Hi Everyone, I wonder if anyone can tell me how this Pilot Officer ended up dying in Australia please. Pilot Officer BIGGS, KENNETH ARTHUR HENRY Service Number 185353 Died 05/01/1945 Aged 23 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Son of Ernest Llewellyn Biggs and Esther Elizabeth Biggs, of Queensferry, Flintshire, Wales. Buried at RICHMOND WAR CEMETERY Location: New South Wales, Australia Number of casualties: 25 Cemetery/memorial reference: Plot C. Row C. Grave 14. Any help would be appreciated, so I can tell his story. Kind regards, Mavis Williams
You need one of our Aussie members who has Ancestry access to Australian records His UK birth England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007 Name: Kenneth A H Biggs Registration Date: 1921 Registration district: South Stoneham Inferred County: Hampshire Re-registration Year: 1921 Mother's Maiden Name: Rowthorn Volume Number: 2c Page Number: 175 But other files which I cannot access are: Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985 Kenneth Arthur Henry Biggs Australia and New Zealand, Find A Grave Index, 1800s-Current Kenneth Arthur Henry Biggs TD
54 Sqn Memorial Plaque | The Insight Online assumed either illness or aircraft crash/shot down For 54 Squadron the early days of WWII were spent patrolling the Kent coast before becoming heavily engaged in the Battle of Britain. It was following the Battle of Britain that Winston Churchill promised a fighter Squadron to Australia. 54 Squadron duly departed Liverpool on the 20th June 1942 arriving in Australia several weeks later. Following their arrival the Squadron was credited for numerous strikes on enemy aircraft. Sadly for the 19 men remembered on the plaque, 16 of whom were British, one American and one Australian; they would never make it home.
possibly him Description 1943-08-13. NORTHERN AUSTRALIA. "ACW MARY" A PET WALLABY OF AN AIR FORCE UNIT SOMEWHERE IN NORTHERN AUSTRALIA. F/SGT. KENNETH BIGGS (R.A.F.) OF SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND WATCHES "MARY" HAVING HER LUNCH. (NEGATIVE BY H. DICK). 1943-08-13. NORTHERN AUSTRALIA. "ACW MARY" A PET WALLABY OF AN AIR FORCE UNIT SOMEWHERE IN ...
That is amazing, thank you, I had no idea why he would have been buried there. Thank you so much for everything, his story will be told. Kind regards, Mavis
There`s a discrepancy on the Memorial Plaque article which Clive kindly posted and his CWGC and Headstone The Plaque article states Flight Sergeant the others Pilot Officer? From this I did a little digging and found he was indeed a Flight Sergeant but was promoted to a Pilot officer on 7th August 1944 . From Darwin Spitfires F/Sgt Biggs joined 54 Sqdn in 1942 his one and only `kill` was a fighter on 15th March 1943. http://www.darwinspitfires.com/index.php?page=4-pilots-claims As Biggs was originally a Flt Sergeant it meant he had another service number prior to his commission . This number was 1379821. A search on this new number actually brings up another photograph of the man but his face is obscured by the guy next to him here;- NT. 1943-06-16. MEMBERS OF THE GROUND CREW OF NO. 54 SQUADRON, ROYAL AIR FORCE, GIVE THE "THUMBS ... Kyle
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/Sea...eports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=1062959&isAv=N BIGGS, Kenneth Arthur Henry - (Pilot Officer); Service Number - 185353; file type - Casualty - Repatriation; Aircraft - Dragon A34-65; Place - Mount Druitt, New South Wales; Date - 5 January 1945 Summary heading BIGGS, Kenneth Arthur Henry - (Pilot Officer); Service Number - 185353 Descriptive note In addition to the file subject, the following servicemen are mentioned in this record: POWELL I C – (Warrant Officer); Service Number – RAF 1313994 BROWN J B A – (Corporal); Service Number – RAF 34214 TAYLOR Henry Allan – (Leading Aircraftman); Service Number – RAF 65276 ASHURST George – (Pilot officer); Service Number – RAF 187809 Crash of a De Havilland Dragon at Richmond, New South Wales on 5 January 1945 De Havilland DH84 Dragon A34-65 of 2 Aircraft Depot Richmond (2 AD) RAAF encountered engine problems and attempted to make a forced landing at about 1215 hours on 5 January 1945 during a travel flight. Whilst attempting to reach a small clearing it stalled and spun into the ground at Plumpton Road, Mt. Druitt, New South Wales. The following five personnel on board, 3 RAF and 2 RAAF were all killed:- Pilot Officer George Ashurst (187809) RAF Pilot Officer Kenneth Arthur Henry Biggs (185353) RAF Warrant Officer Ian Castles Powell (1313994) RAF Corporal Bruce Allan Brownjohn (34214) RAAF Leading Aircraftman Henry Alan Taylor (65276) RAAF
