Brookwood Military Cemetery/Lytchett Minster Churchyard/Glasgow Western Necropolis/ LANCASTER CRASH

Reading through the west midlands express and star on my way home on the train last night I noticed that there was an appeal printed looking for relatives of Dennis Randle.

Quick google reveals that the loss of DV177 was claimed by

Uffz Beier 6./KG51 5-15 km. S Diss (1357) 0.358.

SOURCE: 626 lost lancs


Having looked through a number of ancestry records I can tell you that Dennis Randle married Vera Lockey is Smethwick in late 1942, and had one son David D Randle born Early 1944. Vera remarried in late 1945, when she married a Leonard G Day. Young David at some point took Day as his surname and married a Elaine Meese in May 1991.

David and Elaine live in the Malvern Area of Worcester in the WR13 post code area.

I have sent you a PM with a contact address.

Phil

 

At the time of his death John Lander Shell lived at 2 Zine Cottage, Stolford Stogursey, Somerset but would appear to have been born in Marylebone London in 1921.

Johns Parents Owen Shell and Inez Alice Woodroffe, married on the 12 Jun 1916 at All Saints Church, St John´s Wood.

Owen Shell, was actually from Southport, Lancs and was in the Army at the time of his marriage serving with the RAMC. Owen lived in London as late as 1932, but Owen appears to have returned to Lancashire where he died in 1964. Inez Alice appears to have remained in London living with her parents as late as 1936.

Inez Alice remarried in 1970 and became Mrs Ludwik S Kaczmarek. Inez Alice Died in 1983.

Whilst John Lander Shell never married, he did have an older sister, Joyce I Shell who does not appear to have married in died in 1965 aged 46.

I have sent an email to a possible relative on ancestry.

 

Nothing on James Douglas Mayger I am afraid as Scottish roots are more difficult to trace, but your appeal is now on the Glaswegian newspaper website

Family of RAF bomber pilot killed seconds from safety sought for new memorial - the Glaswegian

a quick update

Janet M Marion married a Ronald Walter Mayger in Glasgow in 1971. Ronald Walter was born in 1911 in Ecclesall.

Charles Walter Mayger and Frances Alice Chestie Mayger, where living in Ecclesall, Yorkshire in 1911, so I would say 99.9% that Ronald was the brother of James Douglas. Ronald died in 1975 but Janet Mayger is still alive and lives in Glasgow.

Ronald, appears to have married earlier in 1946 to a Agnes G Smellie in Newcastle, but don’t appear to have had any children

Contact address sent via PM,

 

At the time of his death John Lander Shell lived at 2 Zine Cottage, Stolford Stogursey, Somerset but would appear to have been born in Marylebone London in 1921.

Johns Parents Owen Shell and Inez Alice Woodroffe, married on the 12 Jun 1916 at All Saints Church, St John´s Wood.

Owen Shell, was actually from Southport, Lancs and was in the Army at the time of his marriage serving with the RAMC. Owen lived in London as late as 1932, but Owen appears to have returned to Lancashire where he died in 1964. Inez Alice appears to have remained in London living with her parents as late as 1936.

Inez Alice remarried in 1970 and became Mrs Ludwik S Kaczmarek. Inez Alice Died in 1983.

Whilst John Lander Shell never married, he did have an older sister, Joyce I Shell who does not appear to have married in died in 1965 aged 46.

I have sent an email to a possible relative on ancestry.

Have recieved a contact email back and have passed on your contact details.

P

 

Here are headstone photos I took of the Randle and Shell graves at Brookwood Military Cemetery last week. Slighlty better than the ones I found on Findagrave.

 

Ramacal and EnglandPhil what can I say but thanks very much for your help and time in what you've discovered. Ramacal - the pictures are much clearer than the original ones and they will be useful.

EnglandPhil - you've obviously taken quite a bit of time in your detective work and already I've had a response. This morning I've received an email from Janet Shell who is a distant relative to John Shell - (the Air Bomber on the Lancaster).

We're off to a good start. Many thanks again.

Stan50.

 

I have just received another very interesting piece of information from member jackrussel on here regarding Robert Edgar Hall Cameron (Air Gunner) which I'm in the process of following up.

Di - thanks for the super lead.

(Di was instrumental in arranging the memorial for the Staunton in the Vale Lancaster crew).

 

So welcome, hope it comes good for you, great to see you're getting some excellent leads, I know only too well how much time and effort this type of research takes, but so worth while, best of luck!

 

We now have confirmation of finding the son of Dennis Randle who was the Wireless Operator. This is due to the excellent detective work of 'EnglandPhil' on this forum who was able to generate a lead and an address. Well done Phil and thanks again.

Today we have also been pledged building materials FOC and been assured by our bricklayer that he will do the work for us also FOC.

