War Grave Wednesday: ATA First Officer David Russell Hayward

 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

First Officer David Russell Hayward was born on 7th June 1920 to Edwyn Walton (Jim) Hayward and his wife Eileen Frances Russell.

On 22n March 1941 David married Peggy Alice Georgina Farmer.  David and Peggy had a son together in 1943.

After the outbreak of World War Two, David joined the Air Transport Auxiliary Service, an Air Force service that ferried aircraft between airfields.

On the 21st April 1945 David Russell was in command of an Argus II HB595 at Lasham Airfield, Hampshire in what was to be a moonlight take off.  The Argus's engines cut soon after take off and the aircraft crashed and burned not far from Lasham Hill Farm.  A later investigation found that the petrol cocks were only half on at the point of impact.

David was an avid cricket player during his time at Oxford University.  He also played for Middlesex.

War Grave Wednesday - First Officer Wilbur washington "Bee" Acton ATA

 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.



Wilbur Washington "Bee" Acton was born in the USA to William Acton and his wife Irene in 1916.

On 8th July 1944 First Officer Wilbur Acton was flying an Anson I NK773, when an Oxford X7134 plane descended below the cloud cover and collided with Wilbur's Anson.  Both planes crashed just five miles north of Hullavington, Robourne, Wiltshire.

RAF Pilot Bernard Norman Philips of the Oxford was killed, along with Squadron Leader William Alfred Law.

On July 20th 1944 Flight Magazine reported -

"Air Transport Auxiliary

First Officer Wilbur Washington (Bee) Acton, U.S.A., A.T.A., killed in the course of ferrying duties in England."

It seems at odds that the sacrifice these brave men and women made could simply be summed up in one sentence.

I have no idea why Wilbur had the name Bee associated with him.  Records of this particular accident are difficult to find.

Restored Anson Mk I Bomber in flight

Source - Wikipeadia

 

War Grave Wednesday - Air Transport Auxiliary, First Officer Dora Lang

 

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

Monument to First Officer Dora Lang, All Saints Maidenhead Cemetery, Maidenhead, Berkshire, England.


Dora Lang was born in 1915.  After the outbreak of World War Two, Dora joined the ATA, Air Transport Auxiliary service.

However on 2nd March 1844, whilst flying her de Havilland Mosquito FB. Mrk VI on approach to the RAF station at Lasham, Hampshire, Dora undershot her landing.  In an attempt to correct her mistake Dora 'opened up' her aircraft and climbed 150ft before the engines stalled.  The aircraft then flipped to the left and ploughed into the ground.  Dora was killed instantly.

Also killed in the accident was Flight Engineer Janice Margaret Harrington.

De Havilland Mosqutio FB Mrk VI at Lasham RAF Station 1944.

 

 

 



War Grave Wednesday - ATA First Officer Alan Blair Dorrell

Monument to First Officer Alan Blair Dorrell, All Saints Maidenhead Cemetery, Maidenhead Berkshire.

"Jesus said. "Greater love hath no man than this.  That a man lay down his life for his friends."


Alan Blair Dorrell was born on 8th May 1910 in St John, Worcestershire to John Dorrell, a clothing manufacturer, and his with Eveline Francis Hinks.

Alan appears on the 1911 Census aged just 11 months old, living with his parents and elder brother Geoffrey James and younger sister Nora Helen Dorrell, aged just one month, in Mavlern Road, St John, Worcestershire.

Alan obtained his Aviators' Certificate on 24th May 1939 at Worcestershire Flying Club.

First Officer Alan Blair Dorrell died when he crashed the Spitfire VIII he was flying at Byron Hall Farm, Stag Lane, Lowton nr Warrington, in bad weather on 1st December 1943 aged just 33 years.

Alan's name also appears on the Malvern War Memorial, in Malvern Worcestershire.

War Grave Wednesday - Commander Margot. W. Gore, MBE, DO

Memorial to Margot W. Gore MBE, DO, All Saints Maidenhead Cemetery, Maidenhead, Berkshire.


