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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: Judy Pengilly on Saturday 25 June 05 19:14 BST (UK)
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Just found out my husbands Great Aunt was married to a pilot in WW2. I searched CWGC and up he comes, where he is burried but no other details any help would be greatly appreciated. Aircraft, how he died accident etc.
His full details: 78300 Flying Officer Wilfred Earnest Cater RAFVR Died 21 6 41. aged 41. (which seems quite old to me to train), had he already served and qualified before with the regular RAF?
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I spent all day searching the net and can get casualty lists of every country except UK surely losses/combat reports can be found somewhere. Help I am getting square eyes!!
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hello judy,me and my mate have tried everywhere,he has a big data base of raf men,but all we can find is what you already have,he did say that its likely that he was a instructor in a training squadron because theres no mention of a sqd on his stone,sorry,we will keep looking though,we dont like being beaten,mack
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Thanks Mac. I am going to fone Barnstaple Council today to speak to the person who administers the cemetery. I am also trying to find out if his wife "Gwendoline May Cater Nee Pengilly" who apparently committed suicide straight after is is the same grave.
I have also found out that Gwendoline was in the WRAF in 1918/19 which leads me to believe thats where she met Wilfred. It would also make some sense as to why he would be in the RAFVR and a Fg Off at 41. Almost certainly they left during the wars and he found himself back in as a qualified Service pilot.
I also think its unlikely, but not impossible, it was enemy action as he is is buried in Barnstaple (where his family were builders in Victoria Street) unless he had something to do with Coastal Command at RAF Chivenor?
JUdy
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hiya judy,its a coincidence,i found a photo of seven of those brothers,all of them in their navy uniform,plus their parents,mack
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Hi Judy
This isn't the RAF but I found this site with another Pengelly!!
http://maxpages.com/ourlostfamily/Britain
Annie
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Hi Annie, thanks for that, I had a look but I just dont have the capacity to go that way yet. You will be familiar with the "Emigrant" thread. This fellow I am looking for (RAF) is the husband of the sister of Fred!!!!. Who's buried somewhere!!!! Its just so sad, I have no proof yet, but it very much looks like Gwendoline May Cater Nee Pengilly, (Freds sister) committed suicide after her husbands crash. I know its opened another branch but as soon as the personal slant came to it I just had to try and find out some more about him/her. She left 2 young kids which absolutely amazes me. I have a picture of Fred and Gwendoline together, he's in a Canadian uniform WW1 and she was a member of the WRAF 1918/19 I think.
Judy
Ps How do you post pictures?
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Boy you're lucky - and Mack's got pictures for you too!!
I have NO IDEA how to do the photo thing - there is a thread telling you how to do it - I think it's the Tech board - just mooch around - you'll find it!!
Keep the other I posted for you on the back burner - you never know!!
Annie
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Ps How do you post pictures?
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To post pictures, just click on the "Additional Options...." link while you are posting your message and then click the "Browse..." button to find your image to upload. Your image needs to be under 300kb in size (which is a reasonably big picture).
Trystan
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Trystan!
We're SO fortunate to have a man around like you :P :P :P
Annie
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Thx Trystan, for those that are interested Fred!!! (Canadian Uniform) is the subjest of my post on the "Emigrant" Forum. The lady is Gwendoline May Cater, Nee Pengilly, Freds Sister (in a WRAF Uniforn 1918/19). She is the wife of the pilot Fg Off Cater in respect of this post.
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Hi Judy -
I've just looked at the National Archive - and there are only two Wilfred Cater entries for the period 1914 to 1945. One of those is for a Wilfred W Cater, the other, plain, Wilfred Cater. Here is his entry:
Medal card of Cater, Wilfred
Corps: Machine Gun Corps
Regiment No: 137162
Rank: Private
It's could be your man ... there aren't any others !
Also - did you look on the extra details pages of the CWGC e.g. the cemetery details pages ? I note that one entry confirms he was a pilot. The detailed entries for Barnstable cemetery show that there were very few RAF casualties buried there - which suggests that it wasn't near a highly active base, and none for crew who died on the same day - so he could have been a fighter man or simply brought home to be buried.
Not a lot I know - but a bit more to puzzle over.
Aye
ME
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hello judy,got your message,its a tough one this,all i could find was the following,which you have probably already got,here goes.
www.raf.mod.uk/history/souces.html#archives
www.rafmuseum.org.uk
these should be able to tell you his details and cause of death,he may not have been in the raf when he died,that will explain the lack of unit details on his grave??
there is also this.
wilfred ernest cater
dunraven
victoria rd
barnstaple
john cater & sons builders
victoria st
barnstaple
francis cater
parkside
park lane
barnstaple
miss cater
30 broadfield rd
barnstaple
all c.1941
there may be mention of him in barnstaples papers in the obituarys,good luck,sorry i couldnt be more helpful,mack
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Perhaps I have missed mention of this in all the foregoing but has anyone tried the MoD websitee that deals specifically with records of RAF personnel.
Of course they will divulge details to a bona fide relative/descendant.
http://www.mod.uk/contacts/raf_records.htm
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Hi,
Try the general queries message board at:
www.rafcommands.com
Regards,
Ann
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Hi Judy,
RAF service papers from WW2 can be obtained from PMA, RAF Innsworth, Gloucester GL3 1EZ. My dad has just got his late brother's; cost £30. It covered from when he joined to when he was shot down and killed over France.
PMA will send you a declaration form; return it with a cheque and you will get copies of the papers in about 7-10 days.
Nanny Jan
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Wilfred Cater and Gwendoline May were my grandparents. My mother was Patricia Cater and my maiden name was Pauline Ledbrooke. Any further Information you have would be appreciated.
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There is a website that you can access to get the forms . It has been mentioned on several other threads as it is tri service.
By the way Innsworth is now at High Wycombe... Pity they fixed it as it wasnt broke!
Dee
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Wilfred Cater and Gwendoline May were my grandparents. My mother was Patricia Cater and my maiden name was Pauline Ledbrooke. Any further Information you have would be appreciated.
I hope there is a positive outcome to this.....as the original post is 5 years old.
Try a PM to the original poster??
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A tad late for the Original Poster, but this is a useful WebSite for WW II officers:-
http://www.unithistories.com/
Hans, who runs it, is VERY helpful, and has managed to dig out LOTS of stuff for me.
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Exploring family tree discovered possible two half sisters same maiden name, North Devon area.
Happy to talk/email.