British Fliers Buried in Alabama

I'm sure if this thread should be in this section. Please move if needed.

This is an article in a local paper:

http://cmsimg.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DS&Date=20110529&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=105290331&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0
Oakwood Cemetery sexton Phillip Taunton stands among the graves of members of the Royal Air Force who died in Montgomery while training during World War II. / Mickey Welsh Advertiser

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Memorial Day, area residents won't limit their tribute to American soldiers who have given their lives. In the Oakwood Cemetery Annex, 78 neatly kept graves mark where British and French airmen were laid to rest far from their homes.

Remainder of Article:

Not just US troops will be honored Memorial Day | The Montgomery Advertiser | montgomeryadvertiser.com

For those of you who are not aware of US holidays, tomorrow is Memorial Day, where we honor our war dead.

 

Thanks for the info.

Search for:

Cemetery: MONTGOMERY (OAKWOOD) CEMETERY ANNEXE

in Geoff's Search Engine.

001 ATKIN TW 657491 - 10/04/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE
002 AYLING AE 1388831 - 10/08/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
003 BARLASS K 1067047 - 07/01/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
004 BARNES JA 1478620 - 13/06/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
005 BOWDEN WS 1315189 - 13/06/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
006 BRIERS JK 1245091 - 26/12/1941 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
007 BUTLER GHA 132076 - 07/05/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
008 CALDER DJ 1346894 - 06/10/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
009 CARTER LH 1338253 - 29/12/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
010 CARTER LA 1315232 - 22/07/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
011 CHARROSIN EWF 1336368 - 18/07/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
012 COUPLAND LD 49802 - 03/11/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE
013 CREED FC 131072 - 02/07/1943 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
014 CROWTHER DA 120433 - 06/12/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
015 DAVIES RE 1238802 - 28/03/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
016 DICKINSON MT 127355 - 31/12/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
017 DOWNS CNF 1339025 - 24/09/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
018 EATON CDJ 1319397 - 17/06/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
019 FLATAU DW 1337697 - 17/08/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
020 GELL DA 1334509 - 14/09/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
021 GRAY CE 1153207 - 10/08/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
022 GREENE P 1312156 - 10/12/1941 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
023 GULLIVER EG 1386486 - 09/05/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
024 HAWES WJ 1400323 - 11/04/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
025 HEDGER TH 1526951 - 28/03/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
026 HISLOP M 1319809 - 29/06/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
027 HOLDEN S 1381908 - 10/12/1941 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
028 HOLMAN V 658820 - 19/09/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE
029 HOLMES G 657613 - 06/05/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE
030 HOLMES RW 1386984 - 14/07/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
031 HORNSEY TG 1395931 - 01/09/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
032 HOWCROFT BW 1238940 - 14/07/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
033 JOHNSTON J 125526 - 04/03/1943 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
034 JONES P 125692 - 31/12/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
035 KINNEAR AB 1312884 - 20/01/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
036 LAMMIE G 131063 - 27/05/1943 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
037 LAMONT WG 1348083 - 14/07/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
038 LATTA JF 1347834 - 18/03/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
039 LEAR VW 1313749 - 21/05/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
040 LEMAN DF 1284549 - 27/12/1941 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
041 LONGBOTTOM PW 1392081 - 14/07/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
042 LOWE AV 1425914 - 21/05/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
043 MACKENZIE RWM 127189 - 19/11/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE
044 MADDICK JE 1346325 - 21/05/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
045 MARCHANT WJ 1575484 - 13/12/1941 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
046 MARHOFF FV 1379452 - 13/11/1941 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
047 MCDONALD OH 1342109 - 07/05/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
048 MOLE AG 128896 - 13/01/1943 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
049 MOORE KM 1532829 - 04/10/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
050 MOSS RN 1380168 - 13/11/1941 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
051 NASH F 1387959 - 10/04/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
052 NICKERSON GW 100738 - 31/07/1943 ROYAL AIR FORCE
053 OVERTON PGM 1388720 - 21/05/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
054 PARRY RA 1475328 - 20/04/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
055 PEACHELL ME 986914 - 21/05/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
056 PEATTI DS 1097360 - 21/05/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
057 PINSENT RB 1333482 - 14/07/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
058 PLATT SA 1387123 - 14/07/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
059 PRICE RA 1385172 - 09/02/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
060 QUINN F 1048314 - 07/02/1943 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
061 RANDALL RE 1216212 - 21/05/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
062 RIDING H 1096579 - 09/08/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
063 RIMER JF 1293708 - 13/01/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
064 ROBBINS RG 1312700 - 07/02/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
065 ROGERS F 1390032 - 28/05/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
066 ROWLEY GW 1074254 - 05/02/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
067 SHOTBOLT RAJ 1246403 - 07/04/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
068 SIMPSON GL 1096431 - 09/04/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
069 SPOONER ERJ 1443567 - 01/09/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
070 STEVENS KF 656432 - 14/07/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE
071 THOMSON KN 1343685 - 08/01/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
072 TURNER DW 1313535 - 03/02/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
073 UNDERWOOD PD 1331732 - 03/02/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
074 WADKINSON CW 1231786 - 09/02/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
075 WAKELY AW 1317075 - 03/06/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
076 WARNER GG 1388010 - 25/11/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
077 WHIGHAM GB 1301730 - 14/01/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
078 WINTER PW 1046282 - 11/04/1942 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE

 

I'd like to know where in the area the crashes were.

