RAF loss - Tunesia

[Stijn David]

Hello,

I am currently looking afte rinformation (confirmation) of a following RAF - loss from Tunesia.

24.11.1942 - a spitfire crashed near Mateur (Tunesia). The pilot should have been a certain officer named Gibbons.

Can this be confirmed? Iff so what was his rank, unit, etc....

Cordial greetings and thanks in advance,

[leigh kitchen]

The only Gibbon's of the air force listed on the Cmmonwealth War Graves Commisssion site:

1 GIBBONS , ARTHUR HENRY

Sergeant 1202136 24/09/1942 29 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve United Kingdom Sec. G.13. Grave 40514. CHINGFORD MOUNT CEMETERY

2 GIBBONS , ANTHONY JAMES

Flight Sergeant R/124889 31/07/1943 22 Royal Canadian Air Force Canadian Panel 181. RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

3 GIBBONS , ARTHUR LEONARD

Pilot Officer 415245 28/07/1943 21 Royal Australian Air Force Australian Grave 104. TERSCHELLING (WEST-TERSCHELLING) GENERAL CEMETERY

4 GIBBONS , ALFRED NORMAN

Sergeant 617297 30/07/1943 23 Royal Air Force United Kingdom 14. E. 11. BECKLINGEN WAR CEMETERY

5 GIBBONS , BERNARD

Sergeant 1625259 09/04/1945 21 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve United Kingdom N.E. of Church. NORTON (ST. NICHOLAS) CHURCHYARD

6 GIBBONS , CYRIL

Flight Sergeant 1393405 18/10/1943 Unknown Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve United Kingdom Coll. grave 16. K. 7-13. HANOVER WAR CEMETERY

7 GIBBONS , CYRIL GEORGE

Aircraftman 2nd Class 1400709 14/07/1943 21 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve United Kingdom 8. D. 61. KANCHANABURI WAR CEMETERY

8 GIBBONS , DEREK ARTHUR LESLIE

Corporal 624374 03/03/1945 23 Royal Air Force United Kingdom Column 452. SINGAPORE MEMORIAL

9 GIBBONS , DAVID JAMES

Leading Aircraftman 1274803 05/05/1945 22 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve United Kingdom 9. M. 11. RANCHI WAR CEMETERY

10 GIBBONS , ERNEST

Flight Lieutenant 124398 29/12/1944 30 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve United Kingdom Panel 202. RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

11 GIBBONS , FRANCIS EARL

Flight Sergeant R/61613 10/08/1942 Unknown Royal Canadian Air Force Canadian Plot JJ. Grave 111. EINDHOVEN (WOENSEL) GENERAL CEMETERY

12 GIBBONS , GEORGE JAMES ARTHUR

Aircraftman 2nd Class 1725753 04/10/1942 Unknown Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve United Kingdom Sec. E. Grave 47. OXFORD (HEADINGTON) CEMETERY

13 GIBBONS , HENRY

Corporal 628906 30/06/1942 Unknown Royal Air Force United Kingdom XXXIII. C. 14. EL ALAMEIN WAR CEMETERY

14 GIBBONS , HENRY JAMES

Sergeant 948393 16/03/1942 20 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve United Kingdom Old ground. Grave 213. NEWPORT (CHRISTCHURCH) CEMETERY

15 GIBBONS , HOWARD PLAISTOWE

Flight Lieutenant 131023 01/01/1945 24 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve United Kingdom Plot KK. Grave 254. EINDHOVEN (WOENSEL) GENERAL CEMETERY

16 GIBBONS , ISAAC

Sergeant 1591213 01/06/1945 19 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve United Kingdom Panel 4. Column 2. OTTAWA MEMORIAL

17 GIBBONS , JAMES

Leading Aircraftman 619512 15/04/1945 24 Royal Air Force United Kingdom 8. G. 4. BASRA WAR CEMETERY

18 GIBBONS , JAMES ALBERT

Flight Sergeant 627801 28/10/1942 21 Royal Air Force United Kingdom 7. C. 1. SUDA BAY WAR CEMETERY

19 GIBBONS , JAMES DAVID

Pilot Officer J/95299 16/01/1945 Unknown Royal Canadian Air Force Canadian Coll. grave 14. Z. 2-7. BERLIN 1939-1945 WAR CEMETERY

20 GIBBONS , JAMES REGINALD

Flight Sergeant R/91886 19/09/1942 24 Royal Canadian Air Force Canadian Sec. P. Grave 304. NEWARK-UPON-TRENT CEMETERY

21 GIBBONS , JOHN ROBERT

Flight Sergeant 206828 14/01/1943 Unknown South African Air Force South African Column 278. ALAMEIN MEMORIAL

22 GIBBONS , JACK ROBERT

Sergeant 932795 05/09/1944 30 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve United Kingdom North part. MOTCOMBE (ST. MARY) CHURCHYARD AND EXTENSION

23 GIBBONS , JAMES WALTER

Pilot Officer J/85819 20/02/1944 32 Royal Canadian Air Force Canadian 8. E. 18. BERLIN 1939-1945 WAR CEMETERY

24 GIBBONS , MICHAEL GERRARD

Sergeant 1500187 26/02/1943 24 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve United Kingdom Coll. grave 4. C. 2-20. RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY

25 GIBBONS , NOEL JAMES

Flight Lieutenant J/12273 22/10/1944 29 Royal Canadian Air Force Canadian 1. G. 9. CHOLOY WAR CEMETERY

