The following was emailed to me this weekend:
Dear Sir
Can you help please?
My uncle, who is in his eighties, is researching his family tree and part of his recent research is a story regarding his cousin, Frederick Warren. Fred was killed in an accident on 6 April 1943 when, as the story goes he was a sergeant training as an RAF gunner in the volunteer reserves and his ‘flying classroom’ lost a wing and crashed killing all on board. He is buried at Driffied, so we can only assume he was attached to the RAF base there.
We have tried the National Archives but are told that operational records are in squadron order, and that information we do not have. His service number was 1315426
I would appreciate any information you may have on the accident or any contacts I may be able to try.
Many thanks
John Lawrence
Taunton
Somerset
Hope you can help? I’ve pointed John Lawrence in the direction of this Forum.
All I know is that at the time Driffield was closed to flying while they build three concrete runways.
By: Phillip Rhodes - 14th December 2005 at 17:47
F.A.B.
Do mention to him that surviving relatives can obtain a colour photocopy of his service record from the RAF at
PMA IM1b(RAF)
Room 5
Building 248A
RAF Personnel Management Agency
RAF Innsworth
Gloucester GL3 1EZCosts £30, but worth every penny to see the actual hand-written record form from the time.
Moggy
By: Moggy C - 14th December 2005 at 17:44
Do mention to him that surviving relatives can obtain a colour photocopy of his service record from the RAF at
PMA IM1b(RAF)
Room 5
Building 248A
RAF Personnel Management Agency
RAF Innsworth
Gloucester GL3 1EZ
Costs £30, but worth every penny to see the actual hand-written record form from the time.
Moggy
By: Phillip Rhodes - 14th December 2005 at 17:23
Received the following from John Lawrence, who originally emailed me regarding the above topic
Dear Phillip
Thank you so very much for the information. My uncle was delighted and also sends his thanks to you. He can now enter it into his family history as fact. He did manage a trip to Yorkshire in the summer and took a photograph of the grave but thank you very much for the offer.
Could you also pass on our thanks to Stig Jarlevick please. I tried through the forum but could not access his e-mail and he was off line at the time.
I cannot express how pleased we all were to get this information and for the kindness of all involved.
Many thanks
John Lawrence
By: archieraf - 13th December 2005 at 14:56
You can also visit the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website here http://www.cwgc.org/cwgcinternet/search.aspx and conduct a search to identify where the airmen onboard were from and where they are buried.
By: Stig Jarlevik - 12th December 2005 at 19:57
Sgt F H Warren
Dear Phillip
On April 6th at 10.30, Halifax V DG413 code C of 1663HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit) took off on a training flight from Rufforth for a so called fighter affiliation flight. The crew consisted of one instructor, two trainee pilots, flight engineer, air bomber, wireless operator, five air gunners and a member of the ground staff. Roughly 25 minutes into the excercise, and while turning steeply at 6000 feet, the starboard wing came off, outboard of the inner engine. Totally out of control the Halifax dived steeply towards the ground and crashed at Hutton Cranswick, some 4 miles south of Great Driffield, Yorkshire. All onboard loosing their lifes
Those killed in the accident were
P/O S G RAWLING
Sgt R BROUGH
Sgt R J TARREN
Sgt P A TINCH
Sgt V C BURT
Sgt C P SHEPPARD
Sgt D J REES
Sgt T R LAWRENCE
Sgt H W O´CONNOR
Sgt F H WARREN
P/O R E JEFFREY
AC2 D W CRESSWELL
Source: Bomber Command Losses Vol 8 by W R Chorley
Best Regards
Stig Jarlevik
Gothenburg, Sweden
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December 12, 2005 at 2:43 pm