LEST WE FORGET

Pilot Officer David Norris CARMICHAEL

Service No: 403040
Born: Narrendera NSW, 7 January 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 December 1940
Unit: No. 458 Squadron, RAF Holme-upon-Spalding Moor, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 458 Squadron Wellington aircraft Z 1182), Yorkshire, 6 January 1942, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Holme-upon-Spalding Moor (All Saints) Churchyard, Yorkshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James Alexander and Muriel Margaret Carmichael, of Mosman, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Randwick NSW
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

Date: 5-6 January 1942
Target: Brest
Total Force: Dispatched – 154, Attacking – 140
RAAF Force: No. 458 Dispatched – 5, Attacking – 3
Tons of Bombs Dropped: 205
Total Aircraft Lost: –
RAAF Aircraft Lost: No. 458 –

(10) This table does not include the loss of Wellington Z1182.

Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1954 – Pages 188

Wellington Z1182 took off from RAF Holme-on-Spalding Moor, Yorkshire, at 0437 hours on 6 January 1942 to bomb Brest, France. Due to ice and snow deposits on the main plane Z1182 crashed at 0445 hours into a field near the North Howden Station, 8 miles east south east of Selby, Yorkshire. The bombs were jettisoned safely just before the crash. One RAAF member of the crew was killed and another died of his injuries. The other four members were injured.

The crew members of Wellington Z1182 were:

Sergeant James George Barlow (960943) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator) Injured, Later killed in an Aircraft Accident: 2 August 1942
Sergeant Donald Ernest Bottomley (987758) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner) Injured, Later Killed in an Aircraft Accident: 2 August 1942
Pilot Officer David Norris Carmichael (403040) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant W R Darling (40720) (RNZAF) (Front Gunner) Injured
Flying Officer Edwin John Norman MacDonald (404346) (Observer)
Pilot Officer Harold Maxwell Moran (400596) (Pilot) Injured, Discharged from the RAAF: 3 April 1946

In a later report on the accident the Captain stated “Shortly after take off, I noticed that the aircraft was not climbing. We attained a height of 2/300 feet and then slowly sank in a slow left turn to approximately. I jettisoned the bomb load and immediately afterwards we crashed in a field. My injuries were caused by the control column striking my leg and my head struck the windscreen.” Technical comments on the accident were “Apparent mechanical failure. Symptoms turning left and dropping wing suggests loss of power on the port engine. Ice formation on main planes has been contributory or entire cause of accident.”

References:

Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/25/102

Bibliography:

Alexander, P. (Peter) We Find and Destroy: history of No. 458 Squadron, The 458 Squadron Council, 1959

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