More Australian's Killed in the RAF! Require Photos Please!

All now Completed
Just when I had thought I had found them all, I came across some information with Service Numbers missing from clusters. As most were in the UK and joined the RAF in the 30's, most had married and had UK addresses so could not be picked up on CWGC database NOK

(1)Group Captain, (4) Wing Commander, (5) Squadron Leader and (1) Flight Lieutenant.

I need to ask for your assistance again to achieve a photo of their Headstones/Memorials.


PHOTO NAME RANK S/N P/A/D DATE AGE SERVICE NATIONALITY GRAVE/MEM/REF CEMETERY COUNTRY LOCALITY

UK
YES COLMAN, CYRIL HENRY ARTHUR Squadron Leader 24058 23sq RAF 4/01/1941 35 Royal Air Force UK Plot E. Row 2. Grave 33. TANGMERE (ST. ANDREW) CHURCHYARD UK Sussex Completed Find-A-Grave

YES GOOD, DUNCAN CHARLES FREDERICK (DFC) Squadron Leader 39459 50sq RAF 28/04/1941 24 Royal Air Force UK Panel 28. RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL UK Surrey Completed Clives Panels

YES McGUIRE, JOHN WILLIAM (AFC*) Wing Commander 34211 A&AEE 24/03/1942 30 Royal Air Force UK Panel 3. SOUTHAMPTON CREMATORIUM UK Hampshire Completed MICK

YES MATHESON, ALISTER WILLIAM STEWART Wing Commander 29258 18/07/1943 33 Royal Air Force UK Plot B. Uncons. Grave 182. BRIGG CEMETERY UK Lincolnshire Completed Temptage

YES FOWLER, HEDLEY NEVILE Squadron Leader 39457 Armament Test Squadron 26/03/1944 27 Royal Air Force UK Grave 783. DURRINGTON CEMETERY UK Wiltshire

EGYPT
YES WELLAND, RUSSELL DARBY (MiD) Wing Commander 37308 59sq RAF 12/09/1941 29 Royal Air Force UK Column 239. ALAMEIN MEMORIAL Egypt Alamein Completed Mick

GERMANY
YES GILBERT, COLIN LESLIE Squadron Leader 39458 460sq 7/05/1942 Royal Air Force (RAFO) UK 2. G. 4. DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Germany Bad Tolz, Bayern Completed Paul

YES SHEEHAN, GEORGE MARCUS Wing Commander 37587 61sq RAF 25/08/1942 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve UK Coll. grave 1. G. 17-22. RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY Germany Kamp Lintfort, Nordrhein-Westfal Completed by Des Philippet (Find-A-Grave)

YES AMBROSE, BENJAMIN SOUTHAM Squadron Leader 40040 467sq 12/06/1943 27 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve UK Coll. grave 3. A. 3-7. RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY Germany Kamp Lintfort, Nordrhein-Westfal

MALTA
YES JORDAN, REGINALD CHARLES (MiD*) Group Captain 28072a 126sq RAF 23/06/1943 36 Royal Air Force UK Panel 5. MALTA MEMORIAL Malta Floriana Completed Forum Photos Kyle

GREECE
YES BOEHM, DONOVAN GERHARD Flight Lieutenant 39453 84sq 1/04/1941 28 Royal Air Force UK 4. A. 10. PHALERON WAR CEMETERY Greece Athens Completed (Find-A-Grave)




Cheers

Geoff

 

I'v asked about Colman, not far from here and have asked on a local forum if photo can be provided.
AWM shows him as 1 Squadron attached to 23 Squadron.
KIA, shot down into the sea off Worthing and body recovered. Not much chance of survival in English Channel in July, let alone January!

Ross from RAFCommands forum has had a thread on Cyril, as there was a ColEman shot down on 3rd January which seems to have got tangled up with Colman
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?4402-23-Sqn-3-4-Jan-1941

Hope this helps, may have a few more Names in there!

