COGMAN, WILLIAM CURWIN GAVINE 39274 Flying Officer 27/05/1940

[Hamish]

I am looking for any informatiin on COGMAN, WILLIAM CURWIN GAVINE 39274 Flying Officer 102 Sqdn RAF who is listed as missing presumed dead on 27th May 1940 who I believe was my mothers first husband. There is no mention of him being married in the entry at the memorial at Runnymead. Can anyone assist in confirming whether he was married and what mission he was on before failing to return.

[Harry Ree]

F/O WGC Cogman was the skipper of RAF No 102 Squadron B.C Whitely Mark V; DY- B, Serial Number N1417, up from RAF Driffield at 2000 hrs, 19 May 1940, on a raid to Geisenkirchen which crashed at 2330 on farmland belonging to Mr Wilbers at De Klef near to the town of Milheeze, 20 kms ENE of Eindhoven Holland.

Of the crew,Cogman evaded, three were POWs and one was killed.Cogman had previously returned from Belgium internment and was reported safe on 20 May 1940 but was lost when the steamship SS Abukir, outward bound from Ostend to England, carring BEF elements withdrawing from France and Belgium, was torpedoed by a German MTB on 28 May 1940.

For some unknown reason Cogman's death is listed as 27 May 1940, the day before the sinking but it was assumed that he was on the SS Abukir

Regarding F/O Cogman's personal circumstances, you can get this information from "RAF Records" which should detail his next of kin.

The other approach regarding his marital circumstances is to use the www,1837.co.uk website (it may have changed its name).From there you can research the marriage index looking Cogman and your mother's maiden name at an appropriate and estimated quarter date for the marriage.If they were married you will be able to to identify the Registration District where the marriage was recorded and from there you should be able to obtain a copy of the marriage certificate.(The marriage will be recorded in a 3 monthy quarter index)

Best Wishes in your quest.

[dbf]

Originally Posted by Harry Ree

The other approach regarding his marital circumstances is to use the www,1837.co.uk website (it may have changed its name).From there you can research the marriage index looking Cogman and your mother's maiden name at an appropriate and estimated quarter date for the marriage.If they were married you will be able to to identify the Registration District where the marriage was recorded and from there you should be able to obtain a copy of the marriage certificate.(The marriage will be recorded in a 3 monthy quarter index)

Best Wishes in your quest.

Hi,

Think this is the new name for that site, anyway marriages are searchable here - for a fee, of course.

Birth, marriage and death records 1837 - 2006: search on findmypast

Once you get a Volume and page no from the index you can order a certificate online from here:

Marriages: Obtaining marriage certificates - How to obtain marriage certificates

Regards,
dbf