[josquin]

Seth

Commonwealth War Graves Commission supports your post: it lists
61603 2/AM F.J. Ridgway of 45 Squadron as died 7 February 1917.
The Air 79 file at the National Archives, Kew, lists a Frederick James
Ridgway, at the reference AIR 79/559/61603 (the last 5 digits indicate
he is the same man as the CWGC listing). Neither Air 79 nor CWGC
list a "R.W. Ridgway." If interested, the National Archives reference
is for a copy of Ridgway's service record. The RAF Muster Roll, as
of 1 April 1918, lists 136655 3/AM R. Ridgeway as having been last promoted
on 27 February 1918; his service record is at AIR 79/1225/136655 at the
National Archives, Kew--but he is clearly not the man KIA or POW on
7 February 1917, and no "R.W. Ridgeway" appears in any records I have
located. Finally, as you said, the RAF Museum casualty card for
Edward Eustace Erlebach identifies 2/AM F.J. Ridgway as the airman
accompanying Erlebach on 7 February 1917.

Josquin