10 replies to this topic

[wwrsimon]

Hello everyone

I'm looking for any information about the above Lieutenant, killed on May 27th 1918 aged 24, and commemorated on the Arras Flying Services Memorial.

I see from the CWGC site that he was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm. Can anyone give me any information the circumstances for the award, and any information about his loss?

Many thanks

Simon

[Simon Birch]

Hello Simon,

You can download his AIR 76 file here: http://www.nationala...1&resultcount=3 for £3.50


The only other thing I can tell you is he was flying RE8 No. B5147 and it was on the western front.

It may be worth sending a PM to Trevor Henshaw on this.

Simon

[Verrico2009]

You may know there's an MIC for him, Simon: TNA

[Trevor Henshaw]

Simon Birch, on 22 February 2012 - 03:41 PM, said:

Hello Simon,

You can download his AIR 76 file here: http://www.nationala...1&resultcount=3 for £3.50


The only other thing I can tell you is he was flying RE8 No. B5147 and it was on the western front.

It may be worth sending a PM to Trevor Henshaw on this.

Simon

Hi Simon and Simon,

I was hoping that someone could tell me!  I don't think this a'c serial is right - I see it's given in Airmen Died, and I'd put a definite query beside it a few years back.  This aircraft is definitely the one in which another 52 Sqn crew were killed the same day -

B5147 RE8 52Sqn
**BP left 5-05am MIA (2Lt CCA Beaumont KIA/2Lt F Whitehouse KIA) possibly seen with 5 EAs on tail neCRAONNE Δ(with a bit extra added to the TSTB entry, from AIR1/2195)

Unfortunately Lt Coffey hasn't turned up anywhere "in the air" in the usual sources.  My conjecture is that he was killed by enemy shelling of his airfield that day - 52 Sqn got shelled out of their billets, and there were a few other casualties listed like this on the 27th, and there's a small blurb about this particular enemy atatck in TSTB.  

Note also that he is down as an Equipment Officer in 1916 in Flight:
http://www.flightglo...l?search=Coffey
He may not have necessarily been an airman.

I'm hoping this is the answer.

All the best,

Trevor

[Verrico2009]

Would obtaining a copy of his death certificate be likely to help, if you haven't already got it Trevor?  I assume they can be ordered from GRO in the usual way.


WW1 Death Record
Military Section    Army Officers
Forename     Charles
Surname    Coffey
Rank     Lt.
Regiment   R.a.f.
Military
Number
Year Of Death     1918
Age At Death
Military Decorations
Branch
Volume     Volume 0.17; Page 22

[ForeignGong]

HI

Here is the LG for his CdG


http://www.london-ga...pplements/11259


Peter

[Simon Birch]

Gentlmen.

I gave in and ordered a copy of his 76 file. His rank is given as 2nd Lt (technical) - he was a specialist wireless operator. It confirms that he was KIA. There was a casualty record issed 01/06 for him - but that is all his record has.

If anyone wants a copy PM me.

His army record is here: http://www.nationala...TID=1585935&j=1

Best Wishes,

Simon

[wwrsimon]

Many thanks for all the replies gentlemen, very much appreciated.

Simon - I'll drop you a PM asking for a copy of the 76 file, if that's okay.

Regards

Simon

[Simon Birch]

Hello Trevor,

I seem to recall on an earlier totally unrelated post that there was an RE 8 that flew into telegraph wires, while doing wireless experiments - could it be something like that? Not really my area so perhaps I am grasping at straws.


Simon

[nils d]

His CdG will be for being KIA.He was killed on the ground as was  Corp G A Crighton 52 Sqn .Both are on the Arras memorial to the missing.
Coffey was from Kensington and had been commissioned into the Durham Light Infantry  in1915.

[wwrsimon]

Thanks for the extra info Nils.

As a bit more background, he was a student at Ushaw College near Durham, which was a Roman Catholic seminary that closed in 2011 due to the shortage of vocations.

His name is amongst five WW1 airmen commemorated at the College:

http://www.newmp.org...?contentId=9485

Regards

Simon