LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Beaumont Churchill DICKSON
Service No: 404634
Born: Rockhampton QLD, 24 August 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 October 1940
Unit: No. 20 Operational Training Unit (RAF), RAF Station Lossiemouth
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 20 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft R1646), Aberdeenshire, 19 January 1942, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Dyce Old Churchyard, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Mervyn and Esther Elizabeth Dickson, of Rockhampton, Queensland. Australia
Roll of Honour: Rockhampton QLD
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 19 January 1942, Wellington R1646 took off from Lossiemouth detailed to carry out a cross-country training flight, and failed to return at the scheduled time. On, or around the 19 February the police relayed a message to Lossiemouth that the wreckage of an aircraft had been reported in the vicinity of Clunie Water (or Clunie Glen) near Braemar in Aberdeenshire. Searches were conducted over the area from which the last and very weak radio message was received at Lossiemouth at 1250 hours and no difficulty was indicated. The last estimated position was 57.58N, 001.50 W. Three days later a service party struggled across the snow covered countryside, and confirmed that the remains were those of the Wellington. From evidence gathered at the scene it seems likely that the aircraft came down at around 1250 hours. The crew of six had been killed.
The crew members of R1646 were:
Sergeant Beaumont Churchill Dickson (404634) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Robert James Jackson (R/83904) (RCAF) (Second Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Harry Joseph Kelley (R/76125) (RCAF) (Observer)
Sergeant Roy Alistair Milliken (404637) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant John Bernard Riley (995062) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer James Williamson Thomson DFC (40667) (RNZAF) (Pilot)
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, 163/102/44