Please go to this thread to see all remaining requirements in England & Wales as Ireland & Scotland are now complete! ALL PHOTOS ORIGINALLY REQUIRED ARE NOW COMPLETE. I have just finished (again) categorising the 11,091 (previously10,835) RAAF and Australians deaths in the RAF for the period 1939 to 1945. The first RAAF death recorded in Europe was on 12/4/1940 for Sidney Ignatius Oliver (Flight Sergeant) who was attached to 10 squadron and is buried at Hooe (St John) courtyard in Devon. (No Photo Yet - Anyone??????) The first Australian to die in the RAF was BISHOP, FREDERICK ALAN Pilot Officer 41821 13 SFTS 14/09/1939 23 Royal Air Force UK Sec. E. Grave 1002. DIRLETON CEMETERY UK East Lothian
Picture of Oliver and others of 10 Sqdn: Australian War Memorial Collections Database and his funeral: AWM Collections Database AWM Collections Database AWM Collections Database AWM Collections Database AWM Collections Database AWM Collections Database
I thought I'd ask about Oliver over on rafcommands.com and Ken Maclean came up trumps: He fell while walking on Plymouth Hoe on 6 April, sustaining a fractured skull. He was admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital Plymouth, dying there on the 12th. He was still a Clerk, General. This from 10 Sqn ORB, which may be viewed on-line at National Archives of Australia website.
I thought I'd ask about Oliver over on rafcommands.com and Ken Maclean came up trumps: I noticed the Clerk, General on the AWM ship photo. The first two killed on 5/9/39 were accidental as well.
Another small cemetery where a RAAF officer is buried is the.............. Allemont (Le Rivier) Communal Cemetery in Isere, France. Sir Trafford Leigh Leigh-Mallory, his wife and crew of that ill-fated flight are buried here. Flight Lieutenant Casey (RAAF) was attached to the Air Ministry Unit. A more idyllic setting for a cemetery I could not imagine. <table x:str="" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 48pt;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="64"><col style="width: 48pt;" width="64"><col> <tbody><tr><td class="xl24" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 48pt;" height="17" width="64">CWGC :: Cemetery Details </td> </tr></tbody><tbody><tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"></tr></tbody></table><table x:str="" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 48pt;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="64"><col style="width: 48pt;" width="64"><col> <tbody><tr><td class="xl24" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 48pt;" height="17" width="64">Franciscan Easter 2005 </td> </tr></tbody><tbody><tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"></tr></tbody></table>Story down the page on left by the nephew of Mallory. <table class="datatable" id="dgCemeteries" border="1" cellspacing="0" rules="all"><tbody><tr class="tableheader"><td>No</td><td>Name</td><td>Rank</td><td>Service</td><td>Regiment</td><td>Date Of Death</td><td>Age</td><td>Grave/Memorial Ref.</td> </tr><tr> <td> 1 </td><td> LANCASTER, CHARLES GORDON DRAKE, C G D </td><td> Squadron Leader ( Pilot </td><td>75989</td><td>Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve</td><td>14/11/1944</td><td> 32 </td><td>Centre Plot. Row 1. Grave 4.</td> </tr><tr> <td> 2 </td><td> LEIGH-MALLORY, Sir TRAFFORD LEIGH, T L </td><td> Air Chief Marshal </td><td> </td><td>Royal Air Force</td><td>14/11/1944</td><td> 52 </td><td>Centre Plot. Row 1. Grave 2.</td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="datatable" id="dgCemeteries" border="1" cellspacing="0" rules="all"><tbody><tr><td> 1 </td><td> BURGESS, JOHN ELLIS MORTON, J E M </td><td> Corporal </td><td>523400</td><td>Royal Air Force</td><td>14/11/1944</td><td> Unknown </td><td>Plot. Row 1. Grave 5.</td> </tr><tr> <td> 2 </td><td> BURNETT, JOHN CHALMERS, J C </td><td> Leading Aircraftman </td><td>967906</td><td>Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve</td><td>14/11/1944</td><td> Unknown </td><td>Centre Plot. Row 1. Grave 3.</td> </tr><tr> <td> 3 </td><td> CASEY, JOHN AUSTRAL, J A </td><td> Flight Lieutenant </td><td>403555</td><td>Royal Australian Air Force</td><td>14/11/1944</td><td> 29 </td><td>Plot. Row 2. Grave 3.</td> </tr><tr> <td> 4 </td><td> CHANDLER, HAROLD JOHN, H J </td><td> Sergeant </td><td>1618502</td><td>Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve</td><td>14/11/1944</td><td> 42 </td><td>Centre Plot. Row 1. Grave 6.</td> </tr><tr> <td> 5 </td><td> CHINN, PETER, P </td><td> Flight Lieutenant </td><td>107984</td><td>Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve</td><td>14/11/1944</td><td> 20 </td><td>Plot. Row 2. Grave</td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="datatable" id="dgCemeteries" border="1" cellspacing="0" rules="all"><tbody><tr><td> 1 </td><td> ENSER, ALFRED JOHN, A J </td><td> Flying Officer ( Flt. Engr. </td><td>169052</td><td>Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve</td><td>14/11/1944</td><td> 29 </td><td>Centre Plot. Row 2. Grave 2.</td></tr></tbody></table> <table class="datatable" id="dgCemeteries" border="1" cellspacing="0" rules="all"><tbody><tr><td> 1 </td><td> MOORING, KEITH ALAN, K A </td><td> Flight Lieutenant ( Nav. </td><td>126892</td><td>Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve</td><td>14/11/1944</td><td> 24 </td><td>Centre Plot. Row 1. Grave 7.</td></tr></tbody></table>
Interesting that Lancaster was flying the York as he was a Sunderland pilot (winning the bar to his DFC for attacking a U-boat with 228 Squadron).
