Operation: Transit

Date: 15th June 1945 (Friday)

Unit No: 232 Squadron

Type: Liberator C.IX

Serial: JT985

Code: EF:?

Base: RAF Holmsley South

Location: Polar Wood, near Kingston, Dorset

Note: This was ex USN RY-3 Privateer #90033

Crew:

Pilot: Flt Lt. Saxon Millis Cole C12677 RCAF Age 32. Killed

Pilot: Fg Off. Donald Angus Twaddle J40840 RCAF Age 23. Killed

Flt Eng: Flt Sgt. George Frederick Wyke 1021165 RAFVR Age 24. Killed

Navigator: Fg Off. Joseph Craig Todd J40382 RCAF Age 23. Killed

WOp/Air Gnr: Fg Off. George Everett McPherson J38603 RCAF Age 25. Killed

Above, left to right: Fg Off. Twaddle, Fg Off. Todd, Fg Off. McPherson from their service records

Passengers:

Cpl. William Herbert Berrey 1173006 RAFVR Age 25. Killed

LAC. Arthur Blackburn 1048924 RAF Age 23. Killed

LAC. Ronald Branker 1723550 RAFVR Age 23. Killed

Cpl. David James Brown 1037536 RAFVR Age 24. Killed

Flt Sgt. Alan James Cottier 569227 RAF Age 25. Killed

Cpl. Albert Ernest Deveson 1245416 RAF Age 25. Killed

Cpl. Douglas Walter Ellis 1206328 RAFVR Age 33. Killed

LAC. Harrell Goldsworthy Evans 1726829 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

LAC. Aneurin Glyndwr George 1403825 RAFVR Age 23. Killed

LAC. Frederick Douglas Harrington 1410300 RAFVR Age 21. Killed (232 Sqd)

LAC. Leonard Edward Hildrow 1716485 RAFVR Age 32. Killed

LAC. Kenneth Wilkinson Kilbank 1111797 RAFVR Age 29. Killed

Cpl. Leonard George Mason 575517 RAFVR Age 21. Killed (232 Sqd)

Cpl. Marks Moses 1418295 RAFVR Age 24. Killed

LAC. George Parr 1507259 RAFVR Age 23. Killed

Cpl. Donald Leslie Pratt 1139438 RAFVR Age 36. Killed (120 Sqd)

Cpl. William Frederick Stanley Riley 1178333 RAFVR Age 20. Killed

Cpl. Charles Frederick Venables 1192551 RAFVR Age 33. Killed

LAC. Ronald Williams 1409283 RAFVR Age 30. Killed

LAC. Leslie Williamson 1544158 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

LAC. Dennis William Wright 1098305 RAFVR Age 24. Killed

LAC. Frederick Stanley Yates 1116152 RAFVR Age 32. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

JT985, a USN RY-3 Privateer based upon the Liberator bomber, left RAF Holmsley South in Hampshire, in bad weather, at 07:20hrs on Friday 15th June 1945. Aboard were five crew, (four RCAF and one RAF) and 22 RAF ground crew bound for Palam in India. The war against Japan was still ongoing even though the war in Europe was over and the ground crew were urgently needed.

Soon after take-off, while over the English Channel, the crew reported having problems with fuel pressure and were intending to return to the airfield. At 08:15hrs people on the Encombe Estate, near Kingston village, Dorset saw the aircraft flying lower than the nearby hills and realised it was about to crash. It clipped the tops of trees and then hit the ground and broke up near Polar Wood, close to the present day Dorset Coastal Path. All those on board were killed.

Members of the Aircrew Association at Wool, Dorset have had a stone memorial bench installed near the crash site commemorating those who died in this crash and also the three who crew of a Fairey Swordfish (K5985) which crashed near the same spot in March 1938. (Crew of Swordfish: Plt Off. Frederick Edgar Williams, Cpl. Cyril John Coles and LAC. David Samuel Hurrell) Memorial photograph courtesy of Michael Day.

Burial details:

Crew:

Flt Lt. Saxon Millis Cole. Brookwood Military Cemetery. Grave 61.B.6. Grave inscription: "BELOVED HUSBAND OF PEGGY COLE, OTTAWA, CANADA". Born on the 16th April 1913 in Ottawa, Ontario. The son of Norman Richard and Katherine Arletta (née Whittaker) Cole, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and husband of Peggy (née Bull) Cole, of Ottawa, Canada.

Fg Off. Donald Angus Twaddle. Brookwood Military Cemetery. Grave 61.B.7. Grave inscription: "IN MEMORY EVER DEAR". Born on the 25th May 1922 in Trail, British Columbia. The son of John Bunting Twaddle and Florence Ann (née McDonald) Twaddle, of Trail, British Columbia, Canada.

