511 Squadron Loss 6/10/46

Final Landings confirms Bone and Pritchard as the other two men involved.

For Your Tomorrow vols 2 & 3 have details of the navigator, FO Wilfred Walter Armstrong. He had flown a tour with 75 NZ Squadron with 5 ops on Stirlings and 26 on Lancasters. This was between January and April 1944. This flight was due to have been his last before repatriation to New Zealand.

Rich: Sorry, I’m just an enthusiastic amateur and really just find quite a bit via Google.
All I can say is that after becoming the RAF’s first Long Distance Transport Squadron (the reason they were reactivated so quickly after being disbanded) the Dakota I and III’s they had on strength would have rapidly been taken on by other Squadrons, no doubt in time for Arnhem operations.
There are a wealth of books on the C47 and Dakota, so no doubt someone will point you in the right direction for the best one covering 511 aircraft.
I don’t know of any detailed 511 Sqdn history other than those readily available on the internet.
I’m sure there are also a lot of Forum Pals who could help.
I suggest you start a thread asking for FL517 details and anything on 511.
HNY

511 Sqn

Icare9,

A little off topic, but would does the 511 Sqn history detail the fate of their Dakota fleet when they moved to Liberator / York only operations? I understand this was in July 1944.

My main focus is Dakota 111 FL517, which is shown as having been received on squadron strength on 17/9/43 (with no further details then until March 1946).

Is there a source for obtaining the Sqn history as I’d love to know a little more about this aircrafts use whilst with the unit?

Many thanks

Rich

Thanks to both of you for that information.

By using Geoff Sullivan’s search engine to isolate casualties for the above date who are remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, it seems highly likely that the other two casualties were LAC’s Bone and Pritchard. Their unit is not identified but appears likely to have been 511 Squadron. Googling around the subject reveals that there were 6 crew and 15 passengers in total and that the accident occurred (or the aircraft disappeared) at 1030 am.

Regards,

kev35

Hi, kev35 and HNY
A little extra info from the Squadron History:
When the Liberators were transferred to No 246 Squadron in December 1944, the squadron became solely York equipped. It continued trooping flights to the Middle East and the Far East until disbanding on 7 October 1946. However, nine days later the squadron reformed, again at Lyneham and still equipped with Yorks.
So it potentially could be moving personnel immediately in the period leading up to disbandment, transporting some home.. in which case a tragic accident after the rigours of War.
001 BECKETT FN 3045024 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
002 BOWERMAN RJN 1868711 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
003 CLARKE RC 1810065 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
004 COURTENAY DH 158785 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
005 COWELL D 3040312 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
006 DAVIES MW 3010798 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
007 FLOOD F 3020110 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
008 GRIFFITHS GA 3011462 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
009 JOHNS DJ 202780 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
010 KENDRICK I 1616132 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
011 KIRK R 3011019 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
012 LATHAM JF 3011402 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
013 LEITCH JJ 505185 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL AIR FORCE
014 MCPHERSON CJ 54383 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
015 MURPHY TC 1864387 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
016 SAWKINS L 1313515 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
017 STILWELL RLM 1721897 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
018 WESTBURY WN 1815985 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
001 ARMSTRONG WW 425875 511 SQDN 06/10/1946 ROYAL NEW ZEALAND AIR FORCE
Can’t find any other 511 personnel, perhaps G-ASEA’s book will have further details to make up the 21 lost.

They lost another aircraft on 20th November 1946 near Suez, with all 6 crew being buried there. Looks as if maintenance could have become an issue after losing so many personnel in October.

Hope that is of some help.

Avro York 1 MW125 511sdn about 100 miles west of Penange. 21 killed.
From Final Landings by Colin Cummings.

Dave