Interesting that Lancaster was flying the York as he was a Sunderland pilot (winning the bar to his DFC for attacking a U-boat with 228 Squadron). From what I have read, Mallory overruled the pilot who did not want to take off in such adverse conditions.
Not a European cemetery however interesting all the same. Only one RAAF officer is buried here yet it is interesting to note that: Ben M'Sik European Cemetery (Morocco) contains 38 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War. The Commonwealth plot also contains two war graves of other nationalities and seven non-war burials. Among the latter is the grave of Field Marshall Sir Claude Auchinleck who held a number of commands during the Second World War. He died in 1981 at the age of 96, and is buried alongside Galley Boy Raymond Steed, who at 14 years of age was the youngest known Commonwealth casualty of the Second World War.
I am looking to build up a list of photos of Australian RAAF Graves and I hope those who live near may be able to take a photo for me and post it here so I can add it to my database. I am aware for instance that Kitty lives in Cheshire and also aware that it is quite a distance to Birkenhead from her village. It is likely that someone else is actually closer. If you can assist without going too much out of your way, I would be most appreciative. Here are the Cheshire cemeteries: TURNER, FRANK JOHN HOSKINS Flight Sergeant 17 AFU "16035" 25/11/1943Unknown Royal Australian Air Force "25" Australian BIRKENHEAD (LANDICAN) CREMATORIUM UK Cheshire CWGC :: Cemetery Details Orange Website Maker > Home There are over 90 at Chester (Blacon)Cemetery in Section A. The guy below had a bad name to enter a war. DEATH, ERNEST NORMAN Sergeant 424741 27 O T U 10/09/1943 19 Royal Australian Air Force Australian Sec. A. Grave 415. CHESTER (BLACON) CEMETERY UK Cheshire http://www.airmuseum.ca/rcaf/uk610.jpg Cheers Geoff .
Geoff, Have you seen the 27 OTU casualty spreadsheet? It gives causes of accidents and there are a number of RAAF.: 27 O.T.U Index and if you scroll down, it has cemetaries (with photos), though not for Death.
Geoff, Have you seen the 27 OTU casualty spreadsheet? It gives causes of accidents and there are a number of RAAF.: 27 O.T.U Index and if you scroll down, it has cemeteries (with photos), though not for Death. "Though not for death"???????????? Great info. Thanks Kyt. I even found a spreadsheet there for fate of the flight for lost crews. Are there any more of those? This is the list I will be looking for, just for Blacon in Cheshire. There were a myriad of units of those who died with 27 OTU being the dominant unit.
I'm afraid it's really hit and miss when looking for unit information, especially on the web. Bomber Command information is relatively easy to find (though expensive if one was to buy all the volumes available). Operational losses are listed on lostbombers.co.uk and for OTUs this is probably the best buy. For fighter command, Fighter Command Losses (3 volumes) are good, and I can help you with that. The most difficult theatre to get info is SEAC (but I have a number of books that may help, including the register of all RAF etc POWs in Japanese hands). I'm intrigued by 5 LFS ( LANCASTER FINISHING SCHOOL), and will look into that.
Geoff , Have you checked here to see for grave photos? Australian War Graves Photographic Archive I took some Canadians for the Maple Leaf Legacy Project up here, CWGC :: Cemetery Details. There are some RAAF & RNZAF men there too, shall I pop up there one day? Only one RAAF man though, CWGC :: Casualty Details
My hometown of Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire had a wartime operational airfield. lt was a bomber training station and home of 21 OTU. Its memory is kept alive by a lovely bloke and local character Gerry Tyack. He runs the Wellington Museum there. His excellent website is well worth a look. Click on HISTORY Wellington aviation There are 6 RAAF graves in the small cemetery opposite the old airfield along with a lot of Canadians, New Zealanders and a few South Africans. The photographs are not mine, they came from here.. Grave photos
I'm afraid it's really hit and miss when looking for unit information, especially on the web. Bomber Command information is relatively easy to find (though expensive if one was to buy all the volumes available). Operational losses are listed on lostbombers.co.uk and for OTUs this is probably the best buy. For fighter command, Fighter Command Losses (3 volumes) are good, and I can help you with that. The most difficult theatre to get info is SEAC (but I have a number of books that may help, including the register of all RAF etc POWs in Japanese hands). I'm intrigued by 5 LFS ( LANCASTER FINISHING SCHOOL), and will look into that. Thanks Kyt, Look forward to resolving a few of the mysteries as well.
Geoff , Have you checked here to see for grave photos? Australian War Graves Photographic Archive These do not have photos. Only progress of their archive as I understand. Some of the numbers do not match what I have. Possibly it is what they still had to accomplish. I took some Canadians for the Maple Leaf Legacy Project up here, CWGC :: Cemetery Details. There are some RAAF & RNZAF men there too, shall I pop up there one day? Only one RAAF man though, CWGC :: Casualty Details I would appreciate that. There is a large amount of cemeteries where there is only one grave.
5 LFS lost a total of 4 Lancasters, of which I can dismiss 1 (W4232), as this broke up in the air on 17/04/1944. That leaves W4113, ED368 & ED593. I don't know if Peter Clare has the appropriate volume of Bomber Command Losses - OTUs but if not I'll check on rafcommands.com
My hometown of Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire had a wartime operational airfield. Its memory is kept alive by a lovely bloke and local character Gerry Tyack. He runs the Wellington Museum there. His excellent website is well worth a look. Click on HISTORY Wellington aviation There are 6 RAAF graves in the small cemetery opposite the old airfield along with a lot of Canadians, New Zealanders and a few South Africans. The photographs are not mine, they came from here.. Grave photos Thanks Bodston. Great help.
