Flight Lieutenant William Ostle Peacock,181 Sqdn.R.A.F 13/11/1943.

looking for any information on this chap please.

PEACOCK, WILLIAM OSTLE
Rank: Flight Lieutenant
Service No: 120534
Date of Death: 13/11/1943
Age: 21
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 181 Sqdn.
Panel Reference: Panel 120.
Memorial: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
Additional Information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Peacock, of Carlisle.

 

Panel from Runnymede Memorial attached

 

Cheers for adding that Clive

 

181 Squadron were one of the first to use the Typhoon and had been formed in 1943.
By November 1944 they were operating out of B78 Eindhoven using rocket equipped typhoons.
it's therefore a little surprising that he's on Runnymede as I'd expected him to be operating over land therefore him and wreckage to have been located.
However, 181 lost 2 other pilots that day and seem to have been in the Le Havre area, possibly using rocket projectiles against U-boats? or a mid air?

GREEN, PARNELL LEE. Rank: Flying Officer. Trade: Pilot. Service No: 137286. Date of Death: 13/11/1943.
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 181 Sqdn.
Grave Reference: Divn. 67. Row G. Grave 5. Cemetery: STE. MARIE CEMETERY, LE HAVRE

PATERSON, IAN STEWART. Rank: Sergeant. Service No: 567307. Date of Death: 13/11/1943. Age: 24.
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force 181 Sqdn.
Panel Reference: Panel 161. Memorial: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL.
Additional Information: Son of Francis Paterson and of Nellie Paterson (nee Simpson); husband of Margaret Edith Paterson (nee Christie), of Edinburgh.

I believe he came from Cockermouth, and the origin of his middle name is connected to a mining disaster in 1890's.
More later...

 

Details of the above loss.....

13 November 1943

Four Typhoons of 181 Squadron undertook a 'Rhubarb' (targets of opportunity) to the south of Paris during the early afternoon of Saturday 13 November 1943. Flak was encountered soon after crossing the French coast and two of these aircraft were shot down at once. F/L. W O. Peacock the section leader made it back to an area south of Shoreham where his Typhoon then crashed into the sea.

Typhoon IB JP597

Estimated time of loss 1500 hours.

 

William O Peacock in the England & Wales, Birth Index, 1916-2005

Name: William O Peacock
Mother's Maiden Surname: Ostle
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1922
Registration district: Carlisle
Inferred County: Cumberland
Volume Number: 10b
Page Number: 1040

Another database for him, that as I am not a worldwide member is:

Detroit Border Crossings and Passenger and Crew Lists, 1905-1963
William Ostle Peacock

There is a 'Private' family tree I can contact if you wish, but there is no guarantee they will respond.

TD

 

Other Peacocks born to a mothers maiden name of Ostle:

Name: Henry Peacock
Mother's Maiden Surname: Ostle
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1916
Registration district: Cockermouth
Inferred County: Cumberland
Volume Number: 10b
Page Number: 1057

I assume this would be his twin

Name: Joseph C Peacock
Mother's Maiden Surname: Ostle
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1922
Registration district: Carlisle
Inferred County: Cumberland
Volume Number: 10b
Page Number: 1040

TD

 

London Gazette: 11 August 1942: Sgt. 1114105 William Ostle PEACOCK (120534). 7th Jan. 1942.

http://www.dmm.org.uk/news18/8910115.htm

http://www.cockermouthheritagegroup.org.uk/MI_cockP.htm
Peacock William Ostle, N section. No. 454. Date: 13/11/1943 "badge with crown and wings extended underneath, with motto 'Per Ardua Ad Astra'" In remembrance of F/Lt. William Ostle Peacock younger son of/Henry and Margaret Peacock killed in action November 13th 1943 aged 21 years.
Also Margaret Peacock died August 24th 1948 aged 67 years
Also Henry Peacock died June 8th 1956 aged 74 years/
reads as if his body had been recovered, but possibly refers to his mother in 1948 and subsequently his father in 1956.

EDIT: To ad
He's probably one of the pilots in this photo but I have no idea which...
http://www.thememoryproject.com/stories/1780:ken-charles-hanna/

and the wreck location is known and may be in the area for the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm
http://infrastructure.planningportal.gov.uk/wp-content/ipc/uploads/projects/EN010032/2.%20Post-Submission/Application%20Documents/Environmental%20Statement/6.3.13iv%20Marine%20Archaeology%20Appendix%2013.4.pdf
(Reference MA27 - about halfway down Typhoon JP597 British fighter - 1943.....)
and which begs the question - were his remains found, either in the wreckage or subsequently washed ashore?

 

How the heck I have missed that headstone Kevin I don't know how, I have spent umpteen hours in there looking at every headstone there is I must be losing it :P

But thanks very much for all your effort it is great cheers.

And thanks to Peter as always you are a star

Cheers Richard I found him on Ancestry but thanks for looking

 

Don't beat yourself up, simply by doing what you do makes us aware of them and what we do simply fills out their story.
It's probably a family headstone, not CWGC as they have him at Runnymede.
Hopefully with the cemetery info you might track it down now.

I don't doubt Peter's information, but for one Typhoon to come down at Le Havre doesn't quite reconcile with "targets south of Paris"..
thought they were already based in the Netherlands at Eindhoven, so finding one shot down by Le Havre doesn't easily compute with an attack from Holland. But Peacock headed for Shoreham, where they had been based near Tangmere, all pointing to an attack from UK towards Le Havre, not Eindhoven to the south of Paris. (Not arguing, just trying to fit the result to the facts!)

 

Eindhoven wasn't liberated until September of 1944.

And while they may have been located there September 1944 - January 1945, in November of 1943 No. 181 Sqn were based at Odiham, Hampshire.

This ties up nicely with the information in Peter's post.

Regards,

Dave

 

I just noticed the loss date in 43 and was wondering, hmmmm, we didn't land in Normandy till June 44

 

Doh! That explains a lot about him heading back to the Sussex coast!
My bad, I associate Typhoons with 1944 but they were operational as anti Fw190 tip and runs before that.....
I 'umbly remove my query as to the accuracy of Peter's info!! :redface:

 

Not to worry Kevin :ewink:

No wonder I didn't find this headstone his name along with his mam and dad are on the back off his grandparents headstone, and it is backing onto the beck that runs through the cemetery.

Regarding who is buried in the grave are is his grandparents and auntie and uncle. "Henry Peacock who died Aug. 15th 1930/aged 85 years/Jane his wife/who died Jan. 26th 1912/aged 57 years/Amelia their daughter/who died Dec. 13th 1883,/aged 3 years/William their son/who died Feb. 6th 1904/aged 28 years/"

 

Photo courtesy of William kindly allowed by Janet Thompson William's relation.

 

Service Record also kindly allowed by Janet, thank you Janet.

 

Fascinated to read about William Peacock. He was my Wife's uncle, known to our family as "Uncle Billy". His elder brother, "Harry" (my Wife's father) was in the Royal Signals and served in North Africa during the war. Harry believed that Billy ditched but was unable to open the canopy and tragically went down with the aircraft.
The family would be interested to get in touch with Janet Thompson.

 

Hi and welcome Grindle.

I'm sorry but it was just by chance that I met and got the information of William by Janet, I was in Workington library researching when I met and got talking to Janet about Cockermouth and William she then left but came back with all the information that I have posted so sorry I can't help with you getting in touch.

Mike