I work at the airbase they flew out of. The building I am in is an old hangar.

Another thing, there were two airbases in this city, Maxwell AFB and Gunter AFB. Gunter conducted primary flight training using BT-13s and Maxwell conducted advanced flight training on B-24s. How would I know which aircraft they crewed?

 

Nice one Slipdigit, thanks for thinking of them.

 

Jeff
many thanks for posting
I found one of the chaps commemorated on a War Memorial in Boxmoor,Hemel Hempstead,Hertfordshire,England

Leading Aircraftman FRANK VICTOR MARHOFF

1379452, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died age 29
on 13 November 1941
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Henry Marhoff, of Bedmond, Hertfordshire, England; husband of Viona Marhoff, of Boxmoor, Hertfordshire.
Remembered with honour
MONTGOMERY (OAKWOOD) CEMETERY ANNEXE


regards
Clive

 

Is anyone needing photos of these men's markers? It is only a mile or two away from where I work.

 

Jeff
Thanks for the post, just a quick thought does your local paper carry anything about the accidents/crashes in the 40's editions?

I would think they used both airfields, primary flight training then on to the larger stuff.

 

Jeff
Thanks for the post, just a quick thought does your local paper carry anything about the accidents/crashes in the 40's editions?

I would think they used both airfields, primary flight training then on to the larger stuff.

I really don't know. I'm not sure I would know where to look to find old papers. I guess the county court house, that is where they were stored in my home town.

It would be interesting to find a B-24 crash site around here

 

Is anyone needing photos of these men's markers? It is only a mile or two away from where I work.

hello Jeff

thank you for the offer
if you could take photos of
FRANK VICTOR MARHOFF
and
Leading Aircraftman STANLEY HOLDEN


much appreciated

regards
Clive

 

I will endeavor to get them this week.

 

I really don't know. I'm not sure I would know where to look to find old papers. I guess the county court house, that is where they were stored in my home town.

It would be interesting to find a B-24 crash site around here

I imagine the public library of Montgomery would have an archive of local newspapers. However when many libraries put stuff on micro-film they found this was not permanent. Let's hope digitizing works out better.

 

hello
link below gives details of the
accident involving Marhoof and Moss
They were flying in formation
states they were the first RAF casualties at Maxwell or Gunter Fields

http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Hertfordshire/images/BoxmoorMarhoffFV.pdf

 

I imagine the public library of Montgomery would have an archive of local newspapers. However when many libraries put stuff on micro-film they found this was not permanent. Let's hope digitizing works out better.

The USAF Air University is here and it has a great library. They may have some info

hello
link below gives details of the
accident involving Marhoof and Moss
They were flying in formation
states they were the first RAF casualties at Maxwell or Gunter Fields

http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Hertfordshire/images/BoxmoorMarhoffFV.pdf

Two miles south of Maxwell. That is not a good section of town. Thugs abound.

 

hello Jeff

thank you for the offer
if you could take photos of
FRANK VICTOR MARHOFF
and
Leading Aircraftman STANLEY HOLDEN


much appreciated

regards
Clive

I finally went down to the cemetery. Here are photos of the graves of Marhoff and Holden. I cropped the attached photos so that they would upload. The originals are much larger.


I have a total of 109 photos and they are rather large. I took shots of all RAF and French deceased that are there, plus some shots of the cemetery. I also have the memorial monuments that are with the graves.

Also buried there are other RAF personnel who died after the war, such as Air Commodore G.D. Stephenson, CBE (1954). I do not know details about him.

There is also a common headstone for Barbara Stainback (1944-1984) within the plot for the RAF pilots. Anyone know anything about her?

The plots are well maintained.

 

Jeff
many thanks

regards
Clive

 

Also buried there are other RAF personnel who died after the war, such as Air Commodore G.D. Stephenson, CBE (1954). I do not know details about him.



I found this. He died in a crash at Eglin Field, Florida.

Geoffrey D. Stephenson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Jeff
many thanks

regards
Clive

You are most welcome, Clive.

 

There is also a common headstone for Barbara Stainback (1944-1984) within the plot for the RAF pilots. Anyone know anything about her?




Tried to do some digging for Barbera Stainback & could only come up with this:

Individual Record

I initially thought that her father may have been 1 of the RAF burried there but going through the cemetary reports no one died in 1944 all early 1943 & prior which begs the question, why would a US female civilian be buried within an area set out for CWG 30 years after after the last burial.

Rather intriguing

ATB

Simon

 

Barbara's grave marker was on Find A Grave: