LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Franklin Walter CUMMINGS
Service No: 414633
Born: Darwin NT, 21 December 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 November 1941 (at Brisbane QLD)
Unit: No. 1 Tactical Exercise Unit (No. 56 Operational Training Unit), RAF Station Tealing, Angus
Died: Aircraft Accident (Hurricane aircraft BE651), Scotland, 19 November 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Dundee (Balgay) Cemetery, Angus, Scotland
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Albert Edward and Lillie Marie Cummings, of Barton, Australian Capital Territory
Roll of Honour: Darwin NT
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 19 November 1943, Hurricane BE651 crashed at Cleish Hill Kinrosshire killing Flight Sergeant Cummings. Flying Officer Derek Walter Frederick Ridgway (121368) (RAFVR) was also killed during the same flying exercise.
A Court of Inquiry into the accident stated: “on the 19 November 1943, Hurricane BE651 was detailed to carry out a low level cross country “Rhubarb” exercise. Hurricane BE651 flown by Flight Sergeant Cummings was No 2 in a formation of three other aircraft led by Flying Officer Wood, with No. 3 Flying Officer Ridgway and No. 4 Flight Sergeant McQuarrie. The Flight was authorised by Flying Officer Wood the Flight Commander and as Wood had flown sections over it regularly no route forecast was obtained. He briefed the Pilots telling them the minimum height was 200 feet. He also told them that if the weather was bad, to close in and he would climb through it. The weather over the base was quite suitable for the exercise.
The section took off at 1427 hours, the safety factor being that if the weather was unsuitable, the Leader would then turn back. The weather was suitable as far as Stirling, but after passing the first target, the weather began to close in rapidly and it appeared to the Leader that heavy shower was located in the valley between Ochil and Cleish Hills. He therefore brought the section in close. Cummings on the left and Ridgway on the right McQuarrie was not in radio contact and was left to his own devices. And he entered the thick cloud and climbed through it. He thought the cloud far too dense for formation flying. For some reason Cummings was out of position and was last seen slipping below the Leader. A few minutes later he crashed on Cleish Hill, having crossed to starboard of Ridgeway and in a slight dive, Ridgway also crashed climbing at an angle of 30 degrees having just failed to clear a hilltop. The Leader and McQuarrie broke cloud at 1500 feet and proceeded back to base where the weather was still suitable.
The main cause of the accident was Cummings failure to keep position during the formation climb through cloud. Cumming was not very experienced in this form of flying in dense cloud. The Section ran into bad weather at a very critical part of the flight between Ochill Hills and Cleish hills by a very narrow valley whose floor is 600 feet above sea level. The weather in the area had been poor all day.
The accident could be classed as an air collision (although an air collision was not involved), as it was most likely the threat of an air collision which caused Ridgway to break formation and “duck” when Cummings began to dive away to starboard. It rather looked as if Cummings was unable to cope with formation flying, and suddenly went over to instruments with disastrous results. It was felt that Wood was not altogether responsible for the crashes, but it was thought he should have at least enquired about the area forecast.”
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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/99/133