Invisible Uncle

[duxford1938]

Family belief is that my uncle Leonard Melville Beavis was killed whilst training at RAF Duxford in Dec 1937. There is a photo of him in RAF uniform. His death was recorded at Royston Herts, but military records yield nothing at all. How can this be?

[Squaredancer]

Sorry can't help on military records but putting the name into Google produced a few sites, and one says: "P/O. Leonard Melville Beavis lost his life as the result of a collision in the air which occurred near Royston, Hertfordshire, on November 24, between two aircraft of No. 66 (Fighter) Squadron, Duxford, Cambridgeshire. P/O. Beavis was the pilot and sole occupant of one aircraft. The pilot and sole occupant of the other aircraft, Sergt. Arthur Dumbell Smith, was slightly injured."

[Pam Downes]

Hello duxford1938,

Welcome to British-Genealogy. :smile5:

Service records 1920/1922 (depending on rank and which service) are still held by the MoD. Details of how to apply, forms to complete, documents to send (death certificate and cheque :smile5:) can be found here (https://www.gov.uk/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records).

Pam

[duxford1938]

Squaredancer, thank you very much for this information. Straight away you have given me something to work with. When I Googled the name I got nothing. There seems to be a 'knack' required to get the best out of Google. With best wishes, Joe Beavis

[Squaredancer]

No knack to it! Just put in "Leonard Melville Beavis" - in the inverted commas - and he turns up. If you leave off the inverted commas you'll get every instance of Leonard, Melville, and Beavis (although the first few will be him :smile5:)

[geneius]

A bit more information

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34285/page/3229/data.pdf

[paulmcmillan]

Pilot Officer Leonard Melville Beavis, of No 66 Squadron, Duxford was killed in a collision between two Gloster Gauntlet fighters from 66 Sqn on 24 November 1937 near Royston (Herts). The Serials of the aircraft involved were K7849 and K7871. The pilot of the other aircraft was Sergeant Arthur Dumbell Smith #580153 who jumped with a parachute and survived with an injured knee. The aircraft were involved in manoeuvres when the accident occurred. I do not know who was flying which aircraft but both were wrecked. Sgt Smith was killed during the Battle Of Britain he was shot down and baled out badly wounded on 4th Sept 1940 in Spitfire N3048 while still with 66 Sqn and died of wounds on the 6th Sept 1940