ALWAY, EDWIN JOHN Rank: Flight Lieutenant Service No: 77382 Date of Death: 05/09/1940 Age: 37 Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Grave Reference: Sec. N. Grave 263. Cemetery: EPSOM CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of George and Eliza Martha Alway, of Epsom; husband of Grace Lilian Alway, of Epsom. Casualty Details
Died at Boscombe Down Aerodrome, Amesbury, Wiltshire, England. Edwin John Alway (1903 - 1940) - Find A Grave Memorial
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 Name: Edwin John Alway Registration Year: 1903 Registration Quarter: Oct-Nov-Dec Registration district: Epsom Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District Inferred County: Surrey Volume: 2a Page: 24 England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 Name: Edwin J Alway Death Age: 36 Birth Date: abt 1904 Registration Date: Sep 1940 Registration district: Salisbury Inferred County: Wiltshire Volume: 5a Page: 434 Several family trees but no photos to attach to this thread TD
Alway, Edwin John On 5 September 1940, still working with BAT & DU (Blind Approach Training and Development Unit - otherwise Wireless Intelligence Development Unit ), Edwin was aboard another Avro Anson, R9815, engaged in a beam approach development flight whilst enemy aircraft were in area. A wing struck ground on the final approach and Fg. Off. K. Munro, Flt. Lt. E.J. Alway, Sgt. C.J. Hames, W.op/AG. Sgt. F.W.K. Wood, Obs. were casualties Amongst other details the Flying Accident Card records: "Crashed making Lorenz approach in fog. Flew into ground on a turn with subsequent bounce and stall from low height. Made approach down beam to left of contact lights. As boundary is in line with lights a/c (aircraft) turned or banked to avoid same, wheel hit ground." Michael Cumming, writing Beam Bombers:The Secret War of No 109 Squadron in 1998, remarked on page 18: - "...Anson crashed at Boscombe Down while making a blind approach landing in fog at night. Munro was the captain and pilot this time and he died in his plane, as did one of the NCOs in his crew. Two more died either in or on their way to hospital. One of the dead men was a member of an Air Ministry radio countermeasures establishment who had taken part in the very first investigations into the enemy's beams over Britain, Flight Lieutenant E J Alway. It was Alway who reported back to the Air Ministry after the initial flight on 19 June and it was Alway who flew as wireless operator the following day when Bafton made his debut investigative flight on resuming his service with BAT&DU. There was just a single survivor of this fatal crash, Sergeant A D F Allen, air gunner, who escaped with only slight injuries. Allen was awarded the George Medal for his actions during this incident." The Air Ministry reported that Acting Flight Lieutenant E J Alway died of wounds or injuries received on active service, 5 September 1940, presumably having been extricated fron the crashed aircraft. His demise, aged 36, is recorded at Salisbury for the September quarter of 1940, with the other casualties from the crew. Edwin was brought back to Epsom Cemetery for burial in Section N. Plot 263 (in a group of CWGC graves) on 9 September 1940 - from Boscombe Down Aerodrome, Amesbury, aged 36 yrs. 11 mths
F/L E J Alway is identified as a RAFVR casualty from the CWGC database but his tombstone indicates RAF,ie he was of regular service. If he was RAFVR,this would indicate service in the Special Reserve or Auxiliary Command which was created from 1925 and distinct from those servicemen designated as RAFVR who joined the service from 3 September 1939. These squadrons by 1929, were Nos 501,502,503 and 504 as S.R Squadrons and Nos 600,601,602,603,604 and 605 as Auxiliary Squadrons,the former SR squadrons being absorbed into the Auxiliary Air Force during 1936 and 1937. Overall, was E J Alway a regular serviceman as identified by RAF on his tombstone or RAFVR as indicated from the CWGC database? The dog collar tunic for airmen has its origin post Great War and during the interwar years...puttees would be worn up to about 1937.The tunic worn by E J Alway is typical of the tunic worn by Aircraftsman "Shaw."
His commission to Pilot Officer is Gazetted as RAFVR (Hostilites Only) on 6th Jan 1940. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34799/page/1103/data.pdf However his branch is Admin and Special Duties rather than General suggesting a retread with previous service but not close enough to reserve/retired service as to warrant reuse of any RAF prewar number or recognition of service years with F/O rank (as most A&SD Branch adjutants were given on recall). So looks like a formalisation into uniform of a civil service ex army type. Edit - Ah not civil service but BBC boffin with late 1920s middle east OR RAF service. Ross