There are no words that can describe my admiration for ALL the members of this forum, I would have been completely lost with out you all. I started researching WW1 for our local memorials over 7 years ago, a grandmother, to tell the story of the man or boy, and had wonderful help from The Great War Forum, and was then able to tell the stories of about 500 men, and without their help I couldn't have done it. Now I have the backup of this wonderful Forum, and I am so grateful - thank you. Before I started I felt that these men and boys had become also anonymous with sometimes just an initial and a surname and I know I have connected many families, so please accept my sincere thanks for your work and experience. Completing this project is for me, my biggest bucket list!!!
Mavis. I've found this Imperial War Museum photo of Kenneth Biggs, pictured on the wing of the presentation Spitfire "Dorothy", (paid for by people called Dorothy (or people with cats, dogs, budgies etc called, or renamed Dorothy, so they could contribute to this fund.) I noticed that it said "Southampton" after his name and followed up the various leads on your Flintshire War Memorial site. This told me that he lived as a young child with his grandparents in 61, Avenue (now renamed Radstock) Road. This is just two doors away from the house RJ Mitchell, designer of the Spitfire, lived in (no. 65) before he moved to the house he had built on the other side of town. As chair of the Southampton-based Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust - The Spitfire Makers Charitable Trust I did an assembly at the Ludlow Junior School which is right behind the back garden fence of no 61. I've been invited back to do the assembly again later this year and would love to know a bit more if you know it, of why Kenneth, (perhaps known as A for Arthur?) was living with his grandparents at such a young age (3 1/2 months) and for how long this arrangement continued. Did he perhaps attend the Ludlow Infants and Junior Schools when he grew up? I found the photo and some info about the Spitfire "Dorothy" on p 124 of "Gifts of War" by Henry Boot and Ray Sturtivant.) I do wonder if the young Kenneth ever met his near neighbour, RJ Mitchell, or if his father Ernest's work for the RAF was what inspired him to become a pilot? Either way it was a sad end for him so many miles from home.
Hi Alan, Thank you so much for getting in touch, but I am sad to say that I know nothing of Kenneth Arthur Henry Biggs's life other than what I have on the website and then only in this area,, Queensferry, Flintshire. I have added this photo to his page, I think I could use it as long as I credit The Imperial War Museum I think. I am sorry but I have looked through my folder I have for him and other thatn sending you copies of the 1921 censuses for his parents and granparents and the 1939 National Register, I have nothing else. Good luck with your searches and can I add to his page your message to me, as it is so interesting? Kindest regards, Mavis
Thanks for picking this up and responding so quickly. I'd be very happy for my message to be added to his page. Sorry the photo came up on its side, don't know why. I've found numerous people of that era who were not known by their first given name. I think Kenneth, known by his second name Arthur, is another.
Thank you Alan, I have added your message to his page, it is very interesting. Anything to add to their stories is always good, makes them more than an Initial and a surname. Thanks again, Mavis
