Hi all, I am trying to find information about one para who went MIA on D-Day or the day after: 1902204 Dve A. HANDLEY. His name is commemorated on the Bayeux Mémorial. That stick dropped on D-Day night between the villages of Saint Pierre Azif and Saint Vaast En Auge. If someone would have information about Dvr Handley I would be very grateful. The passengers of that Aircraft were: 251680 Capt. JACKSON POW 27760 Lieut. K. BEST POW 5682527 Spr. J. BOWMAN POW 1953786 Spr. A.W. ROSS POW 1946440 Spr. T.C. CARTER POW 12035231 Spr. J. BLYTH POW 1876707 Spr. J.F. VEITVH POW 1938781 Spr. P.C. SUTCLIFFE POW 14635191Spr. D. READ POW, WIA (lost an arm) 14305385 Dvr. H.BARRETT POW 19411938 Cpl. R. W. TORRINS POW 14376722 Spr. K.H. FISHER POW 2092173 L/Sgt. S.F.FORREST POW 1902204 Dvr. A. HANDLEY MIA 06 or 07/06/1944 Bayeux Memorial P.12 C.01 1947393 L/Cpl. P.S. HITCHCOCK POW Regards, Ludo
Driver Arthur Handley was the son Mr and Mrs Arthur Handley, and the husband of Elsie Handley, of Ipswich, Sussex. He qualified as a military parachutist on course 84 which ran at RAF Ringway from 20 September to 1 October 1943. The course cadre comprised of 154 personnel. A partial parachute failure on the second balloon jump resulted in one of the trainees suffering spinal injuries and other fractures. As a consequence of this accident there were 6 refusals. The course report states ‘Dvr Hanley [sic] ‘Good standard in performance, set good example with high ‘morale’ in aircraft.’ He served with 2 Troop, 591 (Antrim) Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers and took part in the D-Day landings to Normandy, during Op Overlord. 2 Troop formed part of the force that was dropped on the heavy gun battery at Merville. Although few sappers reached the target due to inaccurate dropping. Dvr Handley died during the early stages of the invasion between 6-7 June 1944, aged 24 years old. In the units history ‘The History of 591 Antrim Airborne Squadron Royal Engineers by Allan Jack’ it records that ‘Sapper Handley was killed in a lone gallant fight against hopeless odds’ Dvr Handley has no known grave and is commemorated on the Memorial near Bayeux War Cemetery, Normandy. Data Page Handley 591 Antrim Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers 591 (Antrim) Parachute Squadron RE | ParaData
UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945 Name: Arthur Handley Given Initials: A Rank: Driver Death Date: Jun 1944 Number: 1907204 Birth Place: Essex Residence: Essex Branch at Enlistment: Other Corps Theatre of War: Western Europe Campaign, 1944/45 Regiment at Death: Royal Engineers Branch at Death: Other Corps Ludo - I note there is a small difference in the service numbers TD
Driver Handley was reported as missing on Casualty List No. 1491 dated 6 July 1944, shown below with others of 591 Para Sqn, missing 7.6.44 2116526 Evans Spr JJ 14376722 Fisher Spr KH 1907204 Handley Dvr i/c A 1947393 Hitchcock L/Cpl PS 14537569 Wheeler Spr DH
Hi Ludo I’m not sure if I’ve contacted you on another page with regards to Arthur, He is my great uncle and I was just doing some further research for the DDay 75th anniversary due to potentially having new evidence or information about him come up thanks If i haven’t contacted you before I would really like to find out what you know about him Thanks Jack
Jack, D-Day Data on Dakota KG354 Airfield - RAF Broadwell Squadron - 512 A/C No. Tail - KG.354 Z Chalk No. - 358 Regt. - 591 Para Sqn RE 2 TROOP Remarks - MISSING Brigade - 3rd DZ - V Aircraft - DAKOTA Serial - 21 Para or Glider - Para Pilot - F/O. Shaw Passengers - Capt. Jackson (P/W), Lt. Best(P/W), Spr. Bowman (P/W), Spr. Ross (P/W), Spr. Carter (P/W), Spr. Blyth (P/W), Spr. Veitch (P/W ), Spr. Sutcliffe (P/W), Spr. Reed (KIA), Dvr. Barrett (P/W), Cpl. Torrins (P/W), Spr. Fisher (P/W), L/Sgt. Forrest (P/W) Dvr. Handley (KIA), L/Cpl. Hitchcock (P/W) A history of KG354 can be found be found here on "Canadian Military Aircraft Serial Numbers". "Manufacturer Company number - Douglas, Oklahoma City - 12363 Ex USAAF C-47A-5-DK serial number 42-92550, ex RAF KG354. With VU 32 at CFB Shearwater, NS. To civil register as C-GABE. To US civil register as N59314. With Frontier Flying Service in Alaska from at least 1989 to 2000. Last US Certificate of Airworthiness issued on 24 September 2001, to Abbe Air Cargo of Wasilla, Alaska. Reported withdrawn from use on 25 July 2003. Airworthy again 2008 to 2010, operated by Abbe Air in Alaska. first date: 26 June 1970 - Renumbered from RCAF KG354 last date: 27 August 1975 - Struck off." Quite a few photos of KG354 on the web, for example a number shown here with latest date 2018. Photo by Jose G. Candelas. Douglas aviation photos on JetPhotos Regards ...
Jack this is good to see you on this forum. On this forum and with its members we can get very good things and we can learn a lot. Welcome on board. Regards, Ludo
Hi, I hope I didn't confuse Jack with the abbreviated postwar history of Dakota KG354 above. As for the aircraft's use during the war it was first acquired by 512 Squadron RAF on April 22nd, 1944. KG354 took part in Op Tonga and Mallard on D-Day and was used on three flights during OMG (Arnhem). On the 24th of September 1944 it was transferred to 437 Squadron RCAF. Post war it eventually made its way to Canada with the RCAF and stayed with them until 1975 when bought for commercial use. See this page for another history of KG354. Hopefully the current owners are aware of its historical significance. Sadly we know more about this aircraft than we do of what occurred with Driver Arthur Handley who dropped from it on D-Day. Regards ...