Operation: Training

Date: 29th August 1943 (Sunday)

Unit No: 14 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit

Type: Airspeed Oxford I (21 Group)

Serial: V4158

Code: Not known

Base: RAF Banff, Scotland

Location: Hillside Farm, Barmekin Hill, Echt, Aberdeen, Scotland

Pilot: Flt Sgt. Graham Braddock 421012 RNZAF Age 24. Killed

Pilot (U/T): Sgt. Aubrey Frances Smith 428799 RNZAF Age 24. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

After carrying out a training exercise the pilot retraced their course in low cloud and mist with undercarriage down.

It is thought that the experienced pilot had misjudged their position and accidentally stalled when confronted suddenly by the hill in front of them - both crew killed when they crashed at about 17:00 hrs.

Above - five of these seven men were killed! Wigram 1942 (possibly on award of Pilots Wings - they were all presented their badges on 28 November 1942): Top three: Flt Sgt. A.R. Young, Flt Sgt. John Stuart Selby Fleming, Flt Sgt. Graham Braddock: Centre two: WO. Neil Evan McLeod MacDonald, Sgt. Francis Alexander Jack Scott: Front (seated): Flt Sgt. D.B. Thomas, Flt Sgt. Harold Leslie Raymond Richards.

Flt Sgt. John Stuart Selby Fleming 421038, age 27 was KiA on the 19th November 1943 whilst with 90 Squadron. Buried at Rheinberg War Cemetery;

Flt Sgt. Graham Braddock 421012 RNZAF, age 24 was killed on the 29th August 1943. Buried at Dyce Old Churchyard in Aberdeenshire, Scotland;

WO. Neil Evan McLeod MacDonald 42427 RNZAF, age 23 was killed on the 28th December 1944 whilst with 33 Squadron. Buried at Bath Cemetery (Haycombe);

Sgt. Francis Alexander Jack Scott 421105 RNZAF, age 28 was KiA on the 28th May 1944 whilst with 75 Squadron. Buried at Gilze-En-Rijen R.C Cemetery;

Flt Sgt. Harold Leslie Raymond Richards 42457 RNZAF, age 28 was KiA whilst serving with 622 Squadron on the 18th November 1943. Buried at Lachalade Churchyard, Meuse, France.

Above: Corfe Castle Visit July-August 1943. Back row from left: Sgt. T.G.C. Mackay, Plt Off. J.C. Turner; Flt Sgt J. Pryse, Sgt. T.J. Ladd, Flt Sgt J.S.S. Fleming, Fg Off. G. Braddock, Sgt. F.A.J. Scott. Front row of three: Plt Off. E.L. Burke, Sgt. R.R. Pollock, Sgt. D.B. Thomas.

Burial Details

Flt Sgt. Graham Braddock. Dyce Old Churchyard, Aberdeen. Grave 43. Born on the 4th May 1919 in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, then moved to New Zealand aged 12. The son of Jonas Archibald and Lillian Ada Braddock (née Brown) and husband of Vivienne Helen Braddock (née Sutherland), of Taupiri, Auckland, New Zealand.

Worked on his father's dairy farm at Taupiri prior to service. Started his flying training at Levin on the 08th February 1942 - No. 3 Elementary Flying School on the 5th April 1943 - No. 1 Service Flying Training School on there 13th June 1942 - wings awarded on the 02nd September 1942 and promoted to Sergeant on the 28th November 1942. Embarked for the United Kingdom on the 17th January 1943. A total of 444 flying hours logged with 197 solo on the Airspeed Oxford.

Sgt. Aubrey Frances Smith. Dyce Old Churchyard, Aberdeen. Grave 44. Born on the 19th November 1918, the son of Harold and Annie Smith, of Paekakariki, Wellington, New Zealand.

265 flying hours logged with 12 solo on the Airspeed Oxford.

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) with information courtesy Errol Martyn - For Your Tomorrow Vol’s 1-3 and Jan-Field Hodgson. (Jul 2017). Thanks to Antonio McDonald for the corrections to role of Sgt. Smith and Next of Kin detail (Jan 2024).

Other sources listed below:

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