Reginald Vincent Kingshott
Reginald Vincent Kingshott was a Sergeant with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. His service number was 751190.
Reginald was born in 1909 and was the third child, from a total of seven, born to Thomas & Ethel Kingshott of Mile End in London.
Reginald was one of three crew-members of a Bristol Blenheim MkIV - R3694 - of 59 Squadron. The squadron arrived at Thorney Island airbase, Hampshire, England on 3rd July 1940 and were to remain there until 23rd June the following year. Reginald was one of them, but would only survive another 17 days.
At 0842 hours on the morning of Wednesday 17th July 1940 his plane, containing two other crew-members (Pilot Officer A K Jackson and Sergeant J A Hunter) took off from Thorney Island. Their mission was armed reconnaisance of the French towns of Le Havre and Cherbourg.
Just before 1130 hours that morning, Reginald's plane came under attack from a German Messerschmitt BF109, piloted by Luftwaffe Pilot Hans-Folkert Rosenboom. The Bleinham was no match for the lighter, faster German plane and it was shot down whilst off the coast of Cherbourg. All crew-members were killed.
Sergeant Hunter's body was the only one of the crew recovered from the English Channel, and he was buried at Cayuex-sur-Mare, France. Pilot Officer Jackson and Sergeant Kingshott were officially posted as missing in action, presumed dead.
Reginald has no known grave as his body was never recovered. He is commemorated on the Royal Air Force Memorial at Runnymede, Surrey.
He was my 4th cousin twice removed.