaths

Go to the bottom of list and in

Served in select Air Force

In date of death type 01/01/1940 and 31/12/1940

and it gives you a list

If all you want are numbers then look and see how many are on the list, for this the names do not matter

Yes you will get those that died of natural causes and will miss the odd sailor or soldier that died in an a/c crash, but the figures will be near enough

[MW Giles]

In the broadest terms 03/09/39 to 04/09/1945

1939 - 701
1940 - 7596
1941 - 13487
1942 - 21593
1943 - 29985
1944 - 33299
1945 - 12205

As noted this is just those serving in the Air Force (male and female) that died in those years.

If you want to find which ones died in aircraft then you are going to have to go one by one through Chorley, Franks et al

Obviously that is date of death, some may have been badly injured and died in the following year or after my search dates

Bomber Command made up nearly half of the total

Regards

Martin

[Larry]

Great thanks all