Operation: Mail delivery flight

Date: 4th August 1944 (Friday)

Unit No: 353 Squadron, South East Asia Command

Type: Douglas Dakota (DC3)

Serial: FZ597

Code: Y

Base: RAF Dum Dum, Calcutta, India

Location: State of Bihar, 9½ miles NE of the Mohania railway station, India

Pilot: Fg Off. David Crawford Forman AFC 400366 RAAF Age 23. Killed

Nav: WO. Frederick Walter Handley 401375 RAAF Age 30. Killed

Flt Eng: Flt Sgt. Kenneth Martyn Anthony Sexton 1402643 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

WOp: Plt Off. John Beebar 403252 RAAF Age 22. Killed

Passengers:

Lt Col. Paul Evan Rodgers Dawson 45436 Royal Artillery. Commander of the 21 Mountain Regt, Royal Indian Artillery. Age 31. Killed;
Lt Col. Robert Frank Courtney Weallens 33375 Royal Engineers. Age 39. Killed;
Lt Col. Edward Ronald Pettit MC. 44155 Royal Armoured Corps. Serving member of the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers. Age 34. Killed;
Maj. Ernest Hicks EC/16 Indian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Age 32. Killed;
Maj. Gerald Francis Keen 199543 General List. Age 24. Killed;
Maj. Thomas Atkinson Walton 58986 Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment). Age 31. Killed;
Flt Lt. Frederick Grant Jackson J6209 RCAF. A pilot serving with 273 Sqn. Age 26. Killed;
Fg Off. Frederick William Cawthorne 175610 RAFVR. A Wireless Operator serving with 194 Sqn. Age? Killed;
Flt Sgt. Stanley Wilson 544707 RAF. Serving with 353 Sqn. Age 25. Killed;
Sgt. Charles Edward Church 1426432 RAFVR. A Flight Engineer serving with 353 Sqn. Age 24. Killed;
AC1. William John Lewis 1522390 RAFVR. Serving with 353 Sqn. Age 22. Killed;
AC1. Oliver Taylor 1480296 RAFVR. Serving with 353 Sqn. Age? Killed;
Nurse. Diana Stewart Crofton 292, Auxiliary Nursing Service (India), 74 Indian General Hospital. Age 21. Killed;
Mr. Seth Drucquer was a Civil Servant of the Government of Bengal, Calcutta India. Age 33. Killed.

Note: We welcome any additional details regarding this loss and the members of the crew - several variations exist on the passenger manifest, but we feel that we may have it correct.

Note: Jun 2025. The final crew and passenger manifest has been found and all eighteen (18) souls have now been identified.

REASON FOR LOSS:

The aircraft took off on a routine mail run with passengers to Delhi.

At or about 09.30 hrs, the aircraft ran into a storm, which was reputed by local inhabitants and police force as being the worst in living memory.

From investigation of the wreckage, it was considered that the aircraft broke up with an initial fracture of the port mainplane root fillet leading to a more general disintegration owing to the abnormal speed gathered in the centre of that storm, and the aircraft becoming out of control, it dived into the ground.

A report following the accident stated that in addition to the pilot being fatigued after flying over 130 hours in the previous month, the aircraft's artificial horizon was unserviceable which may have contributed to the pilots inability to maintain control. (see below for credits for this information)

The site of the crash was a paddy field in the State of Bihar, 9½ miles NE of the Mohania railway station, where the Kudra River bends due west from due north. All of the crew and passengers perished in the crash..

Above Taken in England showing RAAF pilots who had trained on the No. 5 Course Empire Training Scheme L-R: Fg Off. David Forman, unidentified, Davies, Plt Off. Leslie Hancock 400368 RAAF killed whilst with 1651 Operational Training Unit. Flying Stirling I N6102 on an operation to Hamburg when the aircraft went missing. Fg Off. Horace Spencer Fordyce 400396 RAAF PoW on OADU flight to Malta on Wellington IC HX580 30th July 1942, Flt Lt. Harry Leggo 400370 RAAF (courtesy AWM)

353 Sqn personnel photograph circa 1945. It is not known if this image pre-dates or post-dates the loss of FZ597 (Courtesy of Michael Cowdrey)

Burial details:

The killed were initially buried at the scene of the crash in one common grave. In 1947 the bodies were interred at the Ranchi War Cemetery on the 13th of December 1947. Graves described below as Special Memorial - buried near this spot.

