Trafford

Born during the June quarter 1917 in the Bucklow R.D. - ref: 8a/240, the
elder son of Frank Clay & Elsie Whitehurst (nee Cragg)

Attended Chorlton Grammar School.    A boy chorister at St. Wilfred's P.C.,
Northenden.    Employed by the Co-operative Insurance Society.   Keen on
amateur dramatics.

Volunteered for the RAF in 1939/40.

Married Rita Graham Dobson during the December quarter 1942 in the
Manchester R.D. - ref: 8d/415.   At the time of Geoffrey's death, they had
a five week old daughter.

During the June quarter 1951 in the Maidstone R.D. - ref: 5b/1239, Rita
remarried a Kurt D. Blundell (Blumenthal)

Killed in a flying accident at RAF Turnberry, situated 7 miles north of
Girvan, Ayrshire, Scotland.   Buried 12/02/1944 - Burial No. 11,988.

RAF Turnberry was first a World War I aerodrome, and then a World War II
airfield which occupied a small headland on the Ayrshire coast, now better
known as Turnberry Golf Course.  In both conflicts, the airfield served as
a school of aerial gunnery.  The airfield literally lies on the A719
Maidens to Turnberry road, which cuts through the former airfield and two
of its tarmac runways, including one which is still used by private
flyers.

The airfield had been in use as a base by the Auxiliary Air Force until
1942, but the arrival of World War II saw the reconstruction of the
airfield as a formal training facility by Wimpey in 1941, when tarmac
runways were laid, and the airfield was reopened in 1942. It was then used
to train RAF units in torpedo bombing at the nearby River Clyde torpedo
ranges, and for air sea rescue missions.  It seems some 1,200 men were
stationed at RAF Turnberry. 

In February 1942 No 5 OTU (coastal) arrived with Beauforts for training,
moving out in December to make way for No 1 Torpedo Training Unit and their
mixture of Beauforts and Hampdens in January 1943.  September 1943 saw the
arrival of No.2 TTU only to be absorbed into No.1 TTU with the intention of
concentrating all the various types of training and aircraft into one
unit.

Finally absorbing the air sea rescue training unit, a mixed fleet Ventures,
Beaufighters and Hudsons saw No.5 OUT see out the war. 1945 saw the moving
in of the Coastal Command Flying Instructors School. No.5 OTU now disbanded
to be promptly replaced by No1 TTU making a reappearance. Both units left
in November 1945 and so the airfield closed. The living sites were used to
house the P.O.W`s in 1945 /46.  Beginning in the early 1950s the aerodrome
and its sites were returned to the public and the living sites were largely
cleared in the 1950s. 

RAF Turnberry was constructed right on the coast almost on a headland, the
site being overlooked by hills to the east. Three runways were laid the
main one being parallel to the hills. Lack of space meant the other two
were relatively short, their approaches being either over the sea or down
low over the hills. 

In use, the layout proved less than ideal as approaches either had to be
made over the sea, or from the hills to the east, and both routes were
compromised by the prevailing winds which generally blew inland from the
sea. The hills to the east housed the bomb store and technical site.

In November 1990, four new sections were added to the base of the memorial,
and carry the names of those who died at Turnberry during the Second World
War. 

Private Headstone in Altrincham (Hale) Cemetery - M.I. - "He loiters with a
backward smile, 'till we can overtake".

A separate plaque that rests on his grave, commemorates his maternal uncle
- Flight Sergeant Terence Bowers Cragg who was lost at Arnham, Holland.