LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Jack Byrne FLEMING
Service No: 425644
Born: Bundaberg QLD, 23 October 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 25 April 1942
Unit: No. 1662 Conversion Unit (RAF), RAF Station Blyton
Died: Injuries from an Aircraft Accident (loss of No. 1662 Conversion Unit Halifax aircraft W7811 on 21 May 1944), England, 27 May 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Oxford (Botley) Cemetery, Oxfordshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Walter and Julia Ellen Fleming, of Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Bundaberg QLD
Remembered: Panel 122, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1130 hours on the 21 May 1944, Halifax W7811 took off from Blyton for a day cross-country training flight. During the flight the starboard inner engine failed and then burst into flames. The order to abandon was given and apart from Pilot Officer Fleming all were able to comply before the aircraft crashed at approximately 1425 hours near the village of Alternum on the eastern side of Bodmin Moor, Cornwall. Pilot Officer Fleming died from his injuries, and three were injured after bailing out.
The crew members of W78211 were:
Sergeant Barden (1148813) (RAFVR)
Flight Sergeant John Bleakley Fischer (423453) Injured, Discharged from the RAAF: 15 April 1946
Pilot Officer John Byrne Fleming (425644) (Pilot) Fatally injured: Died: 27 May 1944
Sergeant L W Gault (1819396) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Kite (182483) (RAFVR)
Sergeant Place (168583) (RAFVR)
Flying Officer J D Stent (145394) (RAFVR) Injured
Sergeant I C Wheatland (1893394) (RAFVR) Injured
Flight Sergeant Fischer reported: “We were briefed on 21 May 1944 to carry out a cross country flight of about six hours and set off attaining a height of 18,000 feet. We had completed a little over half of the trip when the starboard inner raced up to over 3,000 revs per minute. The engine was throttled back and the kite began to shudder. They then decided to feather the engine and return home on three engines, but before they could do that the Engineer said “it’s on fire.” The Captain said put on chutes and don’t panic. We opened up the hatch ready to go. The engineer said the engine would not feather, which was necessary to put the fire out. The Captain said OK jump. All jumped except the Pilot and the Engineer. The Engineer later said that the Captain had asked for
his parachute. After the Pilot had put on his parachute and he was trying to hold the aircraft straight and level the engineer baled out.” It was surmised that when the Pilot baled out he hit part of the fuselage. The aircraft was also very low when he baled out. The Pilot died later of his injuries.
A Court of Inquiry into the accident found that “The accident was caused as a result of a fire in the starboard inner which in the opinion of the Captain was of sufficient severity to justify his giving the order to his crew to abandon the aircraft. The engine excessively overheated due to oil starvation and signs of fire in the supercharger casing.”
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, 166/13/236