R.A.F. relic ring

[OKW]

I think Ade is right regarding the letter prefixs for British service personnel but i believe Commonwealth service people did have them, certainly Australian and possibly South African.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi, sorry the records have moved from RAF Innsworth. The base closed last year.

Here is the correct new contact address:

Service records - RAF

Cheers, Ade.

[steve123]

I have just carried out a thorough search of the CWGC web site, and searched for all service personel in the RAF whose first name began with S. There is no records of service no 1196993 beiing listed as a casualty. (Although some very close). However this is assuming that Stan was actually his first name, as alot of people in that era used to use their middle names in preference.

Steve 123

[Steve T]

A very nice artifact. Let's hope you can track this chap down. Good luck with your search.

Steve T

[donnie]

Hi guys,

What about this guy? His name is good for it and his number (one digit different, not uncommon for mistakes in number on the CWGC. i have come across loads) also RAF, correct date. I think this is your chap?

NAME: SERGEANT CORNELIUS STANLEY DREW,
UNIT: 515 Sqdn ROYAL AIRFORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE,
AGE: 29
KILLED IN ACTION: 06/06/1944
SERVICE NUMBER: 1396993
NOK: Son of William Edward and Mary Drew; husband of Elsie Suzanne Drew, of Forest Hill, London.

I will find out where he was shot down and let you no, that will confirm it......
Donnie

[j dubbel]

think you hit the spot there donny
nice resurtch

[donnie]

Hi guys,

Here is what i came up with, tasked to the Belgium Border....i think this is your guy.

5-6 June 1944.

515 Squadron.
Mosquito VI PZ189 3P-
Op: Bomber Support.

Crew.
S/L. W R. Butterfield DFC, MID +
Sgt. C S. Drew +

Took off from Little Snoring at 2300 hrs and headed for the Lille area. Lost without trace. Both are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

[VERSUCH]

Thats a fine bit of research Donnie,well done.
Mike

[OKW]

Whereabouts in Belguim did you find the ring? Lille is on the Franco Belguim border so if thats where the spotie was to somewhere close by would fit. The date its self, the eve before D-Day is interesting, wonder what the task was. I believe there was a German fighter base at Lille perhaps they had to keep a fighter response from happening over the beaches? Possibly a landing decoy pointing towards pas de calais rather than Normandy. Being a mossie and made of wood and such not much would have been left if it had gone in apart from the engines. The ring doesn't appear to be damaged so that might rule out fire or explosion, on the ground or in the air. I think that its the southern part of Belguim that was more pro German, Walloons? and the possibility of a bit of body robbing could have gone on only to be lost later on the way back. If the ring isn't damaged and not lost away from a crash site then one can suppose that this chap and his pilot aren't too far away from where the ring was found. It would be nice if the remains were found and 2 more names struck off Runnymede.

[appie]

Thanks everbody who put time and erfort is this!!
Some great results came up, are surely good information to go on with!
I found the ring in the South of Belgium, near a place called Krombeke when I was searching for wwI stuff with the detector some years ago. That is not very far from Lille, but I wouldn't like to walk it! So I don't know if that's a crash site. There was some other bits and bobs on the field, but nothing I would link to an aircraft, and that region is littered with wwI and wwII stuff.
Many thanx again!