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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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RAF Cottesmore
12th September 1941 14 OTU Hampden I P4303 Fl/Sgt. Bartlett

Operation: Training

Date: 12th September 1941 (Friday)

Unit: No. 14 Operational Training Unit. 7 Group

Type: Hampden I

Serial: P4303

Code: GU-?

Base: RAF Cottesmore / Saltby

Location: Over Saltby

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Donald Harry Bartlett 922271 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

Obs: Sgt. Jack Edward Wall NZ/401792 RNZAF Age 19. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt.. Herbert Roy Tuff 1253671 RAFVR Age 30. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Thomas Ian Arthur West 537995 RAF Age 23. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 20:00 hrs . on a night bombing exercise with others.
On return whilst circling the airfield collided at about 22:00 hrs. with Hampden I P1301 flown by Sgt. Overall DFM.

Both crews of 14 OTU were killed in the impact. Details on the other here.

Burial details:

Fl/Sgt. Donald Harry Bartlet, High Wycombe Cemetery. Sec. B.1. Grave 5. Son of Richard Willoughby Bartlett (died on the 23rd August 1979, age 86) and Margaret Alice Bartlett, (née Eccles - married in 1920, also died in 1979, age 86), of High Wycombe, England. Epitaph: 'Killed On Active Service. Deo Regi Vicino (translation: 'nearer to god').

Sgt. Jack Edward Wall. (shown left)) Cottesmore Churchyard Extension (St. Nicholas). Born on the 22nd February 1922 in Hotitika, New Zealand. Educated at Christchurch Technical College. Worked as a farmer on his father's farm in Harihari. Enlisted as a pilot under training in the RNZAF on the 02nd July 1940. Trained at No1 Elementary Flying Training School then to No.1 Flying Training School on the 28th September 1940. Involved in a mid-air collision with a Tiger Moth from No.3 Elementary Flying Training School (no injuries).

Hospital sick leave 13th December -- 02nd January 1941. Pilot wings were awarded on the 30th January 1941 and promoted to sergeant on the 01st March 1941. Embarked for England via Canada on the 'Aorangi' on the 27th March 1941. Joined 14 OTU on the 02nd July 1941 for conversion to the Hampden. A total of 250 hours logged as a pilot.

Son of William (died 01st September 1952 ) and Margaret Emily Wall (née McArthur - died 12th July 1965), of Harihari, South Westland, New Zealand.

Sgt.. Herbert Roy Tuff. Worthing Cemetery (Durrington) Sec. 11. Row 16. Grave 30. Son of Herbert Charles and Beatrice Alice Tuff, of Worthing, Sussex, England..

Sgt. Thomas Ian Arthur West. Drumcliffe Church Of Ireland Churchyard. (St. Columba). Son of Arthur (died 04th November 1963 ) and Amy Elizabeth West (née Smith - died 17th July 1977), of Cashelgarron, Co. Sligo, Ireland.

L-R: Rear; J.G Grant, Bryan Daniel James Kennedy NZ/401768 killed 01-07-1941, P. Souter, J.H Register, Montague James Rowland NZ/,401781 - killed 10-07-1942, B.R.H Sharpe, Gordon Kenneth Williams NZ/401796 .

Centre; James Fraser Barron NZ/401749 - killed 20-05-1944, A.E Lyttle, Keith Campbell Morison Miller NZ/401761 - killed 19-08-1941, James Bayntun Starky NZ/401787, Leicestor Trevor Weston NZ/401795, Jack Edward Wall NZ/401792 -killed 12-09-1941, J.A Ward, Patrick Louis Stokes NZ/401788.

Front; P.P O'Brien, Arthur Keith Emerson MacEwan, William Wood Weir Burgess NZ4/01750, Wallingford Garfield McCullough NZ/401773, Robert Francis Watson N/Z401794, Ronald West Taylor NZ401790 - killed 10-07-1941. (courtesy Air Museum of New Zealand )

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, New Zealand Cenotaph, Weekly News of New Zealand, Air Museum of New Zealand, Museum of Transport and Technology, Auckland, National Archives Kew.

Other sources as quoted below:

KTY 30-01-2025

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and Captain François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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