2nd Lt. Ernest Thubron Dunford R.F.C.

[sandyford]

2nd Lt. Ernest Thubron Dunford

R.F.C.

12th Squadron

Secondary Unit - General List

Age 24

D of Death - 23/04/1917

Cemetery - Douai Communal Cemetery

D 12

Many questions about this record.

Where was 12th Squadron based?

As he was from the General List, would this be a temporary attachment?

CWGC states that Douai Communal Cem. is 24 kilometers N of Arras and was in German hands from the end of 1914.

Prisoners of War are buried/commemorated here as well as German soldiers.

D 12 seems to be a memorial or multiple burial.

Might 2nd Lt. Dunford have come down in his plane, been captured and died immediately, as he doesn't seem to have gone to a camp?

2nd Lt. Dunford also appears on the Canadian Virtual memorial and on the Buckinghamshire Memorial Site. Would this mean that he was with Canadian Forces.?

Do these squadrons have War Diaries?

I have no experience of researching R. F. C. men and would really like any good links to sites with information.

Kate

[Terry Denham]

2/Lt Dunford died on 23.04.17 of wounds received on 11.04.17 in the crash of B.E.2d serial no. 5851. His crewman, Cpl George Stewart was killed in the crash.

Dunford came from Newcastle-upon-Tyne

'Airmen Died' gives his squadron as 13 Sqdn.

[sandyford]

Terry

Thank you so much. That is such a valuable piece of information and such a speedy response.

Is it from Airmen Died and is that similar to SDGW?

Where can I find out about BE 2d 5851?

After posting my original questions tonight, it occurred to me that perhaps he had emigrated to Canada at some point.

Sure enough his attestation papers were on the Canadian Archive site.

Kate

[Terry Denham]

Kate

The info comes from the book 'Airmen Died in the Great War' by Chris Hobson (published by J.B.Hayward & Son ISBN 0 903754 45 2 - 446pp).

It contains masses of information on all RNAS/RFC/RAF/AFC/WRAF casualties 1914-18. It gives their basic details and usually information on their cause of death (including from illness/accident etc) - listed both alphabetically by name and by date of death. Plus lots of other information.

The information is a combination of CWGC data and information from RAF Museum etc.

Very worthwhile for anyone interested in the air war.

I don't have the specific history of 5851 to hand (maybe Dolphin can help?).

[Dolphin]

Kate

BE 2d 5851 was built under contract by the British and Colonial Aircraft Company Ltd (later called Bristol). It was a modified version of the earlier, and more common, BE 2c with a large gravity fuel tank under the upper wing.

A photograph of a BE 2d is below.

On 11 April 1917 BE 2d 5851 of No 13 Sqn RFC, flown by 2Lt E T Durnford and Cpl G Stewart left Savy at 0845 on an Artillery Observation mission on the XVII Corps front. At 1020 (German time) Ltn Hans Klein of Jasta 4 was credited with shooting down a 'BE' over Biache. 5851 was the 4th of his eventual 22 victories; he survived the War and became a Major-General, and Deputy Commander of Fighters, in the Luftwaffe before dying on 18 November 1944.

I hope this helps.

Gareth

[sandyford]

Gareth & Terry

Absolutely unbelievable information.

Thank you so much.

I am trying to find out about this officer for a friend of mine who is a descendant of this family - not direct, because I think from 2nd Lt. Dunford's attestation papers he was a single man.

Terry - Thanks for the book details.

Kate