Operation: Training

Date: 18th December 1942 (Friday)

Unit: No. 1 Service Flying Training School

Type: Oxford I

Serial: NZ1324

Code: -

Base: RNZAF Wigram, New Zealand

Location: Norwood

Pilot (Inst): F/O. Cyril Griffith William Henderson NZ/40972 RNZAF Age 26. Killed

Pilot (Pupil): LAC. Eric Mark Broadhurst NZ/428813 RNZAF Age 22. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

During a duel flying training exercise took off in the morning collided with another of the same school’s Oxford Is (NZ1286) at 100 feet above the airfield at Norwood, about 15 miles WSW of Wigram, crashed and caught fire.

Two anonymous members of the Fire Section were later commended for their efforts in extricating the pilot’s bodies from the burning wreckage. LAC Keith Owen Whitehouse NZ/428800 (1), flying solo in NZ1286, made a successful crash landing and escaped with slight injuries.

(1) F/O. Keith Owen Whitehouse killed with all his crew serving with 75 Squadron on Lancaster I HK568 on an operation to Stuttgart, Germany,

Burial and additional personal details:

F/O. Cyril Griffith William Henderson. Midhirst Cemetery. Grave D.60. Born on the 05th August 1916 at Eltham. Educated at New Plymouth and Stratford High Schools. A clerk for T.L. Penn Accountant in Stratford. Enlisted at Levin on the 09th April 1940. With No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School 06th May 1940. First solo flight 13th May 1940. With No. 2 Flying Training School 01st July 1940. Pilot badge awarded on the 23rd August 1940. Awarded commission on the 26th of October 1940. With No. 3 Flying Training School as an instructor 30th December 1940. With No. 1 Service Flying Training School on the 06th March 1942 as an instructor. Son of Thomas William (died 19th May 1970, age 81) and Ellenor May Henderson (née Jones -died 09th December 1957, age 67), of Tuna, Taranaki and husband of Florence Ethel Henderson (died 08th September 2006, age 67), of Vogeltown, New Plymouth, New Zealand. A total of 1,639 flying hours logged.

LAC. Eric Mark Broadhurst. Kaikoura Cemetery. Grave 21. Born on the 11th March 1920 at Kaikoura . Educated at Christchurch Technical College. Served 2 years in the territorial army. Enlisted at Rotorua on the 23rd of July 1942. With No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School on the 05th September 192. With No. 1 Flying Training School on the 28th November 1942. Son of Mark Eggleton Smith Broadhurst (died 23rd December 1963, age 84), and of Mary Elizabeth Broadhurst (née Gray - died 21st July 1969, age 75), of Kaikoura, Marlborough, New Zealand.

Later:

F/O. Keith Owen Whitehouse. Cronenbourg French Cemetery. L9, Collective grave 5-11. Born on the 13th March 1921 at Levin. Educated at St. Patrick's College. Enlisted at Rotorua on the 23rd July 1942. With No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School on the 04th September 1942. With No. 1 Service Flying Training School. Pilot badge awarded on the 13th February 1943 and promoted to sergeant on the 09th April 1943. Embarked for England on the 12th May 1943. With 11 Operational Training Unit 05th October 1943. With 1657 Heart Conversion Unit on the 28th January 1944. Commissioned on the 14th April 1944. With Lancaster Finishing School 15th April 1944. Finally joined 75 squadron on the 03rd May 1944 where he flew 27 operational sorties. Son of Thomas William (died 19th May 1970, age 81) and Ellenor May Henderson (née Fletcher - died 09th December 1957, age 67), of Tuna, Taranaki and husband of Florence Ethel Henderson (died 08th September 2006, age 67), of Vogeltown, New Plymouth, New Zealand. 468 flying hours logged

Above: As described (Courtesy Air Museum of New Zealand)

L-R: Rear; Blackwood, Watkinson, Moffat, Heaney, Schwass, Freeman, Broadhurst, R Mackay.
Centre; Lee, Carter, Maud, Chegwidden, Horgan, McConnell, Twohill, J Smith, Whitehouse.
Front; Paynter, Page, Wright, Batten, Kemp, Allen, Wallace, Moss, Evans.

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”, Auckland Library Heritage Collection, Weekly News of New Zealand, Air Museum of New Zealand, Museum of Transport and Technology, Auckland, other sources as quoted below:

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