Trafford

Born during the December quarter 1921 in the Barton upon Irwell R.D. - ref:
8c/1103, the son of Thomas Hugill & Constance May Knowles (nee Nelson).

Married Margaret Eve ????????

1939 National Registration - 9 Warwick Road, Stretford.   His parents and
two elder siblings are recorded but there are two redacted records -
presumably one of them is Thomas?  The other is perhaps his wife -
Margaret?

From the RAF website - http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/525squadron.cfm

No.525 Squadron was formed at Weston Zoyland on the 2nd September 1943 as a
transport unit with Warwicks. In November it began flying services to
Gibraltar, but after a number of accidents to transport Warwicks, the type
was grounded and No.525 converted to Dakotas. In September 1944, regular
flights began to Allied bases in France and Belgium and soon after the end
of the war it extended these to the Mediterranean.

Killed in an accident over Le Mans.  There are extensive details of the
accident, including photographs on the Aircrew Remembered website -
http://aircrewremembered.com/shepherd-raymond.html

Thomas was returning as a passenger aboard a DC-3 Dakota that was returning
to its base at RAF Membury, Berkshire from North Africa.    At around 18.15
hrs on the 30th January 1946 the a/c crashed after entering a cloud during
a storm, 7 miles south of Le Mans.   There were 11 airmen from 525 Sqn on
board - 6 pilots, 3 navigators and 2 Wop/AGs.  There were no survivors.

CWGC - Son of Thomas Hugill Knowles and Constance May Knowles, of Old
Trafford, Manchester; husband of Margaret Eve Knowles.

The CWGC records state that he died on the 30th Janurary 1946.   However,
the M.I. on his family gravestone in Stretford Cemetery states, that he
died on the 3rd February 1946.