EVIDENCE, ANECDOTES, and RELATED FINDINGS ON: the 26
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EVIDENCE, ANECDOTES, AND RELATED FINDINGS ON: The 26 July 1945 Aerial Collision Between Two R.A.F. Liberators, EW225 and EW247, and the Burials of the Fourteen Airmen Who Died (photo courtesy of Clark Day) Researched/Compiled by Matt Poole, with special thanks to Patricia Lanegan, Yvonne Colebatch, George Geeson, and Ron Bramley Matthew J. Poole 12307 Middle Road Wheaton, MD 20906 USA Tel: 301-933-1727 E-mail: [email protected] VERSION 6, 27 November 2008 Matthew J. Poole 12307 Middle Road Wheaton, MD 20906 USA Tel: 301-933-1727 E-mail: [email protected] VERSION 6, 27 November 2008 EVIDENCE, ANECDOTES, AND RELATED FINDINGS ON: The 26 July 1945 Aerial Collision Between Two R.A.F. Liberators, EW225 and EW247, and the Burials of the Fourteen Airmen Who Died Researched/Compiled by Matt Poole, with special thanks to Patricia Lanegan, Yvonne Colebatch, George Geeson, and Ron Bramley Table of Contents PART ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.A. Connecting the past to the present: my links to 26 July 1945 1.B. Historical overview: 26 July 1945 and the graves of the fallen airmen PART TWO: BASIC DETAILS ON THE AIRMEN WHO DIED AND THEIR NEXT-OF-KIN 2.A. The crew of Consolidated B-24 Liberator EW225 2.B. The crew of Consolidated B-24 Liberator EW247 PART THREE: EVIDENCE OF THE COLLISION, FROM OFFICIAL RECORDS, EYEWITNESSES, AND OTHER AIR FORCE PERSONNEL 3.A. Excerpt of 31 October 1985 letter sent to Yvonne Colebatch, daughter of Peter Ettlinger, by the UK Ministry of Defence, Air Historical Branch 3.B. Transcript of the official accident report sent to Yvonne Colebatch, daughter of Peter Ettlinger, by the UK Ministry of Defence, Air Historical Branch, in a letter dated 16 June 1995 3.C. Excerpt of 28 July 1945 letter to Patricia Heynert, widow of S/Ldr Felix Heynert, from G/Capt D. R. Biggs, Officer Commanding, RAF Station Amarda Road at the time of the accident 3.D. Excerpt of 10 September 1945 letter to Patricia Heynert, widow of S/Ldr Felix Heynert, from S/Ldr Stanley G. Bennett, Padre of RAF Station Amarda Road 3.E. Excerpts of logbook and diary entries made by 26 July 1945 Liberator flight participant Ron Bramley, Gunnery Leader’s Course Instructor at Air Fighting Training Unit, Amarda Road 3.F. 1998 printed book recollection of the collision, and of meeting Yvonne Colebatch, daughter of Peter Ettlinger, from 26 July 1945 Liberator flight participant Tom Winup 3.G. 29 September 2000 recollection of the collision from 26 July 1945 Liberator flight participant Tom Winup, in letter to George Smith, ex-South East Asia Command Liberator veteran 1 3.H. Excerpts of 2 November and 12 December 1998 letters to Matt Poole, from F.B. Murray, Electrical Engineering Officer at RAF Station Amarda Road at the time of the collision 3.I. Excerpts of 1998 letters to Matt Poole and Yvonne Colebatch, daughter of Peter Ettlinger, from Robin Brown, student in the Air Fighting Training Unit’s Fighter Leaders’ Course at Amarda Road at the time of the crash 3.J. Excerpt of 1 November 1998 letter to Matt Poole from Kenneth King, ex-RAF, who helped to bury remains of the airmen and to erect memorial crosses at the site 3.K. Excerpt of the 1947 biographical summary of Pilot Officer Raymond Maurice Bullen DFC, held in the archives of the New Zealand Defence Force 3.L. Excerpt of the 159 Squadron’s July 1945 Monthly Report (RAF Form 540) PART FOUR: EVIDENCE OF THE COLLISION, AS ATTRIBUTED TO THE NEXT-OF-KIN OF THE VICTIMS 4.A. Excerpt of 17 January 1946 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from Edna Bullen, sister of Ray Bullen 4.B. Excerpt of 20 March 1946 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from Margaret Smith, widow of Peter Smith 4.C. Excerpt of 21 November 1945 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from Patricia Heynert, widow of Felix Heynert 4.D. Excerpt of 18 November 1945 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from Derrick Herbert, brother of Alfred Herbert 4.E. Excerpt of 16 November 1945 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from Lilian Ettlinger, widow of Peter Ettlinger 4.F. Excerpt of 11 December 1945 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from Clara Herbert, mother of Alfred Herbert PART FIVE: EVIDENCE OF THE SEARCH AND RECOVERY EFFORTS AT THE CRASH SITE, PLUS ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE OF THE MOVE OF REMAINS TO MADRAS WAR CEMETERY 5.A. Excerpts of logbook and diary entries made by 26 July 1945 Liberator flight participant Ron Bramley, Gunnery Leader’s Course Instructor