LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant James Franklin ELLIOTT
Service No: 404331
Born: Brisbane QLD, 30 January 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 16 August 1940
Unit: No. 10 Air Gunnery School (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 10 Air Gunnery School Defiant aircraft N1612), Lancashire, 29 July 1942, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Barrow-in-Furness Cemetery, Lancashire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William George and Jean Elliott, of Sandgate, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sandgate QLD
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1420 hours on 29 July 1942, Defiant N1612 crashed at Walney Island, Lancashire, during a non-operational gunnery exercise. The Pilot was killed in the crash and the trainee air gunner was injured but died later of his injuries. The aircraft took off in coarse pitch, took a steep climbing turn to the right, it then stalled due to its low speed, the right wing dropped, the aircraft then rolled on its back and dived into the ground. A later enquiry found that the accident resulted from an error of judgement by the pilot.
The crew members of N1612 were:
Leading Aircraftman Sydney Cooper (1092496) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner under training)
Sergeant James Franklin Elliott (404331) (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, 163/107/119