Images of a funeral parade which may have been held in the honour of the those that lost their lives in the loss of FZ597 (Courtesy of Michael Cowdrey)

Crew:

Fg Off. David Crawford Forman AFC. Ranchi War Cemetery, India. Special Memorial 5.E.5. Grave inscription: "HE THAT BELIEVETH IN ME, THOUGH HE WERE DEAD, YET SHALL HE LIVE". Born on the 2nd December 1920 at East Malvern, Victoria, the son of George and Florence May Forman, of Glen Iris, Victoria, Australia.

Fg Off. Forman was posthumously awarded the AFC, London Gazette 1st January 1945. Citation: "F/O D.C. Forman is pilot and transport captain in 353 Squadron. His reliability, judgement and skill have been outstanding, most particularly during monsoon conditions when decisions have to be made and carried out without hesitation. The discipline, efficiency and confidence of his crew are exemplary, constituting the most favourable reflection on this officer's ability."

WO. Frederick Walter Handley. Ranchi War Cemetery, India. Special Memorial 5.E.6. Grave inscription: "WELL DONE, THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT". Born on the 21st June 1914 at Melbourne, Victoria, the son of Walter and Amy Beatrice Handley, of East Malvern, Victoria, Australia.

WO. Kenneth Martyn Anthony Sexton. Ranchi War Cemetery, India. Special Memorial 5.F.5. Grave inscription: "BIRD SONGS AT EVENTIDE" OVER THE QUIET HILLS SLOWLY THE SHADOWS FALL R.I.P". Son of Michael A. Sexton and Olive M. Sexton, of Maida Hill, London, England.

Plt Off. John Beebar. Ranchi War Cemetery, India. Special Memorial 5.E.1. Grave inscription: "DEARLY LOVED, SADLY MISSED. WE CARRY YOU IN A LOCKET OF GOLD". Born on the 27th August 1921 at Paddington, New South Wales, the son of John A. Beebar and Barbara Beebar, of Kingsford, New South Wales, Australia.

Passengers:

Lt Col. Paul Evan Rodgers Dawson. Ranchi War Cemetery, India. Special Memorial 5.E.3. Born on the 15th January 1907 in Brighton, Sussex. Son of William Rodgers and Frances Margaret (née Sykes) Dawson of Rousdon, Devon. Husband to Enid (née Pegge) Mason.

His brother Plt Off. Michael Anthony Rodgers Dawson 68858 RAFVR died on the 18th May 1942. He was serving with the Aircraft Maintenance Unit (AMU) and died in the Gezira Sporting Club, Cairo, from a self inflicted gun shot wound to the head. He is buried in Heliopolis War Cemetery.

Lt Col. Robert Frank Courtney Weallens. Ranchi War Cemetery, India. Special Memorial 5.F.6. Grave inscription reads: "I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH". Son of Lt.Col. William Weallens, The Northamptonshire Regiment and of Helena Cicely Weallens (née West) of York Cottage, London Road, Camberley, Surrey, England.

Lt Col. Edward Ronald Pettit MC. Ranchi War Cemetery, India. Special Memorial 5.F.2. Born on the 26th September 1909 in Pembridge, Herefordshire. Son of Colonel Hubert Ronald Pettit, D.L., J.P., and Isobel Margaret Pettit, J.P and husband of Margaret Godfrey Pettit, of Castle Weir, Lyonshall, Herefordshire, England.

The Military Cross (MC) was awarded to Captain (Temporary Major) Edward Ronald Pettit (44155), 9th Queen's Royal Lancers (attached to the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards)), Royal Armoured Corps. London Gazette 6th February 1945

Maj. Ernest Hicks. Ranchi War Cemetery, India. Special Memorial 5.E.7. Born on the 25th November 1911 in Northwich, Cheshire. Son of Thomas and Margaret Ethel (née Rogers) Hicks. Husband to Mary Jane (née Burrell) Hicks of Hereford, Herefordshire, England.

