Mallard (John) was intrigued by the grave of a B.O.A.C. Captain in a French Cemetery. Can any of the air experts throw some light on what might have happened to him. There are also a mixture of soldiers in the same cemetery (7, of whom 2 are unidentified) who all died on the same date. Name:HOARE, JOHN MATHEW HAMPDEN Rank:Captain Regiment/Service:British Overseas Airways Corporation Date of Death:23/05/1940 Additional information:Son of Lt. Col. Arthur Fanshawe Hoare, C.B., and Gertrude Jane Katharine Hoare, of Harrow, Middlesex. B.A. (Cantab). Casualty Type:Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference:Grave 8.Cemetery:ARQUES CHURCHYARD
just found this World War 2 - RAF No. 24 Squadron, January/June 1940 23/05/1940: ?, France Type: DC3 Serial number: ?, OO-AUI Operation: ? Lost: 23/05/1940 Sergeant (Pilot) Raymond Chartier (Belgium), BAF (VR), servicenr 258/2226, initially buried at Arcques, exhumed and reinterred 5-9-1950 at Ixelles, Belgium. Plt Off Benson Freeman - PoW Captain John M.H. Hoare, British Overseas Airways Corporation, age unknown, 23/05/1940, Arques Churchyard, France Over Calais it was hit by anti-aircraft and part of the left wing was torn off. The pilot (Raymond Chartier) made a forced landing near Arques. The navigator was killed and two of the passengers wounded, while Chartier was shot by German troops as he tried to reach French lines. The remaining passengers were taken prisoner including Plt Off Benson Freeman of 24 Squadron. The engineer, Piet Vrebos, survived the crash of OO-AUI. The German troops took him POW, but released him and sent him at home because he was a civilian. Captain Hoare was the skipper of Armstrong Whitworth Ensign G-ADSZ "Elysean". This machine was straffed on the ground at Merville by Bf-109s earlier that day. So Hoare became a passenger to come back to U.K. Type: Armstrong Whitworth Ensign Serial number: ?, G-ADSZ (Boac) Operation: strafed on ground Lost: 23/05/1940
Well Done Clive. I had a look in The Battle of France Then and Now and couldn't see anything obvious. I'll have another look with the details you've posted. Andy Checked book again and nothing listed which is surprising as the book lists all Military Air Force losses and aircraft.
Many thanks Clive. I'm sure Mallard (John) will be very pleased to learn about this man. Looks as though the other casualties who died that same day and are buried at the same cemetery as Capt Hoare were not passengers on any plane he was flying on. Regards - Rob
from the link HOARE was the skipper of Armstrong Whitworth Ensign G-ADSZ "Elysean". This machine was straffed on the ground at Merville by Bf-109s earlier that day. So HOARE became a passenger of DC-l OO-AUI to come back to U.K. I have the plane as shot down by Flak (German Flak) near Arques (The Germans were in St Omer that day). There are at least two pictures showing the wrecked DC-3, one is clearly showing the marking OO-AUI. There was a mention about this loss in an old issue or Air Enthusiast. Raymond CHARTIER of the SABENA airline was skipper of AUI, and and killed during the crash. He was initially buried in Arques, but his body was transfered to Belgium post-war, at the request of his family. Alongside HOARE are five soldiers killed on 23rd May 1940 : J.S. CABLE, W.J. DANDO, G. EASTLAKE, J.R. LECK and G. RAFFLE (fuller details can be found in CWGC) but I've never been able to ascertain, so far, if they could have been passengers of the DC-3, or were killed during combats on the ground.
Update on Memorial in St Johns Greenhill,Harrow Captain JOHN MATHEW HAMPDEN HOARE British Overseas Airways Corporation who died on 23 May 1940 Son of Lt. Col. Arthur Fanshawe Hoare, C.B., and Gertrude Jane Katharine Hoare, of Harrow, Middlesex. B.A. (Cantab). Remembered with honour ARQUES CHURCHYARD http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/war-grave-photographs/26979-capt-j-m-h-hoare-british-overseas-airways-corporation.html
Assume this to be the POW UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945 Name: B R M Freeman Rank: Pilot Officer Army Number: 25001 Regiment: Royal Air Force : Officers & Other Ranks POW Number: 33107 Camp Type: Dulag Luft Camp Number: DL Camp Location: Wetzlar, Germany Section: Royal Air Force : Officers & Other Ranks TD
Here is some more info, including a picture of the aircraft in RAF/BOAC markings. Crash of a Douglas DC-3-227B in Arques: 2 killed | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives
It's unfortunate that the loss of Captain Hoare and this aircraft will be forever tied up with the actions of Benson Railton Metcalf Freeman. Mysterious British SS-PK member - Axis History Forum Benson Railton Metcalfe FREEMAN, alias P. ROYSTON: a pre-war member of the British Union... | The National Archives Benson Railton Metcalf Freeman: Upper-class British pilot who mysteriously disappeared Regards, Dave
