Honouring the Airmen of RAF Beaulieu & USAAF Station 408


A live document with the purpose of summarising research carried out whilst recording the stories of some of the airmen who sadly lost their lives whilst serving or flying from RAF Beaulieu.

DateCrewAirforceSquadronAircraftWhere Lost
29/10/1942 Flt/Sgt John Eric Armstrong
Sgt Sidney Burr
Sgt Francis Thomas George Hamlyn
Sgt Leonard Clarke Race
RAFNo. 224 SquadronConsolidated B-24 Liberator Mk III (FK230)RAF Ayr
30/10/1942 F/O Victor Edward Crowther
P/O William Allen Cruickshanks
Sgt Harry Olsen Dawe
Sgt William Gilmour Fraser
P/O William Ballantyne Martin
Fl/O Gavin Morton Sellar
RAFNo. 224 SquadronConsolidated B-24 Liberator Mk III (FK242)Fullamore Farm, Devon
06/11/1942 Sgt Hugh Gordon GillespieRCAF405 Long Range Patrol SquadronHandley Page Halifax Mk II (W7768)Died of wounds 14/11/1942
07/11/1942 Flt/Sgt Kenneth Crabtree
Sgt Ronald Sydney Horsley
Sgt Kenneth Edward Hunt
Sgt Arthur William Colston
Flt/Sgt Eric Simonds Bayley
Sgt Roland Williams James Harrison
Sgt Henry Rupert Jennings
RAFNo. 224 SquadronConsolidated B-24 Liberator Mk III (FK245)South West of Beaulieu
09/11/1942 Flt/Sgt Wendell Clifford Black
Flt/Sgt Adam Kidd Hodgins
Flt/Sgt Paul Jones Maroney
Flt/Sgt Woodrow Wilcox Waddell
Flt/Sgt Ward Ralph Waddle
Sgt Allan Clarance Walland
Sgt Gordon M. Manning (He survived and became a POW in Stalag 344 and was freed in 1945)
RCAF405 Long Range Patrol SquadronHandley Page Halifax Mk II (W1152)Failed to return from anti-shipping raid Gironde estuary, France
17/11/1942 Sgt Arthur John Dolding
Fl/O Hyme Landau
W/O Gordon Hubert Richards
Sgt Robert Joseph Cavanaugh
RCAF405 Long Range Patrol SquadronHandley Page Halifax Mk II (W1096)Wicken Bonhunt, Essex
29/11/1942 Cpl Joseph Victor Raoul Beaudry
P/O Allen Catto Bradley
P/O Samuel Stewart Clark
Fl/O Benjamin Hugo Enns
W/O I Stephen Frederic Gannon
Sgt Orlando Delmar Conrad Hamel
Sgt Francis Hooton
Sgt Joseph Jones
Flt/Sgt William Michael Kostenuk
Flt/Sgt Ralph Elliott Milliken
Flt/Sgt William Stanley Milne
Sgt Earl Lewis McGillivray
Flt/Sgt Norman Wilbur Ross
Flt/Sgt Melville James Stanley
Sgt George Robert Ian Taylor
RCAF405 Long Range Patrol SquadronHandley Page Halifax Mk II (DT576)Melmerby, Ripon (en route to RAF Beaulieu)
15/12/1942 W/O II Robert William Stewart
Flt/Sgt Richard Alan Rollins
Sgt James Ryan
Flt/Sgt Louis Gilbert Watson
Albert George Henry Gapes
Harold William Gunn
Sgt Robert James Abadore Shaw
RCAF405 Long Range Patrol SquadronHandley Page Halifax Mk II (DT624)Harepath, East Boldre
20/12/1942 Sgt Morris William Croft
Sgt Michael William Fugere
W/O II Lloyd Elsworth Snarr
Fl/O Ernest Stollery
Flt/Sgt Norman Albert van Brunt
Flt/Sgt Gerald Edward Wagner
P/O Robert Washer
RCAF405 Long Range Patrol SquadronHandley Page Halifax Mk II (W7768)Eades Farm, Newbridge, Isle of Wight
21/02/1943 Sgt William John Hart
Sgt Roy Victor McLean
Flt/Sgt Frank James O’Donoghue
Sgt Benjamin Frederick John Parker
Flt/Sgt Ernest Harold Stellar
F/O Carl John Shagena
Sgt Benjamin Warren Turner
RCAF405 Long Range Patrol SquadronHandley Page Halifax Mk II (DT633)Stubbs Wood, Beaulieu
13/08/1943 F/L Beverley W. Pritchard
F/O Nicholas J. Tuchtie
F/O Harold M Tarver
F/S Alan A. Johnston
F/S Thomas Main
F/O Allison G. Tatton

