Letter from the Red Cross to Reg Muir's mother

Letter from the Red Cross to Reg Muir's mother

Advising that her son has been reported missing, believed killed following the discovery of the seventh member of the crew. Confirming interment of the unidentified body in the cemetery at St. Trond and that a request for information of personal belongings has been made in an attempt to identify the individual crew members. Annotated with grave numbers and names of the aircrew.

1943-04-04

Two typewritten sheets

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EAmpthillMMuirPE440403-0001, EAmpthillMMuirPE440403-0002

WAR ORGANISATION
OF THE
BRITISH RED CROSS SOCIETY and ORDER OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM

President : HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN

Grand Prior : H.R.H. THE DUKE OF GLOUCESTER, K.G.

[logo] [underlined] WOUNDED, MISSING AND RELATIVES DEPARTMENT [/underlined] [crest]

Chairman : THE DOWAGER LADY AMPTHILL, C.I., G.B.E.

Telephone No. SLOANE 9696

In replying please quote reference DL/MFE/RAF/C.8016

7 BELGRAVE SQUARE,
LONDON, S.W.1

3rd April, 1944.

Dear Mrs. Muir,

We deeply regret that you will by now have heard from the Air Ministry that your son, Sergeant R.W.L. Muir, No 1388470, has been posted “Missing, believed Killed in Action”, and we should like to offer you the deep sympathy of all in this country.

This action has been found necessary in view of a further official German report sent through the International Red Cross Committee at Geneva direct to the Air Ministry, which includes the grievous information that the body of a seventh member of the aircraft crew in which your son was serving, was found in the vicinity of the disaster at a later date.

We are told that this airman was laid to rest also in the Cemetery at St. Trond, his grave being No. 276, but that no means had been found whereby his identity could be established.

From these very sad reports, which have now come through, we fear there can be no doubt that all the seven members of your son’s crew have lost their lives, although the names of Sergeant [inserted] 262 [/inserted] Barrett [symbol], Sergeant Hannell [inserted ] 260 [/inserted] [symbol] and Sergeant Johnson [symbol] [inserted] 261 [/inserted] only have as yet been found by the enemy.

[inserted ] 263 264 265 255 Stephens
258 257 256 254 Holding
Canero 259

P.T.O.

[page break]

– 2 –

We have sent an urgent and special enquiry to the International Red Cross Committee asking for all possible details of the circumstances which lead [sic] to the disaster, and we have asked especially whether any personal belongings were found which might be recognised by the families of the four airmen, who are referred to as “unknown” It may be some considerable time yet, we fear, before any replies reaches us, but we trust it may comfort you a little to know that everything possible is being done to obtain more definite information for you We think it may also help you to know that from the reports, which reach us from time to time, we have constant evidence of the care with which the graves of our airmen are tended by the Belgian people, even during these difficult days.

Please accept our very deep sympathy in your great sorrow and our very real regret that the enquiries made on your behalf should have brought you such sad news of your son.

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Ampthill
pp [indecipherable letters]
Chairman.

Mrs. Muir,
24, Holcroft Road,
London, E.9.