Date: 25th February 1943
Unit: No. 19 O.T.U. "D" Flight (Operational Training Unit)
Type: Whitley V
Serial: LA826
Code: ZV-B
Base: R.A.F. Forres
Location: Near airfield
Pilot: Sgt. Arnold William Rowell 1149033 R.A.F.V.R. Age 31. Killed
Nav: P/O. Melvyn Frederick Old 130266 R.A.F.V.R. Age ? Killed
Air/Bmr: Sgt. James Arthur Millar 1341185 R.A.F.V.R. Age 20. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. William Scott 1035757 R.A.F.V.R. Age 21. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Ronald Walter Stokes 1809371 R.A.F.V.R. Age 19. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
The Satellite at Forres, was known colloquially as Balnageith, the name of the farmland requisitioned by the Air Ministry. RAF Forres became fully operational when 19 OTU ‘D’ Flight moved in during the bad winter weather of January 1941. This was mainly due to the conditions at the parent unit of RAF Kinloss.
LA826 took-off at 22.24 hrs on a training exercise but just two minutes after this flew into high ground some 5 miles South West of the airfield.
Accident investigators were able to determine that the Whitley was in level flight at the moment of impact and that it's airspeed at the time was "considerable". All the crew members were taken to their home towns for burial.
Ronald Walter Stokes is at the back of this group photo. The others in this photo are unidentified, but this is believed to be his crew. If this is the case his pilot Sgt. Arnold William Rowell would be front left, and the only officer from the crew, Navigator P/O. Melvyn Frederick Old, far right. (Photo Courtesy Mike Veale)
Portrait photo of Ronald Walter Stokes (Photo Courtesy Mike Veale)
Burial details:
The graves of Sergeant ( Pilot ) Arnold William Rowell (Peter Schofield) and Sergeant ( W.Op. Air Gnr. ) William Scott (Brian 54)
Sgt. Arnold William Rowell. Barnsley Cemetery. Sec. B. Grave 243.
Son of William and Edith Rowell; husband of Marjorie Rowell, of Barnsley.
P/O. Melvyn Frederick Old. Camborne (St. Martin) Churchyard. Block E. Grave 51
Sgt. James Arthur Millar. Kinloss Abbey Burial Ground. Grave 51. Row B.
Son of David and Isabella Millar, of Perth.
Sgt. William Scott. Tynemouth (Preston) Cemetery. Sec K. Grave 14526
Son of Joseph E. Scott and Dorothy H. Scott, of North Shields.
Sgt. Ronald Walter Stokes. Camberwell New Cemetery. Square 99. Grave 6258
Son of John and Isabel E. Stokes, of East Dulwich.
Acknowledgments:
Researched by David King. With thanks to the following: Bill Chorley, Mike Veale. I.W.M. C.W.G.C.