Accidents/tragedies of WW2

Discussion in 'General' started by saintconor, Aug 3, 2010.

  1. John Redell

    John Redell Member

    Quite a few died "in training" at Slapton Sands during Exercise Tiger when a number of uninvited guests showed up.

    D-Day rehearsal that cost 800 lives

    Exercise Tiger - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    ___________________________________________________

    During a stopover in Hamilton, Bermuda (en route to the Mediterranean) for repairs and to take on fresh water and supplies, twenty-three USN LCI(L) Flotilla 2 sailors drowned when a boat returning them from liberty in Hamilton was swamped in heavy winds on the night of February 27, 1943, at approximately 9pm. Flotilla 2 was the first group of LCI(L)s to cross the Atlantic to Gibraltar. Names/ratings/ships of those drowned in the Bermuda accident:

    Ens. Lawrence Raymond Waller, LCI(L) 219
    Rymon, J.A., MoMM2c, LCI(L) 212
    Roberts, Earl L., MoMM2c, LCI(L) 218
    Chamberlain, LeRoy R., SC2c, LCI(L) 213
    Picozzi, Adam T., SM3c, LCI(L) 214
    Gray, John “J”., SK3c, Flotilla Staff
    Gragg, Robert C., RM3c, LCI(L) 215
    Jensen, Alvin C., SM3c, LCI(L) 213
    Merrill, Otis H., SC3c, LCI(L) 211
    Radford, Clifford H., F1c, Flotilla Staff
    Kapff, Richard A., S1c, LCI(L) 214
    Light, W.A., S1c, LCI(L) 212
    Albert, Lonnie L., S2c, LCI(L) 213
    Bloom, Russel L., S2c, LCI(L) 219
    Farrell, Vincent C., S2c, LCI(L) 213
    Redding, Grant Russel, S2c, LCI(L) 215
    Twiggs, Jack P., S2c, LCI(L) 214
    Kennedy, Charles H., F2c, LCI(L) 214
    Hayes, James A., F2c, LCI(L) 216
    Muth, David H., AS, LCI(L) 218
    Leonard, Thomas L., AS, LCI(L) 215
    Jones, Robert L., MA2c, LCI(L) 216
    Stafford, Willis, MA2c, LCI(L) 212
    Riley, James Lee, MA3c, LCI(L) 215
     
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2016
  2. gmyles

    gmyles Senior Member

    Lt-Colonel Launcelot Vincent Stoneham Sherwood, DSO (and bar) (AI-209), Commanding Officer, 3rd Baluch, 10th Regiment and Subadar-Major Sardar Bahadur Akbar Khan (3996/IO), were murdered by a new recruit, in Salonika on 02 Sep 1945. The Punjabi Musulman from the Mianwali district, was found to be a religious fanatic, who for an imagined grievance, shot the two officers whilst they sat in their jeep and then surrendered himself to the quarter guard.

    Extracted from the History of 3rd Baluch 10 Regiment by Lt-Col W.E. Maxwell
     
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  3. ClankyPencil

    ClankyPencil Senior Member

    The 6th York & Lancasters after a torrid few months in the front lines in Italy, eventually got pulled out of the line mid-December 44. They were promised a long period of rest & training of 2-3 months. After initial rest of a couple of weeks, they started training exercises in the New Year.
    From 'The Story of the 46 Division'

    'But on the 2nd January a tragic accident befell the York & Lancasters. Some enemy mines exploded in a room full of men attending a course, causing considerable loss of life and many injuries. This tragedy cast a gloom over the last few days in Porto San Giorgio.'

    From other documents it shows 14 men from the Btn were killed in the inital explosion(s), with 5 or 6 more dieing of their wounds the next day.

    The fatality rate in that one event wasn't far off what they endured in the heavy fighting in Italy over the previous couple of months.

    After burying their dead on the 4th January the Division received orders 2 days later to move to Taranto for embarkation to Greece. :(
     
