I have been contacted (via Oldham Council) by a gentleman from Belguim who is looking for relatives of Flight Sergeant Thomas Cudworth of Oldham, who was killed on 2 June 1942 when the plane he was in crashed either before or after a bombing raid over Essen. The gentleman wishes to have a permanent memorial erected in the field where the Wellington crashed and the crew perished. I have put a request for any family members on Oldham facebook page who may have known about Thomas, but as he was an only child and both his parents died the year he was born,1920 we would probably be looking at cousins or the children of cousins. His nearest kin named being his mother’s brother, James Watts
The other members of the crew were: Ernest Chadwick, from Anfield, Liverpool; Leonard Johnson, U.K.; Thomas James Kehoe, Fazakerley, Liverpool and Patrick David Powell, birthplace unknown.
They belonged to 156 Squaron and were flying a Wellington Bomber DV786.
I am hoping to put something in the local paper to see again if anyone has any memories about Thomas Cudworth.
I know that you tend to deal with Uk crash sites but I thought I would ask if anyone may have further personal info on these men.
Jan Willems, the gentleman from Belgium is also writing a small booklet to be ready for the 75 anniversary of the crash, next year and when the memorial will hopefully be unveiled. He has contacted the Liverpool Echo newspaper but to no avail. He has also been in contact with a nephew of Thomas James Kehoe but the man doesn’t seem interested. Mr. Willems has been in contact with the RAF etc but now he wishes more information on the crew members from their families.
I do hope someone may be able to help via your great website.
Regards, Sue SMith (remember me from the Glen Mill POW articles)
Hi Sue, yes of course I remember you! I have just read this and wonder if the best place for it might not be on the Glen Mill PoW camp page as that page gets viewed more than any other on my site – especially by the people of Oldham, whereas it is unlikely anyone who might know the family of Flight Sergeant Cudworth would stumble across it here. Would you mind copying it and re-posting it there?
Ian
Dear Ian,
I have been contacted (via Oldham Council) by a gentleman from Belguim who is looking for relatives of Flight Sergeant Thomas Cudworth of Oldham, who was killed on 2 June 1942 when the plane he was in crashed either before or after a bombing raid over Essen. The gentleman wishes to have a permanent memorial erected in the field where the Wellington crashed and the crew perished. I have put a request for any family members on Oldham facebook page who may have known about Thomas, but as he was an only child and both his parents died the year he was born,1920 we would probably be looking at cousins or the children of cousins. His nearest kin named being his mother’s brother, James Watts
The other members of the crew were: Ernest Chadwick, from Anfield, Liverpool; Leonard Johnson, U.K.; Thomas James Kehoe, Fazakerley, Liverpool and Patrick David Powell, birthplace unknown.
They belonged to 156 Squaron and were flying a Wellington Bomber DV786.
I am hoping to put something in the local paper to see again if anyone has any memories about Thomas Cudworth.
I know that you tend to deal with Uk crash sites but I thought I would ask if anyone may have further personal info on these men.
Jan Willems, the gentleman from Belgium is also writing a small booklet to be ready for the 75 anniversary of the crash, next year and when the memorial will hopefully be unveiled. He has contacted the Liverpool Echo newspaper but to no avail. He has also been in contact with a nephew of Thomas James Kehoe but the man doesn’t seem interested. Mr. Willems has been in contact with the RAF etc but now he wishes more information on the crew members from their families.
I do hope someone may be able to help via your great website.
Regards, Sue SMith (remember me from the Glen Mill POW articles)
Hi Sue, yes of course I remember you! I have just read this and wonder if the best place for it might not be on the Glen Mill PoW camp page as that page gets viewed more than any other on my site – especially by the people of Oldham, whereas it is unlikely anyone who might know the family of Flight Sergeant Cudworth would stumble across it here. Would you mind copying it and re-posting it there?
Ian