British two seater loss 15 sept. 1917

[Regulus]

Hi,

Were trying to identify two unknown's burried on the cemetery at Bovekerke. Their RFC plane came down in this area on the 15th of september 1917.
With the today's knowledge of the war, it is perhaps possible to identify those two unknown's and to let the CWGC know about it. Any Ideas ?

VBR from Regulus

[Graeme]

11 Sqn lost an FE2b north east of Friese, 2nd Lts Frank Edwin Hollingsworth and Henry Maurice Watkins Wells being killed.

70 Sqn lost a Strutter in the Bapaume - Cambrai area, Capt Guy Lindsay Cruikshank DSO MC and Lt Rudolph Arthur Preston both killed.

Graeme

[Frank_Olynyk]

Graeme,
Both of those losses are in 1916, not 1917.
For 1917, Hobson lists:
One RNAS loss on Sept 15, 1917, pilot of a Camel which crashed the previous day. Buried in France, anyway.
None of the RFC losses this date match. Either single seaters, or two seaters in which one crewman survived, or one case of a DH4 loss with both crew noted as buried in France.
So not RFC. Or, not 1917. 1918? Nope, all such losses are single seaters, or the crews are all noted as buried in France.

So, either wrong date, or wrong service.

Frank.

[Regulus]

Hi Frank and Graeme,

I remember that there was said that the plane was found on that date. So it could have gone down one or two days earlier, before being discovered.
Could that change anything to the matter ?

VBR from Regulus

[Graeme]

Apologies to one and all - my mother's health has been giving cause for concern and my mind must have been elsewhere.

55 Sqn lost DH4 A2130 on 15 September 1917 with Lt E E F Loyd and Lt T G Deason being taken prisoner.

Other two-seaters were lost in the preceeding few days- a couple of RE8s and a Strutter - but we'd need to try and sort out where these went down with relation to where the crew was buried. I'll see what I can do.

Graeme

[Regulus]

Thanks Graeme,

It would be wonderfull if we could find out what happened with this crew and who they are. It is a story that keeps haunting me a little bit since years.
I recently found a number of burrials at Zuydcoote cemetery that I have to sort out also. Some totally unknown names on first sight. I will dig a little further and if it is the case that some of these losses are unknown, I'll bring them on the forum.
And hey, family is indeed important. My mother's been in the hospital for the last nine and a half months and still has about two more months in revalidation. I have to take care of my father and mother in times. They are in their late seventies.

VBR from Regulus

[Graeme]

Regulus

You have my sympathies. My mother will 80 later this year and is now suffering problems with blocked arteries in both legs. She has recently had an arteriogram but the specialist who could interpret the pictures has gone on holiday so we have to wait until next week to find out what the "cure" will be. At worst it will be amputation of on or both legs, not a pleasant thought.

As my sister lives in Scotland and is 500 miles away, a lot of my time has been taken up keeping her informed of progress (or lack of progress) and my "hobby" has had to take a back seat.

I hope that next week we will receive good news and I can get "back to work".

Have you been able to confirm 15 September 1917 as the date on which the RFC crew was lost? If not, I will extend my search back for about a week and see what I can come up with.

VBR Graeme

[Regulus]

Graeme,

Let's hope for the best with your mother. I very well understand the problem as I told you. Don't have any brothers or sisters at all, so seems quite the same situation as mine, as your sister lives so far away.
Was at the Olympia for the London Book Fair this week. In a hurry because of the situation at the home front.

Don't know if the date (15 september 1917) is correct. Could be a few days wrong, 1 or 2, but seems that it also could be the year ! 1918 remains possible it seems, although not a big chance. Sources are contradicting. Don't know what to think about it. Will also keep looking if I can find any possibilities.
Seems that in 1918 a HP crashed overthere or got in trouble. See TSTB from henshaw. But if correct can't correspond neither. Quite a jigsaw !
My sources also said that the plane may have crashed in the evening, night or early morning. So could also have been a day later, but still don't find anything worth mentioning in that case. And question is if sources are correct. It is hearing what once was said if I did hear it correct... ??? ??? ???

Best regards from Regulus

[Regulus]

Hi,

Just an idea to relaunch this one again and to see if anyone has anymore ideas on the matter, I'm totally without them, haven't got a clue at all.
Plane from another nationality ?
Any ideas at all ?

Thanks and best from Johan