Flt Sgt. George Frederick Wyke. All Saints church, Speke, Liverpool. Section A. Grave 40. Grave inscription: "DUTY NOBLY DONE". The son of William Edward and Emily (née Dutton) Wyke, of Speke, Liverpool, England.

Fg Off. Joseph Craig Todd. Brookwood Military Cemetery. Grave 61.B.8. Grave inscription: "I'VE TROD THE SANCTITY OF SPACE, PUT OUT MY HAND AND TOUCHED THE FACE OF GOD". Born on the 5th January 1922 in Airdrie, Scotland. The son of Joseph and Margaret Henderson (née Marshall) Todd, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Todd Bay in Edmund Lake, Manitoba was named after Fg Off. Joseph Todd in 1995.

Fg Off. George Everett McPherson. New Albany Cemetery, Mississippi, USA. Willbanks Division. Born on the 28th August 1919 in New Albany, Mississippi, USA. Son of George and Addie (née Bryant) McPherson of New Albany, Mississippi, USA. Husband of Lois Helen (née Vaughan) McPherson, of Northmount, Ontario, Canada.

Passengers:

Cpl. William Herbert Berrey. Saints Peter and Paul churchyard, Aston, Warwickshire. Grave inscription: "MY DEAR HUSBAND. KIND, UNSELFISH AND TRUE, MY PROUDEST POSSESSIONS ARE BEAUTIFUL MEMORIES OF YOU". The son of John Thomas Berrey and Annie Beatrice (née Hopwood) Berrey, of Birmingham and husband of Constance (née White) Berrey, of Aston, Birmingham, England.

LAC. Arthur Blackburn. Windhill Methodist Cemetery, Shipley. Section L.L. Grave 214. Grave inscription: "SILENT THOUGHTS, SWEETEST MEMORIES". The son of Arthur and Nellie (née Stevenson ) Blackburn, of Windhill, Shipley, West Yorkshire and husband of Ellen (née Houghton) Blackburn, of Thrybergh, South Yorkshire, England.

LAC. Ronald Branker. All Saints Churchyard, Paston, Northamptonshire. Grave D.15. The son of Walter James and Ruth (née Ladds) Branker of Peterborough, England.

Cpl. David James Brown. St Mary Magdalene churchyard, Creswell, Derbyshire. Grave B51-339. Grave inscription: "WE PLANNED A BEAUTIFUL FUTURE ONLY TO END IN A DREAM. LOVING WIFE EDNA". The son of David and Margaret (nee Creasey) Brown, of Creswell, and husband of Edna (née Wood) Brown, of Barlborough, England.

Flt Sgt. Alan James Cottier. St Laurence churchyard extension, Northfield, Warwickshire. Grave X.9. The son of Thomas F. and Amy F. (née Goddard) Cottier of Chorlton, Lancashire and husband of Vera (née Morgan) Cottier of Birmingham, England.

Cpl. Albert Ernest Deveson. St Giles Churchyard, Kingston, Canterbury, Kent. The son of Ernest Albert and May (née Groombridge) Deveson and the husband of Doris Amy Peace (née Gibbs) Deveson, of Kingston, England. (grave photo available)

Cpl. Douglas Walter Ellis. Haycombe Cemetery, Bath. Plot 39. Sec. H. Row D. Grave 262. Grave inscription: "HE LOVED ENGLAND, FREEDOM AND DAVID HIS SON. HE DIED THAT THEY MIGHT LIVE". The son of Walter James Ellis and Amy Jane Ellis (née Talboys) and husband of Betty Margaret Ellis (née Ireland), of Hanham, Bristol, England.

LAC. Harrell Goldsworthy Evans. Reading Cemetery. Division 31, Grave 123. Grave inscription: "SLEEP ON, DEAR SON AND TAKE YOUR REST, THEY MISS YOU MOST THAT LOVED YOU BEST". The son of James Henry and Gladys May (nee Stevens) Evans, of Reading, England.

LAC. Aneurin Glyndwr George. Pen-Cae Chapelyard, Cardiganshire, Wales. Grave inscription: "EHEDODD" IN LIFE HE FLEW; HE FLEW AWAY TO LIFE. EI HUN MOR DAWEL YW". The son of George and Mary Anna (née James) George, of Cwmfelinfach, Monmouthshire, Wales.

LAC. Frederick Douglas Harrington. Weston Mill Cemetery, Plymouth. Sec. B. Cons. Grave 19075. Grave inscription: "HIS LIFE A BEAUTIFUL MEMORY, A DUTY NOBLY DONE R.I.P. EDNA, MUM AND DAD". The son of John Henry and Bertha Beatrice (née Toms) Harrington, of Plymouth and husband of Edna May (née Sanders ) Harrington, of Swilly, Plymouth, England. (They had been married for less than three months when he was killed).

