Ernest GEAL

Ernest Geal. Warrant Officer 615197 Royal Air Force, 236 O.C.U, RAF Kinloss. Born 9th March 1916 died12th January 1950 aged 33.

Warrant Officer, Signaler, Ernest GEAL 615197 died from multiple injuries after a plane crash which had a mid air fire after takeoff from runway No21 at RAF Kinloss. He and four other crew all died when they were enroute to the sinking of H.M.Submarine Truculent which was on the surface and going down the Thames Estuary when it was struck at night by a Swedish Oil Tanker, Divina. The plane a Lancaster SW.363 of 236 Operational Conversion Unit was returning to Kinloss from a training mission when it was ordered that this plane was to do a fast turn around and a replacement crew for the flight was already chosen.

He had first come to R.A.F. Kinloss as a student on one of the O.C.U. courses. The high ability he showed during his training, coupled with obvious enthusiasm for his work, resulted to his being posted immediately to the Staff as an instructor on completion of his training course. He was devoted to flying and although he had been offered other employment, nothing had been able to persuade him to leave the R.A.F. He had logged more flying hours than any other instructor, over 3500, which was a remarkable record. It was noted that his keenness was always evident, and whenever a signaller was required he would invariably have been the first to volunteer for duty.

When Lancaster Bomber SW.363 took off on the evening of January 12th, Ernest Geal was occupying the Wireless Operator's seat. At the crash site his body was found to the rear of the main wreckage, and it was decided that he had died instantly from multiple injuries.


At rest in Cheadle Cemetery, Staffordshire Moorlands, Staffordshire.