Morning Pilot Officer 169737 John Russell FAULKNER is buried in Christ Church Churchyard, Lichfield. Died 28 December 1943. Casualty Can anyone help with regard to his demise, I cannot trace anything at all ?? Also from 504 Squadron and also died this day was Flying Officer 146421 Philip Dawkins Bailey, buried in Dorking Cemetery Plot 29. Grave 1691X Casualty but again, I cannot trace what happened. Grateful for any pointers, Regards, Graeme
Graeme, whatever happened, both deaths recorded in Slains district. Purchasing a few credits at Scotlandspeople website will reveal cause of death.
504 Sqdn, a Spitfire squadron, were off operations and training for that month. On the 28th, seven a/c were engaged on local flying and gun camera practice when there was a collision between two of them. Both pilots were killed and their a/c destroyed. They are named in the ORB as P/O Bailey and F/S Faulkner. Cheers, Pat. (this is taken from the ORB Summary of Events for the month)
Here Graeme, mid air collision, Bogbrae of Hatton, Slains. Death registered by Commanding Officer J. Richard Ratten.
Morning all, Absolutely fantastic !!!! Many thanks for the (prompt) replies, cannot thank you enough. I could not trace anything at all. Cheers, Graeme PS Just noticed on the PDF that his rank and number are incorrect !! Checked the number on CWGC and no trace. Cheers again
He's shown as Flight Sergeant 1237640 which I would guess was his original Service Number. Once commissioned as an officer he would be renumbered in the Officer Service Number series, hence Pilot Officer 169737. Someone better versed in the arcane rituals of London Gazette searches may be able to confirm. It would appear his promotion hadn't been confirmed at the time of the crash, but probably very shortly thereafter. - but only a guess! He is the only CWGC casualty in the Churchyard, and his parents address is given as Handsworth, so it might be worth an enquiry as to why he's buried there - possibly his family originated from that area..... No point solving just one question if others pop up! EDIT: Answered the question with Google - Never now to grow old The connection soon became clear after finding an announcement in the Lichfield Mercury relating to John’s birth in April 1922 and giving his mother’s maiden name – Tuke. This led to the discovery of a further announcement relating to George Arthur Faulkner, eldest son of Mr and Mrs Faulkner of Beacon Street marrying Majorie Frances (Madge) Tuke, second daughter of the late Herbert H Tuke and Mrs Tuke of the Walsall Road in November 1917 at Christ Church. On July 12th 1948, Madge Tuke died at her home in Handsworth and was buried alongside her boy at Christ Church. Looks like both parents were buried there with him, the inscription on the foot stone appears to read "and also G Arthur Faulkner etc"
The squadron were based at Peterhead at this time, it seems. Apropos of nothing, really, they appear to have flown Spitfire Mk VIs for a couple of months after Sept 1943, along with their Mk Vs - I wasn't aware that the Mk VI was a high-altitude variant with weirdly-pointed wingtips, and a pressurised hood which had to be jettisoned rather than opened to allow the pilot to bail out. Edit: Kev's explanation of the conflicting ranks/service numbers sounds entirely plausible: other airmen I've researched often have a discrepancy in rank at any given time (due to ranks being 'with effect from', mostly); as Kev says, if the results of Faulkner's commission board hadn't been confirmed at the time his death was registered he'd still officially have been an NCO, but would have been referred to as Pilot Officer from when the commission was granted I guess.
This is the other lad Graeme if you do not have it already. BAILEY Flying Officer 146421 PHILIP DAWKINS Tuesday, December 28, 1943 Age 27 DORKING CEMETERY Service Number 146421 Died 28/12/1943 Aged 27 504 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Son of Harry Edwin and Bertha Bailey; husband of Iris Isabel Bailey, of Betchworth.
