Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II

[Icare9]

Thanks HF Jr and PeteT.
Just spent the morning trawling through the Loss Cards.

15 Squadron Stirling Mk I EF359 from Bourne. Bomb load 1 x 2,000 lb HX; 1x500 lb (LD37) 1 x 500 lb (LD37E). Neither the mid upper nor rear gunner are buried at Rheinberg, but in two separate Plots (not adjacent graves) in Reichswald Forest Cemetery. That suggests that they were widely separated from the rest of the crew who may have been unable to bale out and thus all found in the wreckage a distance away from where the two gunners came down. The Loss Card reports that 4 were identified, and that Hall was initially buried at Meerback on 22 April. Lutwyche was buried on 6 May at Ursoy (SW of Duisberg) and that Williams was washed up at Werd am Rhein and buried on 21 April at Dusseldorf.
BRAGG, WILFRED SPENCER. Rank: Sergeant. Trade: Flt. Engr. Service No: 621785.
Date of Death: 08/04/1943. Age: 23. Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force. 15 Sqdn.
Grave Reference: Joint grave 2. E. 1-2. Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of George Harding Bragg and Janet Eliza Bragg, of Gillingham, Kent.
GURR, ANTHONY JOHN. Rank: Pilot Officer. Trade: Pilot. Service No: 143231. Age: 20.
Date of Death: 08/04/1943. Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 15 Sqdn.
Grave Reference: 2. E. 3. Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY.
Additional Information: Son of Frank and Elizabeth Charlotte Gurr, of St. Margarets, Twickenham, Middlesex.
KIMBER, JOHN EVAN SAMUEL. Rank: Sergeant. Trade: W.Op./Air Gnr. Service No: 1290705. Date of Death: 08/04/1943. Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 15 Sqdn.
Grave Reference: Joint grave 2. E. 1-2. Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of John Evan and Hilda Edith Kimber, of Croydon, Surrey; husband of J. E. S. Kimber, of Croydon.
LAMBERT, FREDERICK GEORGE. Rank: Sergeant. Trade: Air Bomber. Service No: 1339473. Date of Death: 08/04/1943. Age: 20. Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 15 Sqdn.
Grave Reference: 2. D. 25. Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of Wade Foster Lambert and Julia Lambert, of Ilford, Essex. His brother, John James Lambert, also died on service.
LUTWYCHE, PERCY. Rank: Sergeant. Trade: Nav. Service No: 1235760.
Date of Death: 08/04/1943. Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 15 Sqdn.
Grave Reference: 14. D. 22. Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY
HALL, JAMES. Rank: Sergeant. Trade: Air Gnr. Service No: 1527292. Date of Death: 08/04/1943.
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 15 Sqdn.
Grave Reference: 26. G. 16. Cemetery: REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY.
WILLIAMS, IVOR WYN. Rank: Sergeant. Trade: Air Gnr. Service No: 1504193. Age: 20.
Date of Death: 08/04/1943. Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 15 Sqdn.
Grave Reference: 9. C. 15. Cemetery: REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of Gwyn and Annie Williams, of Penrhos, Caernarvonshire.

COX, ARTHUR. Rank: Flight Sergeant. Trade: Air Gnr. Service No: 952028. Awards: D F M
Date of Death: 08/04/1943. Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 405 (R.C.A.F.) Sqdn
Grave Reference: 2. E. 20. Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY.

