A long shot, but looking through this forum a lot of knowledgable people amongst you and maybe just maybe one of the following names may ring a bell and maybe someone may be able to point me in the direction of a photo or two.
I have lots of info ( although more is welcome ) on Sgt JJ O'Brien & Sgt Albert Gilverson and have photos of all but two graves, I'm working on this with a friend in the USA, who is related to JJ O'Brien.
So a long shot but you never know
CREW OF HALIFAX DG420, 1663 HEAVY CONVERSION UNIT, RUFFORTH AIRFIELD Pilot Sgt Donald Charles Ravine (569748)
( Age 22. Buried at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery)
Flight Engineer Sgt Norman John Hart (1194214)
( Age 22. Buried at Hampreston- All Saints Churchyard )
Flight Engineer Sgt John Townsend (1568521)
( Age 20. Buried at Dundee Eastern Necropolis )
Flight Engineer Sgt Peter Cross Parrott (1174427)
( Age 23. Buried at Sunbury New Cemetery)
Air Gunner Sgt Albert Edward Gilverson (R/184720)
( Age 21. Buried at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery )
Air Gunner Sgt Fredrick David Read (1323650)
( Age Unknown. Buried at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery )
Instructor F/O Murray Wallace Bonner (J/21902)
( Age 23. Buried at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery )
CREW OF HALIFAX R9497, 1658 HEAVY CONVERSION UNIT, RICCALL AIRFIELD
Pilot Sgt Terrance Claude Ashley (1337699)
( Age 20. Buried at Barnstaple Cemetery)
Flight Engineer Sgt Thomas Robert McMeeken (1568151) ( Age 20. Buried at Glasgow - Riddrie Park Cemetery)
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Sgt John .Joseph O'Brien (1030890)
( Age 24. Burried at Killaloe Temple Hollow Cemetery,Tipperary, Ireland) Navigator Sgt Albert James Allan (1459143)
( Age 23. Buried at Liverpool- Anfield Cemetery)
Bomb Aimer F/O Robert Frank Walker (129607)
( Age 19. Buried at City of London Cemetery - Manor Park )
Air Gunner Sgt Fredrick Cosford (1163277)
( Age unknown. Buried at Northampton- Dallington Cemetery) Air Gunner Sgt Douglas Leonard Herbert Wooster (1603969)
( Age 19. Buried at Wembley- Alperton Burial Ground )
Thought I'd ask the question as to whether you have any info from HCU's regarding the crews.
I have Chorleys - Heavy Coversion Units volume, should you require any info.
Having spent some time reading up on HCU's and OTC's, I found it staggering to say the least, the number of crews that lost their lives during their time at these units.
Hi John, thanks for asking, we have some info, i live just near these airfields so its quite an interesting project, we have Orbs and chorley info, but i get the impression that HCU's were brushed under the carpet by the MOD at the time, no glory here sort of thing and yes the amount of men killed whilst training is terrible. I read in one book about a guy who complained about his aircraft as it could not reach its height and a couple of days later the same crew / aircraft hit a mountain in scotland.
Talking to an old guy who lives in a caravan on Riccall runway, or what is left of it, he remembers the aircraft being just old piles of un airworthy junk.
I'm a member of Hampreston Church near Wimborne, Dorset. Every November we read out a list of the men of our parish who gave their lives in the two World Wars. I'm compiling a booklet trying to fill out details on these brave and gallant people so that the congregation especiually the younger ones can more fully appreciate the
Sgt Norman John Hart is buried in the Hampreston Churchyard Grave ref 398. I have a photograph of the grave if you need it and can email it to you. My email is n_hollingworth@yahoo.com
We have six war graves from the two world wars. One from WW1, Five from WW2 of which three are RAF including Norman Hart. Sadly this year this figure was added to by a Lieutenant from the Marines who was killed on active service in Afghanistan.
Jim, Are you aware of, or anything to do with "JJ's Girl" from New York? She is also investigating the first crew and has a website about it. I took a photo of Norman Hart's grave for her in the summer, I live about 30 miles from Hampreston, so you've 2 offers now! You may find my own research/website into a Lancaster loss from Waddington of interest: www.galgos.co.uk regards Max
Hi All, firstly sorry for the delay in replying, first visit for ages,
A very big thank you for all the kind offers of help, it just shows how good these forums are and how helpfull people are, we have a photo of Norman heart and thanks to Max for that, I'm working with JJ's girl on this subject, the only photo awaiting now is Air Gunner Sgt Fredrick Cosford (1163277) Buried at Northampton- Dallington Cemetery, so thanks to all the offers and those who took photos for us.
If anyone is looking for a photo of a war grave, the best way i found of getting most of ours, is to contact the local council who own the cemetery and ask the person in charge to simply take a photo and email it to you, I got most of ours this way.
Thank you Jim: for my own piece of mind I wanted to find out and "experience", as much as I ever could do 60+ years on, what these lads went through; I'm still learning but I think as many people as possible also need to know this, especially in this time of "political correctness" when the trend seems to be to rubbish and denigrate our heroes. Give my regards to JJ's girl when you're next in contact. Max
Hi Sue, this a bit late in the day, my grandfather Thomas Latham was an flight Engineer instructor from march 1943 through to August 1944 . He lived in a cottage in kelfied road , Riccall.
