Alfred K Munnings

[smudgepants]

Hi ya, I am wondering if anyone can help me. I am investigating a story about someone that claims he was a British pilot who crashed in France in  1941 by the name of Alfred K Munnings. According to sources this gentleman he was born in a place called Steeple, Dorset. I have launched a search on another forum concerning his career in the RAF but no one can find any details of him in the armed forces. Can info that anyone could give me would much appreciated.

I almost forgot to mentton That do not have any info conerning parents or date of birth.

Cheers,

Alex. 

[avm228]

Where do you find this claim, and what “sources” for his birthplace are you referring to?

Is he said to have survived the crash, or died in it?  There is no matching CWGC record.

[avm228]

Similar query elsewhere:

http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/info-pilot-alfred-k-munningss-time-in-france.75942/

[smudgepants]

The WW2talk search is mine, I launched it. The problem I have is that as I do not live in the UK there is very little that I can do as far as checking the archives in Kew or down in Dorset. The 'sources' as I put it is a friend of mine who lives in that area. He gave me the original typed document which is reputed to be part of the memoires of Mr Munnings. In it there is talk of the body of a dead pilot in the forest of Lyons. There is some very accurate information concerning locations in the document including a had drawn map.

I am envolved in a project where by we want erect a memorial to honour the crew of an RAF bomber that crashed in the area, three soldiers that died not far and when this document surfaced we decided to see if we could verify this story and see if we can find out the name of the dead pilot. Once we have his name (if ever why find it) it would be added to the memorial which is due to be unveilled on June 29th.

I know some of the people on the WW2 forum have trouble believing this story but as I say the hand drawn map is accurate and can only be done by someone who has been there as it is not common knowledge. I have also other pieces of information that my friend has been able to find about Mr Munning's return visit in 1995 concerning knowledge of at least one plane crash that is not common knowledge yet. This crash is something that I have known about for a few years but there is no information available to tourists.

All I am looking for on this forum is information concerning Mr Munnings, I am looking for something that may prove that he infact excisted. My friend has been to local pubs in the area and asked around and people have said that Mr Munnings was in the forces but they could not say more. 

[smudgepants]

I feel that if I can get information on his birth then I might be able to get other information. Unfortunately I do not know when Alfred Munnings died or where.

[CaroleW]

There is no birth for an Alfred K Munnings in Dorset  and no marriage or death in England,  Scotland or Wales.

There is no Munnings marriage for likely parents in Dorset in a timescale for his birth.  If he served  in WW2 we are looking at a birth from approx 1905 - 1920

Is there any date on the document to give a clue as to when it was written?

[CaroleW]

Is it a definite K for his middle name?   Seems strange he hasn't used his full middle name in some part of the document given they are his memoirs. 

[smudgepants]

Carole, I have had a look again at the document and the name is clearly marked as Alfred K Munnings. It says also that it was compiled in 1995 by Alfred Munnings and his son Gerald.

[CaroleW]

No birth, marriage or death for a Gerald Munnings