156 Squadron Lancaster Mk I ED622 coded “?”. Take off: 21:42 from Warboys. Bomb load: Crashed near Koln where burials were held 13 April in Koln Sud but all now rest in Rheinberg. Sgt Grace may have been Canadian, he certainly was married to a Canadian girl. There is a possibility that Younger was also born in Canada.
YOUNGER, ROBERT GRAHAM. Rank: Flight Sergeant. Trade: Pilot. Service No: 401344.
Age: 27. Date of Death: 08/04/1943. Service: Royal Australian Air Force. (156 Squadron).
Grave Reference: 4. E. 5. Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of Thomas Brydon Younger and Elizabeth Ann Younger, of East St. Kilda, Victoria, Australia.
FERGUSON, NOEL. Rank: Pilot Officer. Trade: Nav. Service No: 404716. Age: 21.
Date of Death: 08/04/1943. Service: Royal Australian Air Force. (156 Squadron).
Grave Reference: 4. E. 6. Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of Arthur Vivian and Gladys Mary Ferguson, of Toowong, Queensland, Australia.
FLETT, RODERICK HENRY. Rank: Flight Sergeant. Trade: W/Op. Service No: 403691. Age: 26.
Date of Death: 08/04/1943. Regiment/Service: Royal Australian Air Force. (156 Squadron).
Grave Reference: 4. E. 7. Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of Stanley Alexander Flett and Beryl Jane Flett; husband of Joan Flett, of Garah, New South Wales, Australia.
WHITE, STANLEY MUSGRAVE. Rank: Sergeant. Trade: F/Eng. Service No: 15319. Age: 30.
Date of Death: 08/04/1943. Regiment/Service: Royal Australian Air Force. (156 Squadron).
Grave Reference: 4. E. 8. Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of Alfred Musgrave White and Eva Mary Maddocks White; husband of Marjorie Beryl White, of Kellyville, New South Wales, Australia.
STOPFORD, NEWMAN G. Rank: Sergeant. Trade: Nav./Bomb Aimer Service No: 656400.
Date of Death: 08/04/1943. Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force. 156 Sqdn.
Grave Reference: 4. E. 9. Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY
GRACE, JAMES PEARCE MASSEY. Rank: Flight Sergeant. Trade: M/U/G. Service No: 404582. Age: 26. Date of Death: 08/04/1943. Service: Royal Australian Air Force. (156 Squadron).
Grave Reference: 4. E. 10. Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of James Pearce Francis and of Winifred Maria Grace, of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; husband of Dorothy Mabel Grace, of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
JACKSON, ALBERT JAMES. Rank: Sergeant. Trade: Air Gnr. Service No: 1322187. Age: 20.
Date of Death: 08/04/1943. Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 156 Sqdn.
Grave Reference: 4. E. 11. Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of Fanny Jackson, of Holloway, London.
101 Squadron Lancaster Mk III ED608 coded “T” from Holme on 2nd raid on 9 April. Bomb load 60 x 4 lb incendiaries, 48 x 30 lb X type incendiaries and 480 x 4 lb incendiaries. Shot down by flak at 21,000 ft over Duisberg. Bomb load jettisoned. Riley the mid upper and Bird the rear gunner were killed, the rest of the crew (P/Off E M Nelson AUS/401227 – pilot - PoW; F/Sgt R B A Pender AUS/411517 - Nav – safe; F/Sgt R A Parnell AUS/411514 – W/Op – PoW; F/Sgt C W Shields – B/Aimer – PoW; Sgt E V Newstead (RAFVR) 638014 – F/Eng – safe. Unusual for the pilot etc to bale out, usually it’s the 2 gunners that escape while the rest of the crew are in the wreckage. Even more unusual for 2 shot sown aircrew to escape from inside Germany, from Duisberg.
BIRD, THOMAS ARTHUR. Rank: Sergeant. Trade: Air Gnr. Service No: 1337140.
Date of Death: 08/04/1943. Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 101 Sqdn.
Grave Reference: Coll. grave 2. E. 9-19. Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY.
RILEY, JOHN RICHMOND. Rank: Flight Sergeant. Service No: 415182. Age: 28.
Date of Death: 09/04/1943. Regiment/Service: Royal Australian Air Force.
Grave Reference: 2. E. 5. Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY.

That's all I have so far.

It's just my curiosity on why so many in one collective grave and the random spread of the other burials associated with the various aircraft. it also seems that "shot down" more often refers to flak rather than fighters.