Another Lysander loss: 26 Sqdn, 20/06/1940, two casualties

[B.F.M. Droog]

What caused the death of:

Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) Denis D. Rawlins, RAF 37420, 26 Sqdn., age 30, 20/06/1940, Stratford-sub-Castle (St Lawrence) Churchyard, UK
Pilot Officer John P. Lees, RAFVR 77689, 26 Sqdn., age unknown, 20/06/1940, missing

Regards,

Bart

[Ex Shack]

Hi Bart
On this date 26 Sqn had a detachment at Odiham in Hampshire ,
(RAF Squadrons , C G Jefford) and the deaths of both Rawlin(g)s and Lees are registered at Aldershot which is the appropriate office for Odiham. It might indicate an a/c accident on or near the airfield.It is however ,a slight puzzle that CWGC have Lees at Runnymede, suggesting no known grave when his death was registered.
Regards
Dick

[Henk Welting]

Suppose this was serial N1292. No explanation why Lees on the Runnymede Memorial. (Baled ? Came down in water ?)
Regards,
Henk.

[B.F.M. Droog]

Thanks,

Henk and Dick. A question: does the death registration of Lees in Aldershot means that there was a body? Or could such a death registration have been made when somebody was 'missing presumed killed'?

Regards,

Bart

[Ex Shack]

Hi Bart
I think that a death registration was made on the basis of the knowledge or presumption that a death of a known person had occurred. Most commonly of course there would have been a body but there were a fair range of circumstances,particular in the violence of war, where there were no recognisable remains after the incident. Henk's suggestion of coming down in water is merely one of them. If we are dealing with a Lysander loss then it would have been known who was on board even if they could not find the remains of one of them, hence the correct death registration but no burial.
Regards
Dick

[B.F.M. Droog]

Hello Dick,

Thanks for the explanation. As rules for death registrations can differ per country and per time period I had to ask this question.

Regards,

Bart

[B.F.M. Droog]

News just coming in from Henk Welting: there exists a description of the burial of P/O Lees at Aldingham Churchyard, Cumbria. So he's not missing.
See 26 Squadron, 20/06/1940: ?, UK. 1 Plane lost, 2 KIA

Regards,

Bart

[Andy Saunders]

It is not unheard of for some burials/grave locations to be missing from CWGC cemetery registers, often meaning that the name ends up at Runnymede as a "missing" airman. I have come across several such examples - one, recently, a 1942 casualty called Penman who is on Runnymede but buried in Scotland. After I pointed out the error CWGC have amended their records, but his name is still at Runnymede until panel is renewed. Very often (possibly always?) these cases involve private burials/headstones. One would assume that if a CWGC headstone then the CWGC would know it to be there!

[dp_burke]

Looking at this man today I beleive the former Runnymede was just because he was buried in 1940 while his wife was next of kin. Then she got married again in 1943. By 1948 when CWGC was contacting NoK she probably was moved on from her known addresses. Thus, having no info from NoK he was entered on a high panel number on Runnymede. His current headstone is aa special memorial, so its not actually over his body but high lights he is somewhere in the cemetery.

[dp_burke]

And this.
https://furnessstoriesbehindthestone...john-prescott/