Information wanted

Discussion in 'The War In The Air' started by horsapassenger, Dec 16, 2010.

  1. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    Can anybody give me any information on a Sergeant Coleman RCAF Service number R193296.
    I have information that he died of wounds on 24th September 1944 but cannot find any reference to him (or similar names) on the CWGC site.
    Does anybody know if it's possible to get a name from a service number?

    John
     
  2. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

  3. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

  4. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Using Geoff's Search Engine I've looked for lots of different ideas but can't find any that fit.

    1 Colman on that day.
    008 COLMAN HE J/93540 48 RAF SQDN 24/09/1944 ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE


    No-one at all with that Number R193296.

    Here's all the Colemans in RCAF.
    001 COLEMAN CF R/60598 - 09/06/1944 ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE
    002 COLEMAN JR J/5816 411 SQDN 08/12/1941 ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE
    003 COLEMAN ELJ R/75449 - 10/05/1942 ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE
    004 COLEMAN WP R/91480 - 08/09/1943 ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE
    005 COLEMAN RN R/80183 - 11/03/1942 ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE
    006 COLEMAN EA R/104890 - 08/05/1942 ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE
    007 COLEMAN JR R/94226 570 RAF SQDN 18/09/1944 ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE
     
  5. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    Tom/Owen

    Many thanks. I think that it must be Colman H E that Owen mentions. Although the service number is wrong the other information about this person certainly corresponds.
    Many thanks - you've saved me a lot of work

    John
     
  6. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Horsapassenger/ Owen
    this is odder by the minute - P.O. Henry Everist COLMAN RCAF is listed on the first file of DVA-ACC deceased - but only COLEMAN - with no HE on second file .....
    Cheers
     
  7. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    I have information that he died of wounds on 24th September 1944


    Using Geoff's Search Engine I've looked for lots of different ideas but can't find any that fit.

    1 Colman on that day.
    008 COLMAN HE J/93540 48 RAF SQDN 24/09/1944 ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE


    Details of the above loss.

    23 September 1944

    48 Squadron
    Dakota KG370
    Crashed Rosanpolder (near railway line to Nijmegan)

    P/O. Colman was wounded during the action which resulted in the crash of the Dakota, he died of his wounds in hospital on 24 September.

    More details to follow if required.
     
  8. ronald

    ronald Senior Member

    "Rosandepolder", just a little east of the railway bridge over the Rhine, Oosterbeek.


    Ron...
     
  9. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Welcome aboard John !

    Good luck with your research.

    Ron
     
  10. TomTAS

    TomTAS Very Senior Member

    Hi John,

    Looks like another name for the new ROH :)

    Cheers
    Tom
    John Peter's right thats the Dak he was in look at page 146 of the 4th ROH he's in that
     
  11. Paul Pariso

    Paul Pariso Very Senior Member

    Is this the Dakota?
     

    Attached Files:

  12. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

  13. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    "The pilot made a first-class landing but unfortunately was killed
    saving the lives of the crew," Gleave told the Springsteeles. "The
    rest of us jumped out of the burning plane and immediately were fired
    on by German SS troops, who killed Jim and wounded the second pilot
    and myself." Colman later died of his wounds while being held a
    prisoner of war in a Nazi-controlled hospital.




    This is an extract from a letter Gleave who was the only surving crew member sent to the family of Jim Springsteele
     
  14. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    A few more details on the loss of KG370, taken from.'Though Without Anger' - Colin Cummings.

    The aircraft descended from an approach height of 1500 feet and although hit by AA fire it was not badly damaged and the approach continued. However, at 800 feet on the final run up to the DZ, the aircraft was struck by incendiary ammunition and set on fire. The pilot initially intended to turn back to the south side of the river but the fire became too intense and he decided to force land immediately. During the final stages of the approach, he was hit by ground fire and mortally wounded. Although the other seven crew members escaped from the aircraft, the wireless operator was killed by the enemy on the ground and the co-pilot received wounds from which he died in hospital. Two dispatchers were taken prisoner along with the navigator but the dispatchers evaded capture initially but were killed later.

    Casualties..

    P/O. Walton Ralph Pring 26. Pilot.
    P/O. Henry Everest Colman 19 RCAF. Co-Pilot.
    P/O. James Le Roy Springsteele 25 RCAF. Wireless Operator.
    L/C. Francis William Richard Simpson 34. 253 (Airborne) Composit Coy RASC.
    Driver. William Thomas Crossley 41.
     
  15. horsapassenger

    horsapassenger Senior Member

    Thanks to all for this information.
    There's also a nice photo of the crew on page 178 of "The Royal Air Force at Arnhem".
    The only mystery that remains is why did Revd's McGowan and Buchanan who buried him at the Municipal Hospital on the 24th record the incorrect service number!

    John
     
  16. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    and get his rank wrong too.
     
  17. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Horsapassenger-
    Well they probably had a torn piece of paper with pencilled numbers and names etc - and it might have been bucketing down with rain -and in the failing light at dusk - we shall never know I guess.....but it did happen like that on too many occasions !
    Cheers
     
  18. alieneyes

    alieneyes Senior Member

    The only mystery that remains is why did Revd's McGowan and Buchanan who buried him at the Municipal Hospital on the 24th record the incorrect service number!John

    I wouldn't be so sure they did. The RCAF appears to have had a posthumous commissioning. The first number posted, beginning with "R" is an NCO service number. The one with J is a commissioned officer. This is why you see so many commissioned RCAF air gunners on the CWGC. J followed by a 9 indicates this man was not an officer his entire career.
     
  19. matsan

    matsan Junior Member

    Thanks to all for this information.
    There's also a nice photo of the crew on page 178 of "The Royal Air Force at Arnhem".
    The only mystery that remains is why did Revd's McGowan and Buchanan who buried him at the Municipal Hospital on the 24th record the incorrect service number!

    John

    Hi,

    You would't have a link to an internet site where I could see that picture of the crew, would you?

    Thanks and regards
     
  20. Mark Crossley

    Mark Crossley New Member

    Hello All, I spent most of yesterday afternoon visiting the cemetery and crash site of KG370 in an effort to find out more about my Grandad, William T Crossley. He was on board the Dakota as above. Is anyone able to offer me any more guidance on researching this further please? Thank you very much, Mark Crossley
     

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