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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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coastal command

Operation: Training

Date: 18th January 1943

Unit: 5 Operational Training Unit (Coastal Command)

Type: Hampden TB.I

Serial: P1222

Code: -

Base: RAF Long Kesh, County Down, Northern Ireland

Location: Inner Island Sea off the Isle of Islay, Scotland

Pilot: F/O. John Stevenson Newcomb NZ/413461 RNZAF Age 21. Killed

Obs: F/O. John Albert Cecil Watts 121253 RAFVR Age 30. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Kenneth Frederick Ray R/100210 RCAF Age 30. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. John Munro R/97063 RCAF Age 20. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Whilst carrying out low flying formation practice dropped back from the unit lost height and struck the sea. Timed at 11:30 hrs the Hampden bounced twice and crashed in flames.

Burial details:

F/O. John Stevenson Newcomb. Born on the 27th January 1921. Architectural draughtsman prior to service. Oban Cemetery (Pennyfuir). Sec. I. Grave 14. Son of Reginald Sydney and Dorothy Alice Newcomb, of Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand. His brother 20 year old, F/O. Robert Clayton Newcomb went missing on the 04th October 1943.

F/O. John Albert Cecil Watts. Paignton Cemetery. Cons. Sec. Grave 4919. Husband of Gladys Mabel Watts, of Hendon, Middlesex. Grave inscription: 'In Ever-Loving Memory Of My Dear Husband'John

Sgt. Kenneth Frederick Ray. Oban Cemetery (Pennyfuir). Sec. I. Grave 12. Son of Fredrick and Margaret Ra and husband of Anne Ray, of Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada.

Ray Peninsula on Dobbs Lake was named after him in 1995.

Fl/Sgt. John Munro. Oban Cemetery (Pennyfuir). Sec. I. Grave 13. Son of Neil and Cecilia Munro, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Grave inscription: 'Dearly Beloved Son Of Cecilia And Neil Munro. Living In The Hearts Of All Who Knew Him'.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Jenifer Lemaire and to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland Library Heritage Collection, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:

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Acknowledgements
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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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