at Air Fighting Training Unit, Amarda Road 5.B. Excerpt of 28 July 1945 letter to Patricia Heynert, widow of S/Ldr Felix Heynert, from G/Capt D. R. Biggs, Officer Commanding, RAF Station Amarda Road at the time of the accident 5.C. Excerpt of 10 September 1945 letter to Patricia Heynert, widow of S/Ldr Felix Heynert, from S/Ldr Stanley G. Bennett, Padre of RAF Station Amarda Road 5.D. Excerpt of 24 September 1945 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from G/Capt D. R. Biggs, Officer Commanding, RAF Station Amarda Road at the time of the accident 5.E. Excerpt of 4 October 1945 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from W/Cdr Paul Louis, successor to G/Capt D. R. Biggs as Officer Commanding, RAF Station Amarda Road 5.F. Excerpt of 31 October 1985 letter sent to Yvonne Colebatch, daughter of Peter Ettlinger, by the UK Ministry of Defence, Air Historical Branch 2 5.G. 29 September 2000 recollection of the collision from 26 July 1945 Liberator flight participant Tom Winup, in letter to George Smith, ex-South East Asia Command Liberator veteran 5.H. Excerpt of 2 November 1998 letter to Matt Poole, from F.B. Murray, Electrical Engineering Officer at RAF Station Amarda Road at the time of the collision 5.I. Excerpt of 22 October 1998 letter to Matt Poole from S/Ldr Edward Hearn DFC, instructor at RAF Station Amarda Road 5.J. Excerpt of 20 March 1946 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from Margaret Smith, widow of Peter Smith 5.K. Excerpt of 2 December 1945 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from Lilian Ettlinger, widow of Peter Ettlinger 5.L. Excerpt of the 1947 biographical summary of Pilot Officer Raymond Maurice BULLEN DFC, held in the archives of the New Zealand Defence Force 5.M. Excerpt of 17 January 1946 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from Edna Bullen, sister of Ray Bullen 5.N. 1998 and 2002 recollections shared with Matt Poole (via letters and phone conversations) by Kenneth King, ex-RAF, who helped to bury remains of the airmen and to erect memorial crosses at the site 5.O. 18 August 1948 letter to Edna Bullen, sister of Ray Bullen, from Air Department, New Zealand; sent in her 14 March 1949 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson PART SIX: EXPANDED DETAILS PERTAINING TO CYRIL GEESON AND HIS FAMILY 6.A. 1998 and 2002 details shared with Matt Poole by George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson 6.B. 24 September 1945 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from G/Capt D. R. Biggs, Officer Commanding, RAF Station Amarda Road at the time of the accident 6.C. 4 October 1945 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from W/Cdr Paul Louis, successor to G/Capt D. R. Biggs as Officer Commanding, RAF Station Amarda Road 6.D. Excerpt of 29 July 1945 letter to Cyril Geeson’s parents, from Cyril’s friend John Rosewall in India 6.E. Excerpt of 27 August 1945 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from Cyril’s friend John Rosewall in India 6.F. Excerpt of 26 October 1945 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from Cyril’s friend John Rosewall in India 6.G. Excerpt of 8 January 1946 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from Cyril’s friend John Rosewall in India 6.H. 8 November 1945 letter to George Geeson Sr, father of Cyril Geeson, from British Air Ministry, London 6.I. 22 January 1946 letter to George Geeson Sr, father of Cyril Geeson, from S/Ldr [unclear]-Lindop, RAF Benevolent Fund 6.J. Excerpts of 27 October and 24 November 1998 letters to Matt Poole from Tom Scott, former crewmate of Cyril Geeson 6.K. Excerpts of various 1944 / 1945 letter from Cyril Geeson to his brother George 3 6.L. An undated (likely 1945) list of 26 July 1945 casualties and next-of-kin names and addresses, sent to the family of Cyril Geeson by an unknown source PART SEVEN: EXPANDED DETAILS PERTAINING TO ARNIE BRIDGMAN AND HIS FAMILY 7.A. 20 November 1945 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from Marjorie Bridgman, widow of Arnie Bridgman 7.B. 15 January 1946 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from Marjorie Bridgman, widow of Arnie Bridgman 7.C. 1 March 1946 letter to George Geeson, brother of Cyril Geeson, from Marjorie Bridgman, widow of Arnie Bridgman 7.D. 22 June 1998 letter to Matt Poole from Carol Bridgman, whose husband, Lewis Kim Bridgman, is the nephew of Lewis Arnold “Arnie” Bridgman 7.E. A strange premonition of danger, experienced by Bill Kirkness, the best mate of Arnie Bridgman, as told to Matt Poole in 1991 PART EIGHT: EXPANDED DETAILS PERTAINING TO RAY BULLEN AND HIS FAMILY 8.A.