 

Thanks Kevin,

Edit: Cyril married Evelyn Violet Mould in the December Qtr 1931 at Marylebone. There is only one child listed (Michael A) born in the June Qtr 1932. So another reason for not returning to Australia.

With this latest lot, I now have 258 Australians who died in the RAF. Allowing for the ones I have not yet identified (As I am sure there are more) and all of those who survived, the numbers must have been quite substantial.

I have just looked up this afternoon, the files on Short Service Commissions at the NAA, however I am not sure of what they contain. It would be an interesting read and a nightmare at the same time. More sleepless nights!

Edit 2 (Trying to keep the detail together as I find it) From: http://www.hatfield-herts.co.uk/aviation/airspeed_pilots2.html

There is something on him here but I do not have Ancestry: Possibly on something off google!
Private Member StoriesStories, Memories & HistoriesRead Story

Title:

23 Squadron RAAF re Cyril Henry Arthur Colman

Attached To:

Cyril Henry Arthur Colman (1905-1941)

Cheers

Geoff

 

MATHESON, ALISTER WILLIAM STEWART Wing Commander 29258 18/07/1943 33 Royal Air Force UK Plot B. Uncons. Grave 182. BRIGG CEMETERY UK Lincolnshire

On his way via email.

 

Hi Spidge

Re Ancestry - although the family tree is 'private' I can still contact the tree originator - its then their choice to respond or not

Let me know

TD

 

What a guy!

Thank you!

Cheers

Geoff

 

Hi Td,

Probably not! The last bit of info in my google search showed that he was actually born in the UK and off to Oz when he was very young. I also had a look at a couple of other things and sure their only child "Michael A" died before he was 9 months old.

Cheers

Geoff

 

Having said that he also appears on 2 public family trees and the story you are after is:


Airspeed Test Pilots for the RAF re Cyril Henry Arthur Colman known as Percy Colman

F/Lt C H A Colman – Cyril Henry Arthur Colman, better known as Percy Colman, was commissioned as a pilot officer in the RAF on 17 January 1927. Having completed his training he spent the next 2.5 years as a fighter pilot and with the Armament and Gunnery School before going on the RAF Reserve List. Observing his meticulous approach prior to take off after delivering a second AS.4 Ferry to Midland and Scottish Air Ferries Nevil Shute Norway had no hesitation hiring him as Airspeed's test pilot in 1933 (sources are not clear as to whether he applied or was approached for the job). He made the first flights of the Airspeed AS.6 Envoy (G-ACMT), AS.10 Oxford (L4534) and AS.30 Queen Wasp (K8888 – floatplane version). He also made the first delivery flight of an AS.6 Envoy to China in 1937 (with Mrs N S Norway as a passenger up to India. His copilot, Walter Locke, later managed the Airspeed subsidiary Fireproof Tanks Limited). During his time at Airspeed he extensively flew their aircraft at airshows and events in Britain and in Europe (including at the 1936 opening of Bromma Airport in Sweden with N S Norway). He returned to the RAF at the start of WWII, and came down in The Channel after a combat mission over Occupied France (3 or 4 January 1941) while flying as Acting Squadron Leader with No.23 Squadron. His body was recovered from the sea and he is buried at St Andrew's Church, Tangmere. Sources conflict as to whether he was 35 or 36 (the former being the date on his CWGC entry).


This is the same as you have already posted - so no need to contact them




TD

Edited to add:

Cyril Henry Arthur Colman
Birth Jan 1905 in Bromley, Kent, England
Death 3 Jan 1941 in Worthing, Sussex, England


Birth
1905Jan Bromley, Kent, England

Residence 1911 2 Apr
Age: 6
Limpsfield, Surrey, England
The Rosary, De Tillens Lane

Marriage to evelyn violet mould
1931 Dec
Age: 26
Marylebone, Middlesex

Departure
1937 Mar
Age: 32
Yokohama, Japan

Arrival
1937 22 Apr
Age: 32
London, England
port of Departure:Yokohama, Japan Arrival Date:22 Apr 1937 Port of Arrival:London, England Ports of Voyage:Yokohama,Kobe,shanghai,Colombo,Bombay. Ship Name:Carthage

Death
1941 3 Jan
Age: 36
Worthing, Sussex, England
squadron leader reported missing in action and then later recorded as dead

Burial
1941 Jan
Tangmere, West Sussex, England
Burial: St Andrew Churchyard Tangmere, West Sussex, England Plot: E. Row 2. Grave 490.

