British Red Cross letter

British Red Cross letter

A letter from the British Red Cross and Order of St John of Jerusalem sent to Mrs Joan Broderick concerning her husband, Kenneth, whose whereabouts is still unknown. The letter includes the information of two of Kenneth's crew members, Sergeant William Curtis and Flight Sergeant Robert Woolner whose bodies been found. The letter concludes with reassurance and obtaining further information. The letter is signed by Margaret Ampthill, The Dowager Lady Ampthill.

1943-11-09

One type written letter

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EAmpthillMBroderickJR431109-0001, EAmpthillMBroderickJR431109-0002

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

[British Red Cross crest] [Order of St. John crest]

[underlined] WOUNDED, MISSING AND RELATIVES DEPARTMENT [/underlined]
Chairman: THE DOWAGER LADY AMPTHILL, C.I., G.B.E.

In replying please quote reference [underlined] EM/DW RAF/C. 3331 [/underlined]

7 BELGRAVE SQUARE,
LONDON, S.W.1

9th November, 1943.

Dear Mrs. Broderick,

In reply to your letter we very much regret that no further information concerning your husband, Pilot Officer K. J. Broderick, 115109, has reached this Department from the International Red Cross Committee at Geneva beyond the fact that our request for a special enquiry has been received and acted upon.

We have, unhappily, not yet been able to learn where Sergeant Curtis has been laid to rest, but it has been established that the body of Sergeant Woolner was recovered on the shore at Norderney on July 24th, 1942, and was buried in the Military Cemetery at Norderney (one of the Frisian Islands) Section E, Grave 1.

In a letter you wrote on August 6th, 1942, you suggested the possibility of the disaster having taken place over the sea, and we fear that this grievous information concerning Sergeant Woolner seems to indicate that this may have been the case.

We assure you that we are doing everything we can to obtain the information you wish for and should any news be forthcoming it will be communicated to you at once, either by the Air Ministry or by this Department.

We sympathise with you deeply in the sad time through which you are passing.

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Ampthill pp Adj
Chairman.

54845, Wren J. R. Broderick,
B. Site, R.N.A.S. Eglinton,
Londonderry,
Northern Ireland.

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[inserted] Document 5a [/inserted]