REGINALD FRANK DAMANT
From May through to September 2026, Andrew will be fulfilling his dream to hike the iconic Land’s End to John O’Groats! You are all warmly invited to follow Andrew’s epic journey on his Facebook page, “Andrew Beal LEJOG”: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577588795730
As Andrew hikes the 1,300+ miles, he will raise funds for the Ipswich War Memorial Project to help finance our future exhibitions and research of the brave Ipswich men and women who lost their lives in conflict. If you would like to make a small donation, please click on the link: https://gofund.me/5d4a50570
Thank you for your love and support. Andrew & Helen – I.W.M.P.
Photograph courtesy of Guy & Janice
Born: 25th March 1924, Ipswich.
Died: 20th December 1944; age: 20; Aircraft crash – Castlegregory, Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland.
Residence: 71, High Street, Ipswich.
Employed: Manganese Brass and Bronze Works, Ipswich
Rank: Sergeant/Wireless Operator(Air); Service Number: 1397870.
Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 202 Squadron.
Grave Reference:
Field of Honour,
C.31.64.
Ipswich.
Relatives Notified & Address: Son of Frank & Alice Mary Damant, of Ipswich.
Father: Frank Damant, born November 1891, Woodbridge, Suffolk – a Master Window Cleaner.
Mother: Alice Mary Damant (nee Murrell), born June 1901, born Offton, Suffolk.
Sister: Mary Violet Damant, born April 1925, Ipswich.
Brother: Henry Ralph Damant, born July 1927, Ipswich.
Image courtesy of WW2 Irish Aviation.com
20th December 1944
Aircraft: Catalina; Serial number: JX208. Based at Castle Archdale on the Erne. The Catalina crew were on a 24-hour anti-submarine patrol over the Bay of Biscay, from 19:00 hrs on the 19th December to 19:00 hrs on the 20th December. They were carrying four depth charges. Whilst flying through a storm, it is thought that the aircraft was in trouble and flying low. The pilot and navigator may have thought they were over the sea. The Catalina crashed into the slopes of Benoskee Mountain, above the town of Castlegregory on the Dingle Peninsula, at 3 am. All 9 crew members were killed and badly burned except for Eric Williams. His body was pulled from the wreck by the first arrivals of the burning aircraft. All were identified with great difficulty.
Crew:
Antony Basil Langton; Flight Lieutenant/Pilot; age 26; R.A.F.V.R.
Eric Williams; Flight Sergeant/Pilot; age 23; R.A.F.V.R.
Peter Lloyd Lowe; Flight Sergeant/Navagator/Bomber; age 21; R.A.F.V.R.
George Alfred Cuthbert; Sergeant/Air Gunner; age 21; R.A.F.V.R.
Robert Raymond Perkins; Pilot Officer; Flight Engineer; age 25; R.A.F.V.R.
James Malcolm Wotherspoon; Flight Sergeant/Wireless Operator (Air); age 22; R.A.F.V.R.
Henry George Aldrich; Sergeant/Wireless Operator (Air); age 33; R.A.F.V.R.
Albert Raymond Lewis; Sergeant/Air Gunner; age 19; R.A.F.V.R.
Help to compile the page courtesy of Dennis Burke of Foreign Aircraft and their Crews in Ireland 1939 – 45. http://www.csn.ul.ie/~dan/war/jx208.html
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