Due to some research that IFCP is carrying out on cases for civilian war dead we are looking for some proof that the following aircraft did crash in accidents Mosquito HR648 20.10.45 Malaya Mosquito RF588 13.12.45 Malaya If anyone could help please? Cheers Chris
Hello, I think the first one you are asking about involved my nans cousin Norman harris. We would love to know more information aswell as my Nan never knew what had happened. Thank you. Holly.
welcome to the forum Holly is this the person you mention WARRANT OFFICER NORMAN CHARLES HARRIS Service Number: 1579508 Regiment & Unit/Ship Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 84 Sqdn. Date of Death Died 20 October 1945 Age 23 years old Buried or commemorated at TAIPING WAR CEMETERY 4. C. 20. Malaysia Country of ServiceUnited Kingdom Additional InfoSon of Arthur and Doris Harris, of Birmingham; husband of Irene Harris, of Witton, Birmingham. Personal InscriptionDEEP IN OUR HEARTS YOUR MEMORY IS KEPT, WE WHO LOVE YOU WILL NEVER FORGET Download certificate
Mosquito FB VI RF588, 211 Sqn, 13 Dec 1945: 2 fatal F/O SF Dunnett 179774 (pilot, 211 Sqn) James Edward England (Civilian passenger, formerly Captain James Edward England (120560) MC, Intelligence Corps) My summary of the event and persons from extant records here: www.211squadron.org/de_havilland_mosquito.html#RF588 Thanks to Ross for RF588s Form 1180, which I did not have. Sources: 211 Sqn Ops Record Book TNA AIR 27/1303 Cummings The Price of Peace CWGC entries & addn atts
Observer 19, A good read through the history provided. Astonished to see: I have researched the post-surrender situation in French Indo-China I found very little on the UK role in Thailand / Siam, so the presence of the RAF squadron is new - at least to me. As for the crash: There was a Rice Commission (or other name) trying to ensure sufficient supplies of rice in French Indo-China, for the civilian population. In my research I found a reference to them, albeit not in Thailand.
Much of my research is: 20th Division 1945 I will check the research paper for Bangkok and rice later today.
Hi, yes this is him thank you ever so much I’m just gutted my nan and Norman’s sister (who passed last year) died without knowing what had happened and where he was! Thank you ever so much for your help!!
Thanks everyone for the replies - John England was accepted as civilian war dead on 14th Oct 2020 Cheers Chris
Capt James Edward England is the passenger who died in the crash of Mosquito FBVI RF588 13 Dec 45, emphatically not a "John England" The CWGC entry gives additional personal information for Capt England but he, as for many other Malaya Civilian War Dead, remains recorded only under the rubric Commemorated or Buried Malaya - no further details. Captain James Edward England | War Casualty Details | CWGC Don Muang & RAF units 1945/1946 From Sep 1945 and on well into 1946, no less than seven RAF Squadrons (or detachments of) were based at Don Muang for varying periods: 20 (Sep 45-Jan 46), 62 (det from cSep 45), 211 (Nov 45 to db there Mar 46), 273 (brief Sep 45) 357 (det from cMar 45), 681 (det from cJan 46), 684 (Jan to Aug 46). Source: Jefford RAF Squadrons Observer39
Updates: 1) Captain James Edward England appears in another thread: From: CWGC - Additional Awards and Decorations A post in December 2020. Plus, a link to his grave: Capt James E. England (1894-1945) - Find A Grave... 2) The Siam Rice Commission was only formally set up on January 1st 1946, a tripartite agreement between the UK, USA and Siam. Note the UK had been at war with Siam since January 1942 (not gone into that much). One the provisions of the agreement was for Siam to supply 1.5m tonnes of rice free to the UK. See: Thailand Postwar | PDF | Thailand | French Indochina It began to function in either March or May 1946, UK & US documents differ. See: Making peace with the British in Thailand