This aircraft was not based at Beaulieu, but had been diverted to the airfield due to bad weather. After taking off to return to its home airfield, it was involved in an accident.

RCAFNo. 407 SquadronVickers Wellington XII (MP622)Sway, New Forest
21/08/1943 Wg/Cdr Jindřich Breitcetl DFC
Sgt Josef Felkl
F/Lt František Fencl
F/Sgt Jozef Halada
Sgt Vilda Jakš
P/O Emilián Mrázek
F/O Eduard Pavelka
F/Sgt Michal Pizúr
RAFNo. 311 SquadronConsolidated B-24 Liberator GR Mk V (BZ780)Bay of Biscay
29/08/1943 F/O Adolf Musálek
Sgt Stanislav Jelínek
F/Lt Bruno Babš
Sgt Eduard Blaháček
Sgt Hanus Polák
Sgt Jiri Rubín
F/O Miroslav Čtvrtlík
Sgt Vaclav Blahna
RAFNo. 311 SquadronConsolidated B-24 Liberator GR Mk V (BZ775)Crashed on take off
30/08/1943 Sgt Andrej ŠimekRAFNo. 311 SquadronConsolidated B-24 Liberator GR Mk V (FL948)Died of wounds in flight
30/08/1943 Flt/Lt Emil Palichleb
Sgt Josef Bittner
Sgt Zdeněk Řezáč
Sgt Theodor Schwarz
Sgt Emil Szeliga
Sgt Josef Fisera
RAFNo. 311 SquadronConsolidated B-24 Liberator GR Mk V (BZ785)Dilton Copse, Brockenhurst
04/10/1943 Flt/Sgt William Anthony Dearman
Flt/Sgt Alan Fieldhouse
F/O Chris William Foster
Flt/Sgt Walter Francis Garrod
Flt/Lt Ernest Melville Charles Guest
Flt/Sgt Fraser Frederick Mercer
Flt/Sgt Daniel William McInnis
Flt/Lt John Rintoul
F/O Donald Burton Stewart
RAFNo. 53 Squadron RAFConsolidated B-24 Liberator GR Mk V (BZ753)Bay of Biscay
15/11/1943 Flt/Sgt Ernest Frederick Barge
Sgt Robert John Clarke
F/O Douglas Roland Cooper
F/O Leslie Harold Lister
Flt/Sgt Arnold James Pudfin
Sgt Francis Quinn
F/O Daniel Boyd Sinclair
WO II Gerald Young
RAFNo. 53 Squadron RAFConsolidated B-24 Liberator GR Mk V (BZ817)Swinesleys Farm, Beaulieu
17/11/1943 Flt/Sgt Ladislav Černohorský
Sgt Linhart Fajt
Flt/Sgt Albert Fuksa
Sgt Felix Arnošt Heller
Sgt Josef Novák
Flt/Sgt Miroslav Procházka
Flt/Lt Metoděj Šebela DFC
Fl/O Hannes Edgar Urban-Emmrich
Fl/O Alois Vávra
RAFNo. 311 SquadronConsolidated B-24 Liberator GR Mk V (BZ872)Bay of Biscay
05/02/1944 Fl/O Norman Peter BlacklockRAFNo. 263 SquadronHawker Typhoon Mk IB (JR251)France or at Sea
13/02/1944 Flt/Sgt George WilliamsRAFNo. 263 SquadronHawker Typhoon Mk IB (JR215)France
22/02/1944 Fl/O Robert Bruce TuffRAFNo. 263 SquadronHawker Typhoon Mk IB (JR302)English Channel (20miles off Guernsey)
22/02/1944 Fl/O Robert Charles HunterRAFNo. 263 SquadronHawker Typhoon Mk IB (JR304)English Channel (20miles off Guernsey)
22/02/1944 Sqn/L Geoffrey Berrington Warnes DSO DFCRAFNo. 263 SquadronHawker Typhoon Mk IB (MN249)English Channel (20miles off Guernsey)
09/03/1944 Maj Damon Jesse GauseUSAAFHQ / 365th Fighter GroupRepublic P-4D Thunderbolt (42-75236)Monkshorn Farm, East Boldre
