LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer William Hendrie FORD
Service No: 401429
Born: St. Kilda VIC, 3 August 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 February 1941 (at Melbourne VIC)
Unit: No. 452 Squadron, Strauss NT
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 452 Squadron Spitfire aircraft A58-69 (BS175)), enroute to Wyndham WA, 27 February 1943, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Adelaide River War Cemetery NT
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Joseph William and Susan Wilhelmina Ford, of Prospect, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Sandringham VIC
Remembered: Panel 105, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
On 8 May 1942 Flying Officer Ford was slightly injured in the collision of Spitfires AB244 and BL351 near the Isle of Man in which Sergeant Reginald Allan Goodhew (403332) was killed.
On 27 February 1943, Spitfire A58-69 crashed enroute to Wyndham from Strauss Strip, killing the pilot, Flying Officer Ford. Six Spitfires escorted by a Hudson from No. 13 Squadron proceeded towards Wyndham and formed up to pass through a wide-fronted thunderstorm enroute. While in close formation, A58-69 was seen to move from outside starboard to the port side of the Hudson and then climb out of view. After passing through the storm, the other aircraft were unable to make contact. Wreckage was discovered on 6 March 1943 which showed that the aircraft had exploded and burned on impact.
It is possible that the same storm contributed to the crash of No. 13 Squadron Hudson A16-212 (Leading Aircraftman Roy Gordon Bradley (50651)) at Hughes airfield on 27 February 1943.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A9845, 272
Bibliography:
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Spitfire, Mustang and Kittyhawk in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1988