Beverley crash, Thorney Island, 17.05.62 - Sgt N.D.McLeod - HELP PLEASE FOR DAUGHTER

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Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 5,927

On another forum that I use, the daughter of the late Sgt. N.D.McLeod has posted in the hope of finding out more about her father's military career before his untimely death in the crash of Blackburn Beverley XL132 off Thorney Island on the night of 17 May 1962. She was only a baby at the time and has no recollection of her father, who was the Flight Engineer aboard the Beverley. After an engine fire - and the subsequent loss of that engine - the Beverley failed to make the runway, for an emergency landing, and crash landed in Thorney Channel. None of the crew had time to don their lifejackets and in their attempts to get ashore, sadly Sgt. McLeod and Flt. Lt. E.T.Hollins were drowned.

I'm sure that there are places, people and methods which will help Sgt. McLeod's daughter find out more about her late father. However, regrettably, I don't know where those places or who those people or what those methods are. There maybe some on this forum who can either help by providing information or pointing to where that information might be found. I suspect that there are other fora on which, perhaps, requests for this information might yield more. But I don't know which those are. So if those in the know can specify those, I'll happily pass this information on.

May I offer my thanks, both personal and vicarious, in hope and anticipation!

Original post

Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 5,927

Thank you, Tony. Any other information, ideas, thoughts, suggestions and suchlike will be appreciated still.

Member for

18 years

Posts: 367

AA,

She can obtain her father's service record from the RAF, details are at https://www.gov.uk/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records#how-to-apply-for-service-personnel-records. There's a £30 fee (unless it's changed) and a 20-25 week wait for the documentation, but it will provide a record of all his movements (the units with which he served). Once the squadrons are known (I'm assuming there's more than one) the Operations Record Books in the Archives might well provide a record of his flights. At least they did during the war but it might be different in peace-time.

Brian

Member for

16 years 7 months

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Thank you, Brian. I'll pass the information on.

Member for

18 years

Posts: 367

Tony,

Your link simply provides an address. The link I posted provides all the details of how to proceed, including the forms that need be completed before sending the request to the address given in your link.

Member for

17 years 5 months

Posts: 8,980

Yes but someone has added the Beverly association