LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Cedar Alfred DAWSON
Service No: 415
Born: 14 November 1914, Location unavailable
Enlisted in the RAAF: Date unavailable
Unit: Central Flying School
Died: Aircraft Accident (Central Flying School Wirraway aircraft A20-21), near Tamworth NSW, 8 August 1942, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Tamworth General Cemetery, NSW
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Alfred James Dawson and Mynetta Dawson; husband of Jessie Dawson, of Cabramatta
Roll of Honour: Drummoyne NSW
Remembered: Panel 115, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 8 August 1942, Flight Lieutenant Dawson expressed the intention of testing certain altitudes to which the Wirraway aircraft could climb, and as he had only recently been posted to the Wirraway Flight, he was taking every opportunity to become proficient with this type and check data. At 1350 hours the aircraft took off, and the take-off appeared normal. Observers stated that the control column was in position for dual in the rear seat. At about 1425 hours at a height of 3,000 feet, the aircraft was seen by the Flight Commander of the Wirraway flight to be in a steep spiral dive at very high speed and to crash behind a hill. Both the crew members were killed.
The crew members of A20-21 were:
Flight Lieutenant Cedar Alfred Dawson (415) (Pilot)
Leading Aircraftman Gordon Patterson (37142) (Trainee Pilot)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/27/145; A9845, 101