  4. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    The death of RAF Air Chief Marshall Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, KCB CB DSO (PAX) has been mentioned however there was an Australian on board, so I have a loss report.
    Allemont Le Rivier CC General shot 2.jpg
    RAAF FATALITIES IN SECOND WORLD WAR AMONG
    RAAF PERSONNEL SERVING ON ATTACHMENT
    IN ROYAL AIR FORCE SQUADRONS AND SUPPORT UNITS
    403555 Flight Lieutenant CASEY, John Austral MID
    Source:
    AWM 237 (65) NAA : A705, 166/7/711 Commonwealth War Graves records
    Aircraft Type: York
    Serial number: G 126
    Radio call sign:
    Unit: ATTD Royal Air Force Transport Command
    Summary:
    On the 14th November 1944, York G126 took off from RAF Station Northolt at 0806
    hours on an air Operational travel flight, for Pomigliano, eight miles north east of Naples.
    This was the first leg of a flight from the UK to India, by Air Chief Marshall Sir Trafford
    Leigh-Mallory, KCB CB DSO, to take over Command as Allied Air Commander-in-
    Chief, South-East Asia. He was accompanied by his wife Lady D J Leigh-Mallory. The
    only W/T contact was made with the aircraft at 0929 hours on the 14th November, which
    advised that “the escorting aircraft were breaking away” York G 126 did not reach its
    destination in Italy, and the aircraft was reported missing.
    Crew:
    RAF Sqn Ldr Lancaster C G D Captain (Pilot)
    RAF Flt Lt Chinn, P (2nd Pilot)
    RAF Flt Lt Mooring, K A (Navigator)
    RAAF 493555 Flt Lt Casey, J A MID (W/T Operator)
    RAF FO Enser, A J (Flight Engineer)
    RAF Sgt J Chandler, (Steward)
    RAF Cpl Burgess, (Fitter))
    RAF LAC Burnett, (Fitter)
    RAF Air Chief Marshall Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, KCB CB DSO (PAX)
    Lady D J Leigh-Mallory (PAX)
    In 1945 a Missing Research & Enquiry team reported : “ The missing aircraft had been
    located in the mountains, 30 miles west of Grenoble, France.and all on board the aircraft
    had been killed. The aircraft had crashed during a heavy blizzard and snowstorm. It had
    been flying several miles off course and had hit the top of a 6,500 foot high mountain
    with its tail piece, somersaulting the aircraft into the slope just below the top.
    The remains of all those on board were buried on the 15th June 1945, in the French
    Cemetery at Le Rivier D’Allemont, France. Allemont and Le Rivier are villages in the
    Department of the Isere, 24kms east south east of Grenoble, the chief town in the
    Department. The Cemetery is situated at the mountain side east of the village of Le
    Rivier, and is only accessible from April to October each year.. The graves of the eight
    British and one Australian airmen, together with the civilian grave of Lady Leigh-
    Mallory, are to be found to the right entrance in the centre plot. There are only ten
    identified casualties in the Cemetery,
    Flt Lt Casey’s MID was promulgated in the January 1945 New Years List.
     
  5. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Death of Australian, RAF Air Vice Marshal Wilfred Ashton McClaughry CB DSO MC DFC
    During the battle of Britain Wilfred commanded No.9 Fighter Group and in 1942, appointed C.B. and air vice marshal, became Air Officer Commanding, Egypt.

    Details of the above loss.
    4 January1943

    Loadstar EW986
    173 Squadron

    The aircraft was returning from a trip by Air Marshal McClaughry, Lady Tedder and their staff to a number of units. During the approach to land, the aircraft crashed 2 miles south of Heliopolis but the Accident Card is unclear as to the cause. Lady Tedder was the wife of Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, AOCinC Middle East. Their son had died on 3 Aug 1940 whilst a pilot with 139 Sqn and he is buried in Bayeau Cemetery France.

    Flying Officer Graham Grant COWLING 22 Pilot +
    Flying Officer Eric Ralph Dalton JAMES 25 Pilot +
    Sergeant Norman Louis CLARKE +
    Squadron Leader Richard George CHESTER 37 +
    Air Vice Marshal Wilfred Ashton MCCLAUGHRY 48 CB DSO MC DFC +
    Lady Rosalinde TEDDER +
    Squadron Leader Hugh Wynston CLELAND 34 +
    Pilot Officer William Alfred HAWKINS 32 +
    Wing Commander Gerard Basil NICHOLAS 42 DFC +
    Flight Lieutenant James Ronal RITCHIE +
    Leading Aircraftman Albert John William HURDLE 20 +

    Source – Though Without Anger – C. Cummings
     
  6. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    On the afternoon of February 14, 1945, disaster struck the Canadian 29th Motor Torpedo Boat flotilla.
    In advance of a patrol that night, many of the sailors were asleep on their boats docked in Ostend, Belgium . Spilled fuel that had ended up floating on the surface of the harbour suddenly ignited and, before an alarm could even be raised, a raging fire quickly spread amongst the closely-moored vessels. Fuel and ammunition supplies exploded as boat after boat caught fire. Many of the men were trapped on board and had no escape as even the water was aflame. By the time it was over, the 29th flotilla had lost 26 Canadian sailors and five of eight of its vessels were destroyed. An estimated 35 British sailors and seven Royal Navy vessels had also been lost.

    At the time,torpedo boats were berthed at Ostend, with eleven ‘short’ boats and five of the large ‘D’ boats being in the area known as the creek, with another thirteen of the ‘D’ boats in the main harbour.

