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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: asilky on Monday 02 May 11 05:34 BST (UK)
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Hi All
I am looking for a clip from March 1945 London newspaper on a collision of two Spitfires .
Lawrence William Marshall was killed after receiving Distiguished Flying Cross for his roll as a pilot in a bomber on many raids.I know this is a big ask but would anyone have access to the old newspapers.
Lawrence was killed 20th March
thank you Silky..
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Hi Silky
where did this air accident happen?
Dawn
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Hi
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission states he is buried in Cambridge cemetery.
Regards
Valda
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Hi Dawn and Valda
thank you I do know where he is buried and I think he died somewhere around London area where
he was learning to pilot Spitefires
I was hoping to find something on the accident he was to come home to Australia not long after his lessons .The Canberra archives have nothing about the accident as far as I know I have his record of bomber Pilot.
thanks Silky
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Hi
Cambridge and central London are about 54 miles apart so it depends what you mean by somewhere around the London area. Was he stationed in the Cambridge area?
This would be war time so there would be some element of censorship being applied to newspapers so far less detail, and with so much else going on a London national newspaper may very well not have reported it.
The Rootschat Armed Forces board may be able to help.
Would you like me to move your post to that board?
Regards
Valda
co-moderator London and Middlesex
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Hi Valda
yes you can move it for me ..I did think that it may have been secret information not for publication as his family were told nothing.
I think he would have been at wherever the airforce base was near London It could have been near Cambridge.His death war record just says killed London.His death was caused by the clipping of wings
of another plane and I think the other pilot may have been killed as well but not sure it is what I am trying to find out just what happened .
thank you silky
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Have you obtained a copy of his service record? If yes, does it give details of his squadron or other relevant information?
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/NameSearch/Interface/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=5261639
Nigel
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sorry everyone spelling his name wrong it is Laurence not lawrence
silky
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Hi
in his records is a picture of him with the English football team when they beat France he is sitting in middle first row.A very handsome guy what a waste.
silky
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If he was with 1653CU he was probably flying a Spitfire Vb. I believe 1653CU moved to RAF North Luffenham (Rutland) in December 1944.
Nigel
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Thank you Nigel
for the information.
silky
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The aircraft in question was Spitfire AR395. The other aircraft was not a Spitfire but a Dominie (NF889), with all 6 of its crew also being killed.
A couple of links with details for you:
https://www.awm.gov.au/catalogue/research_centre/pdf/rc09125z023_1.pdf
(page 156)
http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/dh89.pdf
K
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20th March - Spitfire 5B AR395 1653 HCU - Location: Witham on the hill - Airborne from North Luffenham for fighter affiliation exercise. Collided after breaking off an attack run on a Lancaster at 1107 at 5000ft with Dominie NF889 from Cranwell, F/O L.W. Marshall DFC RAAF KIA.
20th March - Dominie NF889 1 RS - Location: Witham on the hill - Airborne from Cranwell on a training sortie, collided 1107 with AR395. F/S C.S. Jones KIA, W/O W.E.Durber KIA, AC2 H.Price KIA, AC2 C.J. Russell KIA, AC2 F. Salkead KIA, AC2 G.H. Sargent KIA.
http://www.bcar.org.uk/1945.html
Nigel
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Hi Nigel
thank you so much for all you have found for me .Laurie is my cousin :)
always a sadness in the family of this accident,brought back each Anzac Day.
silky
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Hi Kyt
Thank you for your help :D I cannot print that page off or save it is there a way?
???Silky.