Hello all,
SUMMARY OF DATA FOUND SO FAR:
I’ve decided to use this board just for information found on the crew etc together with additional photographs. If you have read the other board (it is now 9 pages long and growing!) this will summarise the information found to date.
My original posting is below so that any new people without the time to read all boards can get the gist of it together with the photographs found. If you read the original you will see how much everyone in Roots has contributed and taken time out to place postings, ideas and information, all of which is greatly appreciated.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,101535.120.htmlINFORMATION FOUND TO DATA.
Details of the crew
Name: BURKE, JOSEPH PAUL ERNEST
Initials: J P E
Nationality: Canadian
Rank: Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr.)
Regiment: Royal Canadian Air Force
Age: 20
Date of Death: 20/11/1944
Service No: R/206904
Additional information: Son of William and Dorine Burke, of West Bathurst, Gloucester Co., New Brunswick. Canada.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Sec. A. Grave 315.
Cemetery: CHESTER (BLACON) CEMETERY
Name: GROULX, JOSEPH ARTHUR EDMOND
Initials: J A E
Nationality: Canadian
Rank: Sergeant (Air Gnr.)
Regiment: Royal Canadian Air Force
Age: 22
Date of Death: 20/11/1944
Service No: R/111476
Additional information: Son of Arthur and Alexandrine Groulx, of Hull, Province of Quebec, Canada.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Sec. A Grave 401.
Cemetery: CHESTER (BLACON) CEME
Name: DU SABLON, JOSEPH LIONEL UNDERIC
Initials: J L U
Nationality: Canadian
Rank: Sergeant (Air Gnr.)
Regiment: Royal Canadian Air Force
Age: 20
Date of Death: 20/11/1944
Service No: R/174038
Additional information: Son of Lionel Olivier and Mary Lea Du Sablon, of De Gaspe, Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Sec. A. Grave 229.
Cemetery: CHESTER (BLACON) CEMETERY
Name: ALLISON, WILLIAM JOSEPH
Initials: W J
Nationality: Canadian
Rank: Flight Lieutenant (Air Bomber)
Regiment: Royal Canadian Air Force
Age: 28
Date of Death: 20/11/1944
Service No: J/20861
Additional information: Son of William Earle Allison and Mary Ruth Allison, of Montreal, Province of Quebec. Canada.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Sec. A. Grave 143.
Cemetery: CHESTER (BLACON) CEMETERY
Name: VILLENEUVE, JULES ROBERT RENE
Initials: J R R
Nationality: Canadian
Rank: Sergeant (Nav.)
Regiment: Royal Canadian Air Force
Age: 22
Date of Death: 20/11/1944
Service No: R/199834
Additional information: Son of Jean B. Villeneuve and Clara Villeneuve, of Verdun, Province of Quebec. Canada.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Sec. A. Grave 57.
Cemetery: CHESTER (BLACON) CEMETERY
Name: HAMEL, CHARLES
Initials: C
Nationality: Canadian
Rank: Pilot Officer (Pilot)
Regiment: Royal Canadian Air Force
Age: 21
Date of Death: 20/11/1944
Service No: J/92169
Additional information: Son of Dr. Paul Hamel, and of Bertha Ellen Hamel, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Sec. A. Grave
Cemetery: CHESTER (BLACON) CEMETERY
Flight History: Wales
FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE CRASH WAS FOUND ON ANOTHER SITE AS FOLLOWS:
Aircraft MF509 a Wellington MK10 took off from Stratford-Upon-Avon, satellite airfield to RAF Wellesbourne Mountford ( No22 Operational Training Unit) at 19.26 hours on Nov.20th 1944 for a night cross country navigation training exercise.. Shortly before 20.50 hrs the crew sent a radio message asking permission to go below cloud as they were having trouble with the starboard engine, perhaps due to icing in the carburetor. Permission was granted and as they descended over the mountains of the Brecon Beacons their aircraft flew into the South West slope of Carreg Goch. There is a small memorial at the crash site to honour the crew who died there.
UPDATE:
WE NOW HAVE CONFIRMED INFORMATION ON THE MEN:
left to right, Hamel, Groulx, Burke, Allison, DuSablon, and Villeneuve