26 GIBBONS , ROY SAMUEL

Flight Sergeant 915751 06/09/1942 22 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve United Kingdom Panel 3, Column 1. MALTA MEMORIAL

27 GIBBONS , ROBERT STEPHEN

Leading Aircraftman 1383068 18/06/1945 23 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve United Kingdom III. A. 6. UDINE WAR CEMETERY

28 GIBBONS , SAMUEL

Corporal 508978 18/03/1943 34 Royal Air Force United Kingdom Plot O. Row G. Grave 33. CALCUTTA (BHOWANIPORE) CEMETERY, KOLKATA

29 GIBBONS , THOMAS

Flight Sergeant R/79804 02/07/1942 28 Royal Canadian Air Force Canadian 5. A. 3. SAGE WAR CEMETERY

30 GIBBONS , THOMAS HENRY

Leading Aircraftman 1717400 23/01/1945 20 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve United Kingdom Sec. K. Grave 23474. (Screen Wall. Panel 6). ISLINGTON CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM

31 GIBBONS , WILLIAM

Aircraftman 2nd Class 2202933 17/04/1944 Unknown Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve United Kingdom Grave 53. REIGATE (REDSTONE) CEMETERY

32 GIBBONS , WALTER COLLIN

Corporal 909464 06/01/1945 Unknown Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve United Kingdom Plot 4. Row I. Grave 1. YABA CEMETERY

33 GIBBONS , WILLIAM JOHN PATRICK

Warrant Officer 636380 29/08/1943 23 Royal Air Force United Kingdom East Part. ELSTREE (ST. NICHOLAS) CHURCHYARD

34 GIBBONS , WILFRED NIXON

Corporal 414770 15/07/1943 22 Royal New Zealand Air Force New Zealand Prot. Soldiers Area A, Row 4, Grave 22. AUCKLAND (WAIKUMETE) CEMETERY

[leigh kitchen]

Does this man seem closest?

14 Squadron were'nt flying Spitfres though.

Name: GIBBONS, HENRY

Initials: H

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Corporal

Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force

Unit Text: 14 Sqdn.

Date of Death: 30/06/1942

Service No: 628906

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: XXXIII. C. 14.

Cemetery: EL ALAMEIN WAR CEMETERY

ALAMEIN WAR CEMETERY contains the graves of men who died at all stages of the Western Desert campaigns, brought in from a wide area, but especially those who died in the Battle of El Alamein at the end of October 1942 and in the period immediately before that. The cemetery now contains 7,240 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, of which 815 are unidentified. There are also 102 war graves of other nationalities. The ALAMEIN CREMATION MEMORIAL, which stands in the south-eastern part of El Alamein War Cemetery, commemorates more than 600 men whose remains were cremated in Egypt and Libya during the war, in accordance with their faith. The entrance to the cemetery is formed by the ALAMEIN MEMORIAL. The Land Forces panels commemorate more than 8,500 soldiers of the Commonwealth who died in the campaigns in Egypt and Libya, and in the operations of the Eighth Army in Tunisia up to 19 February 1943, who have no known grave. It also commemorates those who served and died in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Persia. The Air Forces panels commemorate more than 3,000 airmen of the Commonwealth who died in the campaigns in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Greece, Crete and the Aegean, Ethiopia, Eritrea and the Somalilands, the Sudan, East Africa, Aden and Madagascar, who have no known grave. Those who served with the Rhodesian and South African Air Training Scheme and have no known grave are also commemorated here. The cemetery was designed by Sir Hubert Worthington.

[Stijn David]

Hello Leigh,

Thank you very much for your research and information. I don't think however that the person i am referring towards is the soldier from your last post. This for the simple reason the period is not correct.

Why do i think this way? I have the information from a German soldier (former glider) who was in Tunesia at the time. He did write this down. The trouble with such things is => is he remembering correctly? How did he know the englisch (or better allied) pilot his name was Gibbons?

He did write down the following:

" 24.11.1942: Eine Me 109 wird im Tiefflug von einer "Spitfire" verfolgt. Die (Me 109) Zog plötzlich hoch - der Engländer übersah dabei einen Windenmotor, streifte - und stürtzte ab. Der Pilot, Leutnant Gibbons war sofort tot. Wir beerdigten ihn - und errichteten auf dem grab ein Holzkreuz mit dem namen. "

So the loss of a RAF plane needs to be searched arround that date, more specifyed place: Near Mateur.

Any possibility in checking iff there where RAF planes missing on that date?

Cordial greetings,

[leigh kitchen]

So it looks like the pilot was killed?

In which case he sholud be in the list above, if a Commonwealth serviceman.

RAF losses are'nt my thing, but I'm making some enquiries......

Edited November 8, 2009 by leigh kitchen

[leigh kitchen]

I'm told that the place to ask is at the Ministry of Defence Air Historical Branch, their e-mail address is:

ahb.raf@btconnect.com

Web site:

Ministry of Defence Air Historical Branch

[leigh kitchen]

Ah, I see you've found hm then.

[Stijn David]

Ah, I see you've found hm then.

Hello Leigh,

Yes, it seems that we have found the most clossest suspect. I do say suspect as the name was a bit different + the day the crash was vieuwed was 2 days later then found in the account of the gldier veteran.

The loss recorded is:

26.11.1942 - Flying/Officer Gibbin L/C - Hurricane from 225 ths Squadron

THe name is quite near what was written down, the period also etc.... (othe rtype of airplane however) but we can assume IMHO that the crash of this soldier was vieuwed by the Barenthin guys and they burried this pilot.

Cordial greetings,