LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Ivor George JONES
Service No: 415334
Born: Perth WA, 3 June 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 September 1921
Unit: No. 15 Advanced (Pilot) Flying Unit (RAF), RAF Kemble, Gloucestershire
Died: Aircraft Accident (Airspeed Oxford aircraft MP275), Gloucester, 20 October 1943, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Bath (Haycombe) Cemetery, Somerset UK
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John and Gladys Jones; husband of Elizabeth Mary Jones, of Scarborough, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Perth WA
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
On the 20th October 1943, Oxford MP275 from Kemble Aerodrome crashed during a solo night non-operational exercise, and the pilot, flying solo, was killed. The aircraft took off from Long Newnton aerodrome at 1930 hours, to practice flying on one engine, and climbing, gliding, and steep turns on the course from Base- Hullavington Pundit- Southrop Pundit- Aston Down Pundit- Base. The aircraft was due to land at 2115 hours, and it would probably fly the course three times in the time at its disposal. At approximately 2050 hours the aircraft was seen by eight witnesses flying in a westerly direction with its navigation lights on, but it suddenly started to dive and the engines to roar. Witnesses then lost sight of the aircraft and heard a crash. There was no evidence as to the cause of the crash, but it was considered that the pilot may have lost control for a short period when the aircraft went into a diving turn to port that the pilot recovered control, and was almost flying straight and level at moment of impact. It was considered that drowsiness on the part of the Pilot may have been a possible cause, but that there was no evidence to support that.
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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/21/74