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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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RAF
02nd September 1942 TTU Beaufighter I N1180 Sgt. Albert Augustine Haydon

Operation: Training

Date: 02nd September 1942 (Wednesday)

Unit: Torpedo Training Unit

Type: Beaufort I

Serial: N1180

Code: S

Base: RAF Abbotsinch, Renfrewshire, Scotland

Location: Mull of Kintyre

Pilot: Sgt. Albert Augustine Haydon NZ/414287 RNZAF Age 26. Killed

Obs: Sgt. Francis John Bliss Griffin 1330126 RAFVR Age 33. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Tom Henry Grasswick R/60581 RCAF Age 21. Killed

Air/Gnr: P/O. Leonard Percy Booker NZ/391207 RNZAF Age 29. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Turnberry for this exercise. During a night navigational training flight N1180 veered slightly off course after a strong westerly wind increased during unexpected adverse weather.

At 22:40 hrs they flew into Tor Mhor, a hill 2 km east of the Mull of Kintyre lighthouse, all the crew were killed.

Burial and other details:

Sgt. Albert Augustine Haydon. Brookwood Military Cemetery. Grave 2.H.1. Born on the 01st November 1915 in Wellington. Son of Edward Francis (died 26th June 1964, age 83) and Cecilia Julia Haydon (died 22nd February 1921, age 39), of Palmerston North, Wellington, New Zealand.

Sgt. Francis John Bliss Griffin. Pinner Cemetery. Section F.5. Grave 125. Son of Francis George (died 28th February 1959) and Mary Griffin. Husband of Doris Woodruff Griffin (née Young - died 01st April 2009, age 97), father of Edward Francis of Pinner, Middlesex, England. Epitaph: 'He Will Live In Our Hearts For Ever'.

Fl/Sgt. Tom Henry Grasswick. Campbeltown Cemetery (Kilkerran). Division 4. Grave 601. Born on the 23rd March 1921 in Calgary. Son of Tom Henry (died 14th August 1980, age 92) and Stella Vernetta Grasswick (née Marsh - died 1988, age 89 - married in 1920), of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Epitaph: 'He Will Live In Our Hearts For Ever'.

P/O. Leonard Percy Booker. Campbeltown Cemetery (Kilkerran). Division 4. Grave 600. Born on the 25th April 1913 in Christchurch. Son of John Isaac (died 19th September 1944, aged 58) and Mary Booker (died 22nd July 1956, age 69) of New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, New Zealand Cenotaph, Weekly News of New Zealand, Air Museum of New Zealand, Museum of Transport and Technology, Auckland, other sources as quoted below:

KTY 06-12-2022

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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