07/04/1944 2LT Stanley Eugene FishUSAAF386th Fighter Squadron / 365th Fighter GroupRepublic P-4D Thunderbolt (42-22454)Allington, Wiltshire
20/04/1944 2LT James M AllenUSAAF387th Fighter Squadron / 365th Fighter GroupRepublic P-4D Thunderbolt (42-75603)RAF Selsey
24/04/1944 Cpt Milton E SowardUSAAF386th Fighter Squadron / 365th Fighter GroupRepublic P-4D Thunderbolt (42-75620)Arras, France
01/05/1944 1LT Frederick William O’DonnellUSAAF388th Fighter Squadron / 365th Fighter GroupRepublic P-4D Thunderbolt (42-75107)France
06/06/1944 1LT Robert L ShipeUSAAF386th Fighter Squadron / 365th Fighter GroupRepublic P-4D Thunderbolt (42-75168)Saint-Sauveur-de-Pierrepont, Normandy, France
06/06/1944 2LT Jack J MartellUSAAF388th Fighter Squadron / 365th Fighter GroupRepublic P-4D Thunderbolt (42-76203)Saint-Lô-d’Ourville, Normandy, France
07/06/1944 1LT Edsel J McKnightUSAAF388th Fighter Squadron / 365th Fighter GroupRepublic P-4D Thunderbolt (42-75044)France
07/06/1944 1LT Mahlon Tallmadge Stelle DFCUSAAF387th Fighter Squadron / 365th Fighter GroupRepublic P-4D Thunderbolt (42-76355)Villers-Bocage, France
07/06/1944 1LT Harold M JonesUSAAF386th Fighter Squadron / 365th Fighter GroupRepublic P-4D Thunderbolt (42-26128)Saint-Sauveur-Lendelin, Normandy, France
09/06/1944 2LT William J ShafferUSAAF326th Ferry Squadron / 27th Air Transport GroupRepublic P-4D Thunderbolt (42-75143)RAF Beaulieu
10/06/1944 Cpt Raymond Noriega MoragaUSAAF386th Fighter Squadron / 365th Fighter GroupRepublic P-4D Thunderbolt (42-26324)Cherbourg, France
10/06/1944 2LT John Alfred WeeseUSAAF386th Fighter Squadron / 365th Fighter GroupRepublic P-4D Thunderbolt (42-76297)Juno Beach, Normandy, France
10/06/1944 1LT Donald R SwinburneUSAAF386th Fighter Squadron / 365th Fighter GroupRepublic P-4D Thunderbolt (42-75542)France
15/06/1944 1LT Thomas C McAllisterUSAAF388th Fighter Squadron / 365th Fighter GroupRepublic P-4D Thunderbolt (42-75661)France
22/06/1944 2LT Wallace Eugene RockUSAAF386th Fighter Squadron / 365th Fighter GroupRepublic P-4D Thunderbolt (42-76455)Cherbourg, France
24/06/1944 1LT Lloyd Irvin RiffUSAAF388th Fighter Squadron / 365th Fighter GroupRepublic P-4D Thunderbolt (42-76244)France
25/06/1944 2LT Marcel DuPontUSAAF386th Fighter Squadron / 365th Fighter GroupRepublic P-4D Thunderbolt (42-75067)Verneuil-sur-Avre, France
31/07/1944 1LT Theodore Ralph Lindholm JrUSAAF454th Bomb Squadron / 323rd Bomb GroupAirspeed Oxford Mk IIParnholt Wood, Winchester
02/08/1944 LT Robert C. SteinhausUSAAF454th Bomb Squadron / 323rd Bomb GroupMartin B-26B Marauder (42-95975)RAF Beaulieu

Recent Posts