    A number of the boats were carrying out maintenance on their engines. During the afternoon the Canadian manned MTB.464 entered harbour, to join the others, and Petty Officer (Motor Mechanic) Arthur Frederick Walden took the opportunity to clear a fuel tank contaminated with water. The contents of the tank were discharged directly into the harbour. The pump ran from 15.15 to 15.35 which meant that about 50 gallons of fluid went overboard. However, there was apparently not as much water in the tank as Walden had feared, and much of what went into the basin was actually gasoline. From 15.30 several of the boats noticed a distinct smell of petrol, but all presumed it was internal to their boat.

    At 16.02 the petrol vapour ignited between MTB.465 and MTB.462. The flames spread very quickly across the creek and in less than three minutes seventeen boats, all moored close together were on fire. At 16.05 there was a huge explosion, when 465 blew up, shattering windows in the town and throwing debris over a large area; this was followed a moment or so later by a second explosion as 462 blew up. Smaller explosions continued for some time, as ammunition exploded.

    In all twelve torpedo boats were lost and a total of 64 men were killed and 65 injured onboard the boats. Nine civilians ashore were killed and dozens of other people in the area were injured.
     
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  7. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    For the 9th Battalion, Royal Sussex Rgt, there were two accidents in India before they even saw action in Burma. In the first, Sgt John Edward Page, No 6402929 a 26 year old was killed on 20.12.1943, at Aundhu Range during Battle Innoculation Training when a shell fell short.
    The second casualty was Pte. Stanley William Winder, No 6407658. He was involved in an accident with a tank. Both were buried in Kirkee.
    I do not know if incidents such as this were investigated and whether the paperwork survives.
     
  8. sligoglaswegian

    sligoglaswegian Active Member

    private john docherty,argyle and sutherland highlanders.
    killed in a motor accident on the imphal/kohima road may 1942, buried in kohima cemetery.
     
  9. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    The 1943 Saint-Donat Liberator III Crash was an aerial accident that killed 24 people—the worst accident in Canadian military aviation history.

    The lost aircraft, (B-24D) serial number 41-24236, was purchased in September 1942 from the USAAF as part of a four aircraft order. Once in RCAF service, the aircraft received the tail number 3701H and was to be used by #10 Squadron for an anti-submarine role. However, it was deemed that the four aircraft were not capable of the ASW mission, so they were employed for training and general transport.

    During a routine flight from Gander to Mont-Joli Quebec, a combination of inclement weather and a mapping error caused the Liberator to collide with the Black Mountain (French: Montagne Noire), killing all those on board. The wreckage was discovered accidentally more than two years later.
    On 20 June 1946, while searching for another aircraft that had been reported as missing between Rockcliffe and Roberval, the crew of a military search aircraft, piloted by Lt. B.D. Inrig, noticed a glint of sunshine coming from a metallic object and on closer investigation saw the characteristic twin fins of a Liberator near the top of the mountain. All records pointed to it being the lost aircraft.

    That same day, a search party was formed and dispatched to the site under the command of Captain Harry Cobb RCAF. With no access to the site, the group had to trail-blaze its way through the forest guided by an observation plane which would nose dive to indicate the location of the wreckage. According to Cobb's testimony, all passengers were killed on impact, which was also confirmed by Dr. J.-A. Melançon, the coroner, who reported the deaths as being accidental. The aircraft had caught fire with only some assemblies, the rear fuselage and the engines having been spared by the blaze. Of the crew and passengers, only three bodies could be identified

    Today, a hiking trail leads to the site where remains of the aircraft can still be seen along with numerous plaques detailing the accident and a monument honouring those who died.
    1943 Saint-Donat RCAF Liberator III crash - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    1943_Saint-Donat_B-24D_Liberator_crash_site_aircraft_remains_2.jpg 1943_Saint-Donat_B-24D_Liberator_crash_site_monument_view.jpg 1943_Saint-Donat_B-24D_Liberator_crash_site_monument_view_from_tower.jpg 1943_Saint-Donat_B-24D_Liberator_crash_site_remains_1.jpg
     
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  10. Ione

    Ione New Member

    In the Wikipedia entry about 17th Battalion, 10th Baluch Regiment, Lt.Colonel Sherwood is described as having been its Commanding Officer until 23 Aug. 1944. Is this correct? It would mean that he was transferred to the unit in which he was CO when murdered.

    In addition, I would be immensely grateful for any information on 17/10 Baluch from Oct 1942 to 21 Dec 1945. There is nothing in this forum about 17/10 Baluch. My father served in it, but no records have survived a fire in the family home in 1947.
     
  11. Dave55

    Dave55 Atlanta, USA

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