Letter to Hedley Madgett's father from Red Cross

Letter to Hedley Madgett's father from Red Cross

From War Organisation of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St John of Jerusalem. They have no further information about his son. However an official German report has been received reporting that two further members of his crew (Pilot Officer R Bradley and Flying Officer F D Norton) lost their lives on 18 August 1943. They are buried at Grifswald [sic] -Weick, 16 miles from Peenemunde. Enquiries concerning his son continue.

1943-12-14

One page typewritten letter

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EAmpthillMMadgettLR431214

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

7 BELGRAVE SQUARE,
LONDON, S.W.1

In replying please quote reference S/RE/RAF C.8545.
14th December, 1943.

Dear Mr. Madgett,

We very much regret that since we wrote to you on the 26th November, 1943, we have not received any information about your son, Pilot Officer H. R. MADGETT, No.147519, but we think we should tell you that a further official German report has now been sent through the International Red Cross committee at Geneva, direct to the Air Ministry, in which it is stated that two further members of your son's crew, Pilot Officer R. Bradley and Flying Officer F.D. Norton, lost their lives on the 18th August, 1943, and were buried at Grifswald-Weick, about 16 miles west of Peenemund, North Germany. The Air Ministry has accordingly posted these two officers as “Missing, believed killed in action.”

Further enquiries are being made on your behalf, and you will be notified at once, when any news of our son becomes available.

We are deeply sorry to send this news as we realise how much it will add to your anxiety, but we should not feel justified in withholding it from you, nor do we thind you would wish us to do so.

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Ampthill.
Chairman.

L.R. Madgett, Esg.,
127, Longlands Road,
SIDCUP, KENT.