Just flagging this up after a Google search, LAC Bromley is commemorated on Runnymede Memorial but may be buried as an "Unknown Airman" at Ramegnies-Chin Churchyard. From this website: World War 2 - RAF 53 Squadron, May/June 1940 Type: Bristol Blenheim IV Serial number: L9399, PZ-? Operation: Reconnaissance Lost: 15/05/1940 Pilot Officer (Pilot) Peter K. Bone, RAF 40795, 53 Sqdn., age 27, 15/05/1940, Templeuve Communal Cemetery, Tournai, Belgium Sergeant (Obs.) William J. Cronin, RAF, 365686, DFM, 53 Sqdn., age 31, 15/05/1940, Templeuve Communal Cemetery, Tournai, Belgium Leading Aircraftman Jack Bromley, RAF 550718, 53 Sqdn., age 20, 15/05/1940, missing (buried as 'unknown airman' in Ramegnies-Chin Churchyard, Belgium, according to Cynrick De Decker and Jean Louis Roba in 'Mei 1940 boven België'. Took off from Poix. Shot down by F/L Owen of 504 Squadron and crashed near Couture de Froyennes, near Tournai (Doornik). 'At 09.00 hrs planes from 53 Squadron fly via Tournai to Dinant. British soldiers transported on the Tournai-Lille railroad see a Hurricane attacking a twin engined aircraft and shooting it down. Wildly cheering they watch this aircraft exploding in a ball of fire at Ramegnies-Chin near Couture de Froyennes. In the wreckage the bodies of P/O Bone and Sgt Cronin are found. A third charred body is pulled by parachute ropes out of the molten metal and buried in Ramegnies-Chin Churchyard. As combat broke out there was no time to identify him.'
From a family tree: Jack Bromley 1919– BIRTH 1919 • Golborne DEATH Unknown Birth 1919 • Golborne Baptism: 10 Sep 1919 St Thomas, Golborne, Lancashire, England Jack Bromley - Son of Fred Bromley & Ada Born: 5 Aug 1919 Abode: 60 Heath St Golborne Occupation: Colliery Clerk It also shows his siblings: Lily - 1904 Ena - 1906 Mabel - 1908 Tom - 1911 Jack - 1919 TD
The casualty pack for this loss has been released to The National Archives. Leading Aircraftman J Bromley, Sergeant W J Cronin and Pilot Officer P K Bone: report of... | The National Archives It was open to 1951 before being closed. This means that the Personnel file for these airmen was still getting enclosures for five years after the war end eg Missing team investigations, NoK correspondence etc. I suggest viewing this file to see the extent of knowledge into this case and why it was decided post war that there was still too little evidence to identify a grave. Ross
Hello Everyone, I've spent a bit of time in the archives and a few years ago was researching some family members. A releative of mine served in the somewhat obscure 660th General Construction Company that was part of the BEF. I went through their War Diary and found the following entry for 15th May 1940. "British Aeroplane shot down at 896354. Burnt Out. Captain Wingate dragged body from wreck. Log Book bearing the name LAC Bromley, picked up and forwarded to Battalion HQ for disposal." A guard was then placed on the wreckage until relieved by the HLI Regiment. It would seem that the log book either didn't make it to Battalion HQ, or was lost in the retreat to Dunkirk alongside a lot of other records. But either way, this would seem to be a positive ID of Jack Bromley after the crash. Whether it helps anyone link it to the body at Ramegnies-Chin Churchyard, I don't know. I have also looked at AIR 81 384 relating to the crash. I haven't read everything in detail yet, but most of it seems to relate to PO Bone and Sgt Cronin and positively identifying their bodies. I'll revert back if anything more of relevance comes up. But at least this is another small footnote from LAC Jack Bromley that might help.
