LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant James Herbert HART
Service No: 15614
Born: Collingwood VIC, 30 June 1910
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 June 1940 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 20 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit (RAF), RAF Station Kidlington
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 20 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit Oxford aircraft MP454), Oxfordshire, 15 July 1943, Aged 33 Years
Buried: Oxford (Botley) Cemetery, Oxfordshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edward James Hart and Agnes Emily Hart; husband of Valma Gwendoline Hart, of Maroubra, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Maroubra NSW
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 15 July 1943, Oxford MP454 took off from Kidlington on a non-operational night flight and crashed at 0300 hours near Steeple Barton and both crew members were killed. The aircraft was detailed to carry out precision flying with Sergeant Hart receiving dual instruction.
The crew members of MP454 were:
Sergeant James Herbert Hart (15614) (Pilot under instruction)
Flying Officer Harry Alfred Stevens (414096) (Pilot Instructor)
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, 166/17/217