'Us' being 'Lofty1' on here who has also been a driving force behind the memorial project and has the background to be able to engage with people at all levels. Without his help too this memorial would not be possible.

 

As is usual with STAN50, he always undersells himself and his efforts. This project he instigated, after a chance conversation with a elderly member of our Sunday Club SOGS who visited the crash site at first light next morning, As you can all see by the previous posts here, he is the driving force,and when, and it will come to fruition, he will deserve all the credit, I am privileged to be involved and responsible for the construction side of the project, his nice words about engaging with people, translates in layman's terms to, loftys good at scrounging things.

regards lofty

 

I was contacted today by a gentleman who's mother was the Wireless Operators sister. Very interesting learning about the crew of this aircraft. From being just names on a piece of paper they are becoming more real.

The search for the Canadian crew members has taken me to various locations including would you beleive Scotland as well as Canada. Still nothing definite has transpired but one hopes for a positive response.

I have gained a really helpful Canadian source who has pointed and guided me along. She has produced some exceptionally good leads and shown me where to view interesting information. You know who you are, thank you. She has also helped this group with research as a volunteer THE DOVER WAR MEMORIAL PROJECT - Remembering the casualties of World War from Dover, Kent, England - the Front-Line town of Hellfire Corner

edit added NOVEMBER 2015:

The lady mentioned above I can now say was Nancy MacFarlane from London Ontario Canada. This lady died in September 2015 and we can now credit her contributions much more.. During her lifetime she wished to remain behind the scene low key. See comment added 13.11.2015 on separate post.

 

Had a trip to Brookwood in this 'lovely summer weather' today and took a few photos:
Photo 1: Main gates in
Photo 2: Reception building
Photo 3: P/O Gunn, W/O Cameron, P/O McPherson.

 

Pic 1 Sgt. Randle and F/S Shell
Pic 2 Royal Air Force Shelter
Pic 3 Canadian Section

 

If any member from Glasgow could visit the Glasgow Western Necropolis for me at some time and take a couple of photos of James Maygers grave I would be grateful.

Section N Grave 2118

Thanks,

Stan.


We are still investigating various leads ref. the three Canadian crew members.
No idea at this stage whether we'll get any further.

 

Hello everybody - Chris has alerted me to this site and I have registered to keep in the loop. John Shell was a first cousin of my father, who died in 2009. Of that generation there is anUncle of mine remaining and I have contacted him to know if he recalls any stories in the fmaily about all this. Many thanks for your tremendous work - I live close enough to Brookwood Cemtery to visit and I went a couple of weeks ago. As I am steeped in family research involving a WW1 relative whose body was found in 2009 - this was very timely. (He was a Captian in the HAC and will be buried in France next year with full military honours). I discovered all this through the Great War forum so your forums are fabulous places for relatives like myself to make discoveries.

I wait to hear more from you guys - and thank you all.

Janet

 

Deleted

 

Hi Janet,welcome to the forum,I read your blog on your WW1 relative, how extraordinary that this research on John Shell, should come to you so soon after the previous findings,do keep looking here as I know Chris (STAN50) will keep this thread up to date.
regards lofty

 

Hello everybody - Chris has alerted me to this site and I have registered to keep in the loop. John Shell was a first cousin of my father, who died in 2009. Of that generation there is anUncle of mine remaining and I have contacted him to know if he recalls any stories in the fmaily about all this. Many thanks for your tremendous work - I live close enough to Brookwood Cemtery to visit and I went a couple of weeks ago. As I am steeped in family research involving a WW1 relative whose body was found in 2009 - this was very timely. (He was a Captian in the HAC and will be buried in France next year with full military honours). I discovered all this through the Great War forum so your forums are fabulous places for relatives like myself to make discoveries.

I wait to hear more from you guys - and thank you all.

Janet


It was the great detective work of senior member 'EnglandPhil' that gets the credit for tracing you.

 

The copies of these documents were kindly sent to me from Tim Brett at Wickenbys Memorial Collection and will be of interest to all those following the thread:

I had a historian contact me last week who informed me that three Lancasters were lost on that night 24/25 April. Ref: Lancaster DV 244 UM-L2 - four of the crew were murdered by civilians the other three became POW's.

 

We have now located a relative of the Navigator Francis Gunn. Sadly all close relatives are deceased and the one we've been in contact with is not interested in the memorial, but then one has to accept that not everyone is going to be receptive to what we are trying to do.

We will continue on a bit longer to see if there is anyone else who might show interest.

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Since this first contact by telephone I followed up this line of enquiry with a letter and we now have received some photos and a nice write up. See post No. 55.

The problem when contacting people by telephone is that understandably they are unsure of who's calling and you can't blame them for being cautious.