Probate
1942 28 Jan
Llandudno, Conwy, Wales
address no 25 kingsway. george V avenue. died on war service. £10866 19s 2p to barclays bank ltd


edit 2 :
Your info on their son is correct :

England & Wales, Birth Index, 1916-2005 about Michael A Colman
Name: Michael A Colman
Mother's Maiden Surname: Mould
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1932
Registration district: Hackney
Inferred County: Greater London
Volume Number: 1b
Page Number: 583


England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2007 about Michael A Colman
Name: Michael A Colman
Birth Date: abt 1933
Date of Registration: Mar 1933
Age at Death: 0
Registration district: Southwark
Inferred County: London
Volume: 1d
Page: 43

 

Thanks Td:
He was born 8th January 1905 so 35 year old at death.

Cheers

Geoff

 

As in Post #2 DoB
Name: Colman. Init.: C.H. No.: 716. Dates of Service: 21 Sep 25 - 27 Nov 1926. Birth: 8 Jan 1905.
At least we now he was born in Bromley UK

Does that affect his "Australian" status?

Curses - TD beat me!
That's a heck of a lot of money in his Will!
I wonder what the family business or whatever was?

 

hello Geoff
Durrington is in Wiltshire

NO FOWLER, HELDEY NEVILE Squadron Leader 39457 Armament Test Squadron 26/03/1944 27 Royal Air Force UK Grave 783. DURRINGTON CEMETERY UK Surrey
regards
Clive

 

The status is moreso if he was living in Australia (RAAF) Then moved to UK (RAF) and stayed. In the reverse their were a lot of British born who died in the RAAF in Australia and the Pacific. They are included also.

Saw the large sum and near;y commented myself.

Cheers

Geoff

 

Thanks Tony,

Great work.

Cheers

Geoff

 

Hi Clive,

I had altered my master but not this! I had another Australian in the RAF I picked up not long ago (Pettigrew) who is there also. Both A&AEE.

Cheers

Geoff

 

Hi Kevin,

I would hazard a guess that his time with N S Norway would have seen him very much in demand and handsomely rewarded while at the same time he would have had all expenses paid.

Cheers

Geoff

 

On my many requests for photos from Rheinberg Cemetery, since I was there in 2011, I wish I had photographed the whole cemetery as Australians in the RAF keep popping up every time I find another group who were killed.

Although on second thoughts, with 2781 Air Force graves, it would have taken me at least two more full days and would have missed my train to Germany Berlin!

 

Wing Commander John William McGuire (AFC*) OC

I was under the misapprehension that Southampton would have been predominantly Naval however looking for a photo of Southampton (Old) Crematorium, I found there were 19 Air Force lads cremated there.

The CWGC have a photo however the names on this side are only A-D!

 

Thanks, Geoff, I suppose Nevil Shute might have had a few quid to throw about!
Extremely interesting reading about the history of Airspeed, lots of info I hadn't realised before (attack on Goeben and Breslau WW1 and the AS49 WW2 fighter)
photo of him here: http://flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1936/1936%20-%200693.html?search=colman+airspeed
Also thought Colman would have been recalled to RAF for the BoB but can't see him listed.
Now note you have the grave photo through Find a Grave.

Post #9 seems to explain what happened to cause his death...http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?2284-Unaccounted-airmen-4-1-1941

 

All photos now completed - Thank you to all concerned.

Cheers

Geoff

 

Geoff,

Bravo on the completion of the project.
Pray tell....what comes next