"Aetheris Avidi. (Eager for the Air). - Cdr Margot W Gore MBE, DO - CO 15 Ferry Pilot Pool, Hamble 1941-5 - Born 24. 1. 1913 - Died 28. 8. 1993."


Margot Wyndham Gore was born in East Preston, Sussex on 24th January 1913.  She was one of only two female Commanding Officers in the ATA, Air Transport Auxiliary, the other being Marion Wilberforce.  This was highly unusual and at the beginning of the ATA many felt that women pilots were taking the jobs of male pilots.  C. G. Grey, editor of The Aeroplane, an influential magazine of the time reported -

"The menace is the woman who thinks that she ought to be flying a high-speed bomber  when she really has not the intelligence to scrub the floor of hospital properly."



However as more and more women joined the war effort and qualified to fly, they were slowly accepted.  Margot Gore herself was quoted as saying on the subject -

"I never had anybody say anything derogatory to me or nasty, in any way, [there was] surprise... particularly later on when we came in four-engines.  They did look very startled when a rather small person got out of a very big aircraft."


Margot was one of only four female ATA pilots that received and MBE for their services to their country in it's hour of need.

Margot sadly passed away on 28th August 1993 in Henley aged 80 years.

Cemetery Sunday - A. H. Gosiewski, Pennine Aeroplane Accident in World War Two

 

Antoni Henryk Gosiewski was born Poland on 12th January 1900.  Sometime after the outbreak of World War II, Antoni joined the ATA (Air Transport Auxiliary).  Some of the duties for ATA personal was ferrying new, repaired and damaged military aircraft between factories, assembly points and transatlantic delivery points.

Second Officer Antoni Henryk Gosiewski

It was during one of these flights that poor Antoni met his death.  On 19th December Antoni was ferrying a Miles Master W8479 between Reading and Leuchars Airfield, via Shewsbury, when he encountered bad weather over the Pennines causing him to fly into the summit of Arant Haw due to poor visibility.

Miles Master Aircraft

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Cemetery Sunday - Air Transport Auxiliary ATA

A.R. Leslie-Melville

12th June 1942

The Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) was a British World War II civilian organisation that ferried new, repaired and damaged military aircraft between UK factories, assembly plants, transatlantic delivery points, Maintenance Units (MU), scrap yards, and active service squadrons and airfields. It also flew service personnel on urgent duty from one place to another and performed air ambulance work.

First Officer Alexander Ronald Leslie-Melvillle died 12th June 1942 when he flew into a hillside at Great Sled Dale in Yorkshire in bad visibility whilst flying bewteen Henlow and Silloth near Carlisle.



T.C.D. Bray

18th March 1942

First Officer Thomas Charles David Bray of Austrailia, reported missing between Kirkbride and Thorney Island.

 J.B. Erickson

9th May 1942

First Officer John Burge Erickson, his Blenheim aircaft collided with another Blenheim after take off at White Waltham airfield on 9th May 1942

R.H Winn

28th January 1942

Second Officer Richard Harry Winn, flew into ground in a forced landing at Bald Hill Stainmore Westmorland whilst flying bewteen Dumfries and Catterick.

 B.E. Sayer

15th March 1942

Cadet Betty Eileen Sayer, engine stalled on approach to White Waltham airfield, the aircraft crashed into two bungalows on Smithfield Road on 15th March 1942, residents of the bungalows, Mr and Mrs Croft and Mrs Freeman escaped.  Neighbours who tried in vain to save the aircrew received burns and other injuries.

F.J. Bush

23rd November 1941

 

 

Captain Francis Joseph Bush, during a flight from Prestwick to Hawarden the engine of the Liberator II aircraft caught fire before the plane crashed into the sea off Pidinny Hill Stranraer Wigtown Bay

 H.E. Taylor

17th August 1941

Second Officer Henry Edward Taylor, crashed whilst landing at White Waltham airfield on 10th August 1941.  Sadly he died of his injuries on 17th August 1941.

P. Randall

17th March 1941

Captain Percy Randall, flew a Hurricane aircraft into high ground at Bledlow Buckinghamshire during bad visibility whilst flying between Henlow and Hullavington.



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