Maj. Gerald Francis Keen. Ranchi War Cemetery, India. Special Memorial 5.F.1. Grave inscription reads: "IN PROUD AND VERY PRECIOUS MEMORY OF OUR DARLING BOY. AU REVOIR, GERRY DEAR". Son of Wilfred George and Frances Keen, of Barford St. Martin, Wiltshire, England.

Above Maj. Thomas Atkinson Walton (Courtesy of Tony Stafford)

Maj. Thomas Atkinson Walton. Ranchi War Cemetery, India. Special Memorial 5.F.5. Grave inscription reads: "TO LIVE IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE LEFT BEHIND IS NOT TO DIE". Son of Thomas and Ethel Agusta Walton and husband of Phyllis Mary Walton, of Duffield, Derbyshire. A.C.A.

Above: The parents grave at Alliston Union Cemetery, Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada

Flt Lt. Frederick Grant Jackson. Ranchi War Cemetery, India. Special Memorial 5.E.1A. Born on the 2nd June 1918 in Hillandale, Ontario. Son of John Edgar and Esther (née Banting) Jackson, of Ballycroy, Ontario, Canada.

The family also lost his brother, Plt Off. Ross Banting Jackson J19031 RCAF who was killed on the 22nd October 1943 serving as an air gunner with 408 Sqn.

Fg Off. Frederick William Cawthorne. Ranchi War Cemetery, India. Special Memorial 5.E.1A. No further details, are you able to assist?

Flt Sgt. Stanley Wilson. Ranchi War Cemetery, India. Special Memorial 5.F.7. Grave inscription reads: "AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE WILL REMEMBER". Son of John and Nancy Wilson, of Stockport, Cheshire, England.

Sgt. Charles Edward Church. Ranchi War Cemetery, India. Special Memorial 5.E.2. Grave inscription reads: "IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR DEAR SON. ALWAYS IN OUR THOUGHTS. MUM AND DAD". Son of Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Church, of Hayes, Middlesex, England.

AC1. William John Lewis. Ranchi War Cemetery, India. Special Memorial 5.F.1A. Son of Joseph and Annie Elizebeth Lewis, of Markham, Monmouthshire, Wales, husband of Pearl Christine Lewis.

AC1. Oliver Taylor. Ranchi War Cemetery, India. Special Memorial 5.F.4. No further details, are you able to assist?

Above Courtesy of the Andrews Newspaper Index cards 1790-1976

Nurse. Diana Stewart Crofton. Delhi War Cemetery 6.J.8. Grave Inscription: “ELDER DAUGHTER OF SIR RICHARD AND LADY CROFTON. TILL THE DAY BREAKS”. Born on the 23rd July 1923 in Lymington, New Forest, Hampshire. Daughter of Sir Richard Marsh Crofton, C.I.E., B.A., J.P., I.C.S., and of Lady Crofton (née Cox), of Windlesham, Surrey, England.

Mr. Seth Drucquer. Buried or Commemorated at the Undivided India Cemetery, United Provinces. Born in the 3rd Qtr of 1911 in Willesden, Middlesex. Son of His Honour Judge Maurice Nathaniel Drucquer and Doris Marguerite (née Levy) Drucquer of Barons Court, London. (his mother predeceased in March 1916).

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) for the family of Flt Lt. Frederick Grant Jackson, who also supplied some of the photographs. Dedicated to relatives of the crew and passengers. For further details our thanks to Colin Cummins author of 'Though Without Anger' - published by Nimbus ISBN: 978-0-9526619-6-2.

With thanks to 'Closet Skeleton Genealogical Society'. Copyrighted Image of the family grave for the Jackson's, used with Permission. Thanks to Sqn Ldr. Mike Cowdrey RAF (retd) for the image of the Funeral and Squadron personnel. (His father R A Cowdrey 954947 served as a Wireless Operator on 353 Squadron at the time of the loss of FZ597) (Jan 2018). Thanks to Tony Stafford for the image of his uncle, Maj. Walton (Nov 2022). Update to Next of Kin details for Seth Drucquer (Aug 2023). Thanks to Graham Webb for the missing passenger, Nurse Diana Stewart Crofton (Jun 2025). Other updates by Aircrew Remembered (Jun 2025).

Other sources listed below:

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