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Operation: Night cross country exercise.
Date: 21st January 1944 (Friday)
Unit: No. 27 OTU (Operational Training Unit)
Type: Wellington III
Serial: BJ652
Code: Z
Base: RAF Church Broughton
Location: Smerrill Dale, Middleton-by-Youlgrave, Derbyshire
Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Lloyd George Edmonds AUS/416941 RAAF Age 25. Killed
Pilot 2: F/O. Keith Jobson Perrett AUS/434608 RAAF Age 27. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. James Kydd AUS/426621 RAAF Age 26. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. William Thomas Barnes AUS/30581 RAAF Age 27. Killed
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Frederick Popham Deshon AUS/426555 RAAF Age 27. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Thomas Dudley Murton AUS/430628 RAAF Age 19. Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Taking off from RAF Church Broughton on a night cross country exercise. According to Bill Chorley (BCL O.T. Units 1940-1947. P.272) the 93 Group Met office were advising all aircraft to land by 23.30 by - issuing the command at 21.30 hrs.
This was not acknowledged by BJ652. Nine minutes later that called to advise their position as above Gainsborough. At 22.10 hrs the aircraft crashed at Grange Farm in Smerrill Dale, killing all the crew.
Burial details:
Fl/Sgt. Lloyd George Edmonds. Chester (Blacon) Cemetery. Sec. A. Grave 368. Further information: Son of Percy John and Edith Marion Edmonds, of Unley, Adelaide, South Australia. Lloyd had four sisters and grew up in Strathalbyn. His parents ran a general store in the town. The family later moved to the suburbs of Adelaide when Lloyd was a young man.
F/O. Keith Jobson Perrett. Chester (Blacon) Cemetery. Sec. A. Grave 411. Son of Ernest Alfred and Annie Perrett, of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Fl/Sgt. James Kydd. Chester (Blacon) Cemetery. Sec. A. Grave 544. Son of William and Williamina Kydd, husband of Mary Thelma Kydd, of Wynnum, Queensland, Australia.
Fl/Sgt. William Thomas Barnes. Chester (Blacon) Cemetery. Sec. A. Grave 455. Son of Francis James Barnes and Queenie Kate Barnes.
Fl/Sgt. Frederick Popham Deshon. Chester (Blacon) Cemetery. Sec. A. Grave 632. Son of Arthur Popham Deshon and Violet Brenda Deshon, of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, husband of Betty Phyllis Deshon, of Ascot, Queensland, Australia.
Sgt. Thomas Dudley Murton. Chester (Blacon) Cemetery. Sec. A. Grave 325. Son of Dudley Arthur Murray Murton and Ethel Mary Murton, of Tatura, Victoria, Australia.
Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to Max Slee for Fl/Sgt. Edmonds photograph, the Airfield Information Group for the memorial photograph, Tom Bates from the "About Derbyshire" website for information, Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vol's. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vol's. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Tom Kracker - 'Kracker Luftwaffe Archives'. Aircrew Remembered own Archives.
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Binyon
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