LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Jack Arthur HAZELDENE
Service No: 19907
Born: Bendigo VIC, 29 November 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 December 1940
Unit: No. 21 Operational Training Unit (RAF), RAF Station Moreton-in-Marsh
Died: Air Operations (No. 21 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft R1028), Great Rissington, 8 October 1943, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Little Rissington (St Peter) Churchyard, Gloucestershire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Sydney Herbert and Mary Dulcie Hazeldene, of Kangaroo Flat, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Kangaroo Flat VIC
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1939 hours on the night of 7 October 1943, Wellington R1028 took off from Moreton-in-Marsh for a non-operational night cross country training flight. The aircraft lost power from the port engine and at 2100 hours, while on finals to Little Rissington airfield, crashed into the back garden of the Lamb Inn at Great Rissington, 16 miles east south east of Cheltenham. Five on board the aircraft were killed and one was injured.
The crew members of R1028 were:
Sergeant Harold Cox (1578285) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Jack Arthur Hazeldene (19907) (Pilot)
Sergeant James Arthur Johnson (1463377) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator)
Sergeant Alfred William Jones (1456857) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant John Vernon Rees (961005) (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant J Smith (RAF) (Air Gunner) Injured
In a report into the accident the Air Commodore Commanding Great Rissington stated: “The aircraft stalled when making a right hand turn while approaching to make a forced landing with the port engine out. The aircraft took off at 1939 hours and at 0045 hours the Pilot requested permission to land, having completed the cross-country exercise. At 0050 hours permission was given permission and this was acknowledged. The Pilot advised that one engine had cut out, and making a right hand circuit, the aircraft approached but crashed at 0103 hours while apparently turning in to land. The aircraft hit the ground at a fairly steep angle. It was considered that the port engine failed at 0045 hours. The probabilities are that an engine failed at 3-4,000 feet and the Pilot on turning round had difficulty in controlling the aircraft, throttled back, lost height and hit the ground.”
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, 166/17/337