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Operation: Hanau, Germany
Date: 28/29th September 1940 (Saturday/Sunday)
Unit: No. 9 Squadron
Type: Wellington IC
Serial: T2472
Code: WS-G
Base: RAF Honington, Suffolk
Location: Near RAF Honington, Suffolk
Pilot: F/Lt Anthony (Tony) Howard Caldicott Cox. 39502. RAF Age? Killed (1)
2nd Pilot: P/O. Michael Ivor Nichols. 42634. RAF Age 20. Killed (2)
Obs: Sgt. Alexander Niven Macpherson DFM. 742959. RAFVR. Age? Safe (3)
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Hurbert Charles Beckman DFC. 902215. RAFVR. Age? Safe (4)
Air/Gnr: Sgt. A. W. Holmes. Service No? RAFVR. Age? Safe
Air/Gnr: P/O. Cyril Montaque Gamon. 75692. RAF. Injured (5)
If you have any further information on the loss of this aircraft, crew, their relatives and friends than please contact us via the "add info" button at the top of this page
Vickers Wellington IC of No. 9 Squadron (courtesy of the Imperial War Museum) RAF Honington (courtesy American Museum)
Map showing the area of the crash
REASON FOR LOSS:
F/Lt Anthony (Tony) Howard Caldicott Cox and crew took off from RAF Honington at 21.25hrs on an operation to Hanau, Germany. The aircraft was returning to base when it crashed at around 02.50 hrs. No reasons are given for the crash, but it may have run out of fuel or have been hit by flak while over enemy territory
Burial details:
Merstham (St. Katharine) New Churchyard, Surrey and F/Lt Anthony (Tony) Howard Caldicott Cox (courtesy Richard Holdridge)
On Active Service Cox, Anthony Howard Caldicott younger son of Mr C L Cox C.B.E. and Mrs Cox. Surrey Mirror Friday 11 October, 1940 (courtesy British Newspaper archive) Engagement announcement between Anthony Howard Caldicott Cox, RAF and Marie (Pips) Holdridge of Londesborough, York. Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer Saturday 24 December 1938 (courtesy British Newspaper archive)
F/Lt Anthony (Tony) Howard Caldicott Cox. Merstham (St. Katharine) New Churchyard, Surrey. Grave Ref: West of Path. Son of Charles Leslie Cox C.B.E. and Dorothy Ida Caldicott Cox of Anderson House, Redhill, Surrey (1) Tony was granted a Short Service Commission as Acting Pilot Officer as of 8th March 1937 and was posted to No 9 Flying Training Unit on the 20th March 1937. He was then promoted to Flying Officer as of 21st July 1939 and posted to No. 9 Squadron on the 22nd August 1940 from No 11 OTU (Operational Training Unit) Anthony was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on the 3rd September 1940
Honington (All Saints) Churchyard, Suffolk
P/O. Michael Ivor Nichols. Honington (All Saints) Churchyard, Suffolk. Grave Ref: Row A. Grave 15. Husband of Kathleen (Kathie) Margaret Bartlett Nichols of Fawler, Oxfordshire. (2) Born on the 17th May 1920 Michael was granted a Short Service Commission for six years as Acting Pilot Officer on the 2nd September 1939 and was graded as a Pilot Officer as of 24th March 1940
(3) Sgt. Alexander Niven Macpherson DFM. Born in 1919 in St. Leonards, Edinburgh. Awarded the DFM (Distinguished Flying Medal) while serving with No 9 Squadron as per London Gazette 11th February 1941. Appointed as Pilot Officer on probation on the 1st May 1942 with a new serial no 124539. P/O. Macpherson was promoted to the rank of Flying Officer on probation on the 1st November 1942. Promoted to Flight Lieutenant and while serving with No 83 Squadron Alexander lost his life while on an operation to Berlin on the 23rd August 1943. For further details (see Avro Lancaster ED984)
(4) Sgt. Hurbert Charles Beckman DFC was injured when the aircraft crashed and was taken off flying duties for a short time. Hubert was promoted to Fl/Sgt. on the 27th October 1942. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross while serving with No 21 Squadron as per London Gazette 15th June 1943 and then promoted to Flight Lieutenant on the 27th October 1944. Alexander relinquished his Commission on the 27th May 1956 and was granted permission to retain the rank of Flight Lieutenant
(5) P/O. Cyril Montaque Gamon was posted to No 9 Squadron from No 15 OTU (Operational Training Unit) on the 19th July 1940. He was admitted to Suffolk General Hospital, Bury St Edmunds on the 29th August 1940 due to his injuries and returned to temporary duty on 18th November 1940. Posted to No. 218 Squadron on the 25th November 1940. Granted a Commission on the 5th November 1939 as Acting Pilot Officer and on the 17th December 1939 and was graded as a Pilot Officer. Posted to No 9 Squadron on the 19th July 1940 and was promoted to Flying Officer on the 17th January 1941
Researched by: Kate Tame Aircrew Remembered and for all the relatives and friends of the crew. With special thanks to Richard Holdridge, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, W R Chorley - Bomber Command Losses 1939-1940 including Prewar Losses July 1936 - September 1939, London Gazette archives, National Archives Air 27/125 and Air 27/131, Imperial War Museum
KT. Page updated 24.03.2016
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