Searching for 1622381 F/Sgt John McCrorie SCOTT, 226 Sqn., RAFVR: 28/10/1944

I am reseaching a crew member of 226 Squadron

Scott, John McCrorie
Flight Sergeant
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
1622381

On the morning of 28 October 1944 at 08:50 12 aircraft take off with the aim of bombing the railway bridge at Venlo, although the bombing is called a success and all aircraft return, the railway bridge is not destroyed. Thus at 14:50 that same day another 12 aircraft take off, from Vitry-en-Artois, France, for the same bridge in Venlo. This bombing does not destroy the bridge, partly due to the heavy air defence. The aircraft of Flight Sergeant Scott is hit before the attack target and crashes, two people are seen leaving the aircraft by parachute.The aircraft of the type North American Mitchell II, serial number FW183, crashes at Koningslust, Sevenumsedijk in Helden, the Netherlands.

Other Crew members are:
Warrant Officer II Julius Spiegel, 24 year
Warrant Officer II Julius Schleihauf, 30 year
Sergeant John Percival Owen New 22 year

Details of these crew members i have, but i would like to know a bit more about John McCrorie Scott.
The date that he is born, when he joined the RAF, maybe some private information from family.

This is for a project of the foundation Faces To Graves, their mission, is to give soldiers buried at the Canadian War Cemetery at Groesbeek, a face and a biography. All information about him is welcome.

Hope someone can help.

Together with Temujin, we identified him on a Crew photo.

 

You must have this already, so have you exhausted the clues within? See: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2232639/john-mccrorie-scott/

B. April to June 1919 in Belfast.

No joy tracing online his widow, Elsie Scott.

Rock Ferry is part of Birkenhead, on The Wirral and is across the River Mersey from Liverpool. I searched for the names with Rock Ferry and Birkenhead - nowt so far.

Perhaps worth asking the two local newspapers for help: The Wirral Globe and Birkenhead News?

The ORB for the squadron that month can be downloaded from the TNA: Squadron Number: 226 Summary of Events: Y | The National Archives

There is no Facebook Group for 226 Squadron alas, only a general group for RAF Bomber Command. Some of the squadron were from Australia.

 

David, Thanks for your reply.

Why Belfast...?

Did i miss something. But yes i also researched some online sources. not much to find about him or his wife. Only that his wifes name was Elsie Scott - Bell
ORB indeed i found, as my research started with Julius Spiegel.

Not much.

 

Beedee,

No idea why Belfast. There was / is a strong link between western Scotland, Liverpool and Belfast.

I suggest the local newspaper route is an option, albeit a "long shot". Good luck.

 

Have you sent for his service record? Just need a year of birth.
Select the service - Apply for a deceased person's military record - GOV.UK

You will find his Irish Birth registration here: https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy...s/birth_returns/births_1919/01250/1519435.pdf

Wow, he had only married on September 4th, 1944! His marriage certificate is available on ancestry.com, I can send it or I can attach it here

62786_58021000498_2322-00017 by dp_burke posted Jan 15, 2025 at 1:37 AM

Note there that Elsie his wife was already a widow at age 26, and her maiden surname was Clinton. Can't make out her Street name.

John's street name is 5 Empress, in Barrow on Furness

And I would guess this was her first husband, a civilian war casualty in Birkenhead: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/3100451/james-edward-bell/

A local Birkenhead paper mentions her in a death notice in Jun 1941

BELL—James Edward .Eddie , . dearly beloved husband of Elsie Bell nee Clinton.. late of Blyth. and death beloved son of John Alexander Bell and the late Sarah Sell. Killed by enemy action. June. 1941. aged 35 years

And at the same time, at 48 Southdale, Elsie also lost her 17 year old bother John Scaman Clinton.

Elsie married again in 1949, to an Ernest Pickstock. She lived until 1994.

 

dp_burke

Thanks fot this information, this helps to make his Life story more complete. I just requested his files by the link you mentioned. Lets see how long it will take.

I Hope Elsie had a good life after a rough start.

But this is already valuble information, thanks for that.

 

I send the request on Wednesday last week. Today i got his papers.

It sonly a two pager, but with some information about his carrieer. And they also mentioned that the are working hard on digitalizing these kind of papers.
01 April 2025 many of them will go online.