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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 Crest
06.11.1944 No. 13 Operational Training Unit Mosquito HJ669 Fl/Sgt. Williams

Operation: Training - Solo

Date: 06th November 1944 (Monday)

Unit: No. 13 Operational Training Unit (OTU - 2 Group)

Type: Mosquito FB.VI

Serial: HJ669

Code: Not known

Base: RAF Harwell, Berkshire

Location: East South East RAF Harwell airfield, Berkshire

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Leslie Arthur Williams NZ/422082 RNZAF Age 23. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from RAF Harwell in Berkshire on a solo training flight - suffered port engine failure, the pilot made a tight turn against the dead engine when flying at too low an airspeed, aircraft stalled and spun into the ground at 11:35 hrs from around 500 ft.

Air accident investigators discovered that the engine failure was found to have been caused by the No. 3 big end failure as a result of overheating.

Burial details:

Fl/Sgt. Leslie Arthur Williams. Oxford Cemetery (Botley) Plot H/3. Grave 76. Son of Robert Evan Williams and of Mabel Williams (née Laine and husband of Betty Albion Williams, of New Brighton, Canterbury, New Zealand. The pilot had 425 hours flying hours logged.

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

KTY - 25.09.2017

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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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