LAC. Leonard Edward Hildrow. Haycombe Cemetery, Bath. Plot 39. Sec. H. Row D. Grave 261. The son of Son of Edward Martin and Millie (née Hutchins) Hildrow of Stoke Newington, Hackney, London, England.

LAC. Kenneth Wilkinson Kilbank. Kirkburton (All Hallows) New Churchyard. Grave 84. The son of John William and Edith (née Lee ) Kilbank and husband of Nora (née Lumb) Kilbank, of Waterloo, England.

Cpl. Leonard George Mason. Stockton-On-Tees (Durham Road) Cemetery. Sec. L.1. C. of E. Row N. Joint grave 35. Grave inscription: "TREASURED MEMORIES OF TWO BROKEN LIVES". The son of Ernest Albert and Ellen (née Littlefair ) Mason, of Stockton-on-Tees, England.

His grave is shared with his younger brother, 19 year old Sgt. Alan Ernest Mason 575569 RAFVR. Alan was killed flying as a Flt Eng. with 1651 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU) when Stirling BF314 crashed during a training operation on the 28th October 1942.

Cpl. Mark Moses. Gelderd Road English Hebrew Cemetery, Leeds. Row BL Grave 1. Grave inscription: "DEEPLY MOURNED BY HIS SORROWING WIFE ZENA, DAUGHTER MAUREEN, PARENTS, BROTHERS AND FAMILY". The son of Louis and Miriam (née Shrenski) Moses, of Hull and husband of Zena (née Bransky) Moses, of Hull, England.

LAC. George Parr. St. Nicholas Cemetery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Sec. K. Grave 246. Grave inscription: "GOD'S GREATEST GIFT REMEMBRANCE". The son of the late William and Elsie Mary (née Hinks) Parr and the stepson of the late Edward Warneford, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, England.

Cpl. Donald Leslie Pratt. Thornton Garden of Rest, Lydiate Lane, Litherland, Merseyside. Sec. A. Grave 511. Grave inscription: "PROUD AND LOVING MEMORIES OF MY DEAR HUSBAND, DON'S DADDY. DUTY WELL DONE". The son of Frederick James Pratt and Sara Elizabeth (nee Horspool) Pratt and husband of Matilda (née Bentley) Pratt, of Netherton, Liverpool.

Cpl. William Frederick Stanley Riley. St Laurence churchyard extension, Northfield, Warwickshire. Grave G. G9. The son of Arthur and Elizabeth (née Brookes ) Riley and husband of Joan (née Guildford) Riley, of Northfield, Birmingham, England.

Cpl. Charles Frederick Venables. Manor Park Cemetery and Crematorium. Screen Wall. Square 241. Coll. grave 108030. The son of William David and Rose Louise (nee Loveridge) Venables and husband of Doris May (nee Russell) Venables, of Romford, England.

LAC. Ronald Williams. Haycombe Cemetery, Bath. Plot 39. Sec. H. Row E. Grave 261. The son of Joseph and Jane (née Hocking) Williams, of Par, Cornwall, England. (grave photo available)

LAC. Leslie Williamson. Saltwell Cemetery, Gateshead. Div. C. Grave 2515. Grave inscription: "HE GAVE HIS ALL TO SET US FREE. MAY HE REST IN PEACE WITH THEE. R.I.P". The son of John and Theresa (nee Jennings) Williamson, of Gateshead England.

LAC. Dennis William Wright. St Lukes Churchyard, Duston, Northamptonshire. Grave inscription: "THE ETERNAL GOD IS THY REFUGE, AND UNDERNEATH ARE THE EVERLASTING ARMS". The son of Philip Charles and Harriet Louisa (née Perkins) Wright, of Duston, England.

LAC. Frederick Stanley Yates. Haycombe Cemetery, Bath. Plot 39. Sec. H. Row E. Grave 262. Grave inscription: "ALWAYS REMEMBERED BY MOTHER, FATHER FAMILY AND FRIENDS". The son of Charles and Eleanor Gertrude (née Stanley) Yates of Walsal, Staffordshire, England.

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) and Mike McQuaid for Aircrew Remembered (Jan 2019) dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the following who have provided permission for photographs: Dafydd Williams, Kevin Chatfield, Brad Evans, Wayne Bywater, Keith Grant, John M, Charlie, Mike McQuaid. Correction to aircraft designation and addition of aircrew photographs by Aircrew Remembered (Oct 2023).

Other sources listed below:

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