AOP (Air Observation Post) Squadron Casualties

This thread is for casualties of AOP or Air Observation Post Squadrons. Please feel free to post casualty details and photos of headstones or memorials.

Using Geoff's search engine, there appear to be 76 + names, a large proportion who lay at rest in Italy. This includes those who flew the Aircraft and the ground support.

 

Name: BALLYN, CECIL CLAUDE
Rank: Captain
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery
Secondary Regiment: Royal Air Force
Secondary Unit Text: attd. 658 A.O.P. Sqdn.,
Age: 38
Date of Death: 18/03/1945
Service No: 184322
Awards: D F C and Bar
Additional information: Son of William and Catherine Goldsack Ballyn; husband of Mildred Irene Ballyn, of Chelsea, London.
Grave/Memorial Reference: 13. E. 4. Cemetery: JONKERBOS WAR CEMETERY

Photo from the Sanguinius set on Flikr

 

Name: CURTIS-WILLSON, CLIFFORD
Rank: Captain
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery
Secondary Regiment: Royal Air Force
Secondary Unit Text: attd. 660 A.O.P. Sqdn.
Age: 26
Date of Death: 12/03/1945
Service No: 72227
Additional information: Son of William Thomas Curtis-Willson and Irene Madge Curtis-Willson; husband of Joan Maureen Curtis Willson, of Rottingdean, Sussex, England.
Grave/Memorial Reference: VI. B. 5.
Cemetery: GROESBEEK CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY

(Photo taken 4 May 2015)

 

This thread is for Royal Artillery, who were attached to AOP or Air Observation Post Squadrons. Please feel free to post casualty details and photos of headstones or memorials.

Good idea to seperate these from the bomber observers, Rob.

 

Name: HILL, RAYMOND JESSE
Rank: Lieutenant
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery
Secondary Regiment: Royal Air Force
Secondary Unit Text: attd. 658 A.O.P. Sqdn.
Age: 24
Date of Death: 14/10/1944
Service No: 137284
Additional information: Son of Alfred Jesse and Evelyn Ruth Hill; husband of Joan Mary Hill, of Plaistow, Essex.
Grave/Memorial Reference: I. D. 10.
Cemetery: OVERLOON WAR CEMETERY

 

Good idea to seperate these from the bomber observers, Rob.

A completely different subject matter. I agreed with Idler's comment on your original thread.

 

Name: HOLLIS, FREDERICK EDWIN
Rank: Captain
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery
Secondary Regiment: Royal Air Force
Secondary Unit Text: attd. 660 A.O.P. Sqdn.
Age: 31
Date of Death: 03/03/1945
Service No: 182464
Additional information: Son of Herbert and Amy Hollis; husband of Hilda May Hollis, of Horsford, Norfolk, England.
Grave/Memorial Reference: VI. D. 3.
Cemetery: GROESBEEK CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY

(Photo taken 14 May 2015)

 

Name: STUART, DENNIS IVOR
Rank: Captain
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery
Secondary Regiment: Royal Air Force
Secondary Unit Text: attd. 659 A.O.P. Sqdn.
Age: 24
Date of Death: 04/02/1945
Service No: 201836
Additional information: Son of William Horace and Gwendolen Lewis Stuart, of Porthcawl, Glamorgan.
Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot RR. Grave 15.
Cemetery: EINDHOVEN (WOENSEL) GENERAL CEMETERY

Photo courtesy of PieterF if I am correct.

 

Name: WILSON, JOHN
Rank: Lieutenant
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery
Secondary Regiment: Royal Air Force
Secondary Unit Text: attd. 659 A.O.P. Sqdn.
Age: 26
Date of Death: 15/11/1944
Service No: 149792
Additional information: Son of John and Mary Wilson, of Greenock, Renfrewshire.
Grave/Memorial Reference: Grave 2.
Cemetery: OPLOO (ST. ANTHONIS) ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHYARD

 

Lieutenant ARTHUR DONALD BURNESS

129290, Royal Artillery
attd. 661 A.O.P. Sqdn., Royal Air Force
who died age 24
on 06 December 1943
Son of James Frederick William Burness and of Winifred Elizabeth Burness, of East Lavant, Sussex. His brother, Michael Frederick, also died on service.
Remembered with honour
DENHAM (ST. MARY) CHURCHYARD

