Remembering Today Casualty Details | CWGC DAWSON, HARRY Rank: Civilian Date of Death: Between 01/08/1940 and 05/08/1940 Regiment/Service: Civilian War Dead Reporting Authority: AIR CRASHES AT SEA Additional Information: of 2 Waverley Terrace, Great Horton, Bradford, Yorkshire. Husband of Irene Dawson. in aeroplane crash in sea, off Ryde, Isle of Wight.
Don't think we've had a Remembering Today like that one before. Bit vague , not many details to go on.
Appears he was a Scientest onboard From Ross:RAF Commands http://www.testflyingmemorial.com/1940-45.htm On the memorials website is listed the loss of Vildebeest K6408 CREW FATALITIES: Plt Off A. Bailey, TP; AC2 Budd, Photographer P/O Alfred Bailey can be found on the CWGC buried in Gosport. The GRO indexs show an Alfred Bailey registered in Gosport district, aged 26, I expect this is him, CWGC show no age for him. The GRO refererence being Vol. 2b pg.1457 AC2 Budd does not however show up on CWGC or in the death register index. The lists of RAF Casualties printed in Flight magazine dated Aug 22nd 1940 includes P/O A Bailey 40976 listed under Killed on Active Service. The same lists include an A/C.2 E. S. Budd 977714 but listed under "Wounded or Injured on Active Service". http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1940/1940%20-%202372.html?search=budd HArry Dawson is listed twice on CWGC http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=3168809 http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=3113170 There are two entries, both for Harry Dawson, one for August 1st and the other for August 5th. Both entries name the same woman as wife. The Second of the two links above gives the following information: of 2 Waverley Terrace, Great Horton, Bradford, Yorkshire. Husband of Irene Dawson. in aeroplane crash in sea, off Ryde. The difference in dates perhaps points to his body being recovered some days after the crash. The death registers list a Harry Dawson aged 32 in Gosport district, Vol. 2b pg 1458. Might it be that there were three men on the aircraft, Bailey, Budd and Dawson, a civilian EDIT: Fully cleared up here: http://www.gosport.info/History/Anns_Hill_Cemetery_War_Graves_/Anns_Hill_Cemetery_War_Graves_/anns_hill_cemetery_war_graves_2.html http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?6024-Air-Crashes-at-Sea-Civilian-War-Dead-CWGC http://www.gosport.info/History/Anns_Hill_Cemetery_War_Graves_/Anns_Hill_Cemetery_War_Graves_/anns_hill_cemetery_war_graves_8.html
The following from 'Battle In The Skies Over The Isle Of Wight' - H J T. Leal...... August 1 1940 A Vickers Vildebeest - K6408 of No.22 Squadron , Gosport, crashed off Ryde Pier during a torpedo-dropping exercises. Its pilot, P/O.A. Bailey was killed and his crewman, Aircraftsman 2nd Class, E S, Budd was injured.
No obvious hits on family history, no birth or marriage that ties in as either Henry or Harry Dawson The inference is that Harry was the third crew member as a civilian scientist/observer, trapped in the wreckage with Pilot Officer Alfred Bailey shown as from 22 Squadron although the Vildebeest would seem to have been used for performance trials with the Torpedo Development Flight. Pilot Officer ALFRED BAILEY, R.A.F. 40976, Pilot Officer, Royal Air Force Age 26 Died 1.8.1940. No 22 Squadron based at RAF Gosport, was engaged in flying a Vickers Vildebeeste aircraft on 1st of August 1940. With him were 977714 Aircraftsman Class 2 E.S Budd and a civilian scientist named Harry Dawson. The aircraft, K6408, part of the Torpedo Development Flight, was scheduled to drop a torpedo on the range off Stokes Bay and then return to the airfield at Gosport less than a mile away. P/O Bailey approached the range, adjusting his altitude for the optimum height of 50 feet above the waves. Observers on Ryde Pier noted that the aircraft's nose suddenly dipped, whether as a result of the gusty wind is not known but, with no height to recover, the Vildebeeste crashed into the sea. As with all torpedo drops, the range was policed by various support boats. These boats immediately went to the aid of the sinking aircraft. A/C2 Budd was rescued from the sea and although badly injured, after hospitalisation he recovered. A/C2 Budd was the only member the aircraft's crew to survive. The civilian scientist and Pilot Officer Alfred Bailey were dragged to the seabed with the aircraft, and were not recovered until 4 days later. The wreckage of the machine was located by divers, and hauled to the surface. The bodies of the two unfortunate men were at last recovered from the mangled wreckage when the salvage vessel moored up at Priddys Hard.P/O Alfred Bailey, R.A.F., was buried on the 7th of August 1940 at Ann's Hill Cemetery, and is laid to rest in the War Graves Section. There are images of K6408, one of only 18 Mk IV's, looking resplendent with streamlined spats.
Harry Dawson in the UK, WWII Civilian Deaths, 1939–1945 Name: Harry Dawson Death Date: 5 Aug 1940 Death Place: Ryde, Hampshire, England Spouse: Irene Dawson In fact he has 2 entries under the same heading - but different dates: Name: Harry Dawson Death Date: 1 Aug 1940 Spouse: Irene Dawson Harry Dawson in the England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2007 Name: Harry Dawson Birth Date: abt 1908 Date of Registration: Sep 1940 Age at Death: 32 Registration district: Gosport Inferred County: Hampshire Volume: 2b Page: 1458 TD
The only info on marriage for a Harry Dawson (b 1908 as above) to a spouse (first name Irene) is : Name: Harry Dawson Birth Date: abt 1908 Event Type: Marriage Father: Allert Dawson Marriage Date: 26 Dec 1931 Marriage Age: 23 Spouse: Irene Blakey Spouse Marriage Age: 21 Archive Location: Wakefield Parish or Chapel: Victoria Wesleyan Mission Hall, Corner of Cliffe and Bolton Roads Spouse Father: John Whalley Blakey Reel Number: Bradford, Stephen Road (Later Bethel Methodist); WC 5 Reference Number: CIII/77 His occupation on that is a 'Photographic Manager' aged 23 - not sure if that helps or hinders TD
'Air Crashes at Sea' is the C.W.G.C. category in which the actor Leslie Howard is commemorated (died 1 June 1943). Presumably most of them were shot down by enemy aircraft and the others in crashes where Armed Forces personnel were also killed?
Welcome to the forum Quite a lot of info already within the thread Quite an old thread so hopefully members might be able to add more You can you add more detail photos etc if you so wish