 

Remembered Bushey,Herts
Captain ROWLAND HENRY CORN WOODMAN

200485, Royal Artillery
attd. 654 A.O.P. Sqdn., Royal Air Force
who died age 25
on 07 May 1946
Son of George Robert and Edith Mary Woodman, of Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire.
Remembered with honour
UDINE WAR CEMETERY

 

Name: BELL, THOMAS HAMILTON
Rank: Gunner
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery
Secondary Regiment: Royal Air Force
Secondary Unit Text: attd. 661 A.O.P. Sqdn.
Age: 20
Date of Death: 23/10/1945
Service No: 14563493
Additional information: Son of Gilbert Rae Bell and Alison Lyall Hamilton Bell, of East Fortune, East Lothian, Scotland.
Grave/Memorial Reference: VI. G. 13.
Cemetery: GROESBEEK CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY

(Photo taken 14 May 2015)

 

Remembered Harpenden Herts


Captain ALBERT WHITE CHESHIRE

222097, Royal Artillery
attd. 656 A.O.P. Sqdn, Royal Air Force
who died age 24
on 29 November 1944
Son of Francis Moreton Cheshire and Fanny Margaret Cheshire, of Harpenden, Hertfordshire.
Remembered with honour
KIRKEE WAR CEMETERY

 

Remembered Harpenden Herts
Captain RUPERT FREDERICK CANTON

226479, 655 Air Observation Post Sqn., Royal Artillery
who died age 35
on 17 July 1945
Son of Sydney and Janet Canton; husband of Olive Canton, of Harpenden, Hertfordshire.
Remembered with honour
ROME WAR CEMETERY

 

Name: GRAHAM, GEORGE
Rank: Gunner
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery
Secondary Regiment: Royal Air Force
Secondary Unit Text: attd. 654 A.O.P. Sqdn.
Age: 28
Date of Death: 07/09/1943
Service No: 1152328
Additional information: Son of William and Hilda Marian Graham, of Leeds, Yorkshire; husband of Winifred Graham, of Hyde Park, Leeds.
Grave/Memorial Reference: I. H. 25.
Cemetery: CATANIA WAR CEMETERY, SICILY

Photo from the website of 1° Institute “ M. BARTOLO “ Pachino (Sicily)

 

Name: MALONE, PATRICK FRANCIS
Rank: Gunner
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery
Secondary Regiment: Royal Air Force
Secondary Unit Text: attd. 658 A.O.P. Sqdn.
Age: 24
Date of Death: 21/05/1945
Service No: 14407720 Additional information: Son of Thomas and Annie Malone, of Dublin, Irish Republic.
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 2.
Memorial: GROESBEEK MEMORIAL

Photo from the sanguinius set on Flikr

 

Name: RUSSEL, GEORGE VIVIAN DEREK
Rank: Captain (Air Obsn. Post Pilot)
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery
Secondary Regiment: Royal Air Force
Secondary Unit Text: attd. 661 A.O.P. Sqdn.
Age: 26
Date of Death: 22/06/1944
Service No: 143848
Additional information: Son of Maj. Francis Cokayne Russel and Adelina Ethel Russel, of South Kensington, London.
Grave/Memorial Reference: Sec. OO. Grave 17.
Cemetery: CUDHAM (SS. PETER AND PAUL) CHURCHYARD, ORPINGTON

 

Lieutenant PHILIP ANDREW ROBERTS

158707, 80 Searchlight Regt., Royal Artillery
who died age 32
on 15 May 1943
Son of James Bowden Roberts and Louisa Roberts; husband of Olga Mary Roberts, of Ashford, Middlesex.
Remembered with honour
PENSAX (ST. JAMES) CHURCHYARD

 

There is an appendix at the back of Parhams "Unarmed into battle" which lists all the AOP pilots KIA. There are 67 Lts, Capts, and Majs listed, along with a lone Polish Plt Offr.

Edit: editions earlier than the one I have (1986) apparently include a (somewhat inaccurate) analysis of these cas.

 

hello Jon
would you be able to list the casualties if possible

thank you
Clive