LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Thomas Noel Ian JONES
Service No: 422206
Born: Haberfield NSW, 26 December 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 25 April 1942
Unit: No. 1662 Conversion Unit (RAF), RAF Blyton, Lincolnshire
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 1662 Conversion Unit Halifax aircraft JD 267), Lincolnshire, 24 June 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Thomas Jones and Elizabeth Jones, of Barrong, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Brookvale NSW
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Railway Remembrance Wall, Central Station, C and W Department Employees, Roll of Honour WW1 and WW2, Sydney NSW
On the 24th June 1944, Halifax JD 267 took off from RAF Blyton at 1435 hours, detailed to carry out solo circuits and landings. Inadvertently the aileron locking bar had not been removed from the right hand control column, and the aircraft crashed at about 1445 hours two miles east of the Blyton airfield. Five of the crew were killed and the Pilot was injured.
The aircraft took off at 1435 hours and at about 1440 hours was observed by Flying Control to be circling at 500 feet east of the airfield with the undercarriage down. The Pilot was instructed to get the aircraft straight and level and trip the undercarriage solenoid. The Pilot replied that he could not get the undercarriage up or straighten out. He was also instructed to climb but he replied he could not get higher that 500 feet. During this time the aircraft continued to circle in moderate steep turns. Before further instructions could be given to the Pilot the aircraft crashed.
It was later established that the aileron locking bar had been left on the right hand control column. This had been put on by a Rigger when the aircraft was returned to dispersal earlier in the morning. This should have been discovered by the Pilot if he had carried out the correct cockpit drill before leaving dispersal, and by the Flight Engineer if he had carried out his internal check correctly. It was presumably not discovered until after take off. The locking device should have been fitted to the left hand (1st Pilot) hand wheel.
The crew members of JD 267 were:
Flight Sergeant Thomas Noel Ian Jones (422206) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Anthony Sully Kidman (417494) (Navigator)
Warrant Officer Henry Richardson Molony (408860) (Air Bomber)
Pilot Officer William Hadley O’Callaghan (417876) (Pilot) Injured: Discharged from the RAAF: 15 February 1946
Sergeant Arthur Slack (1896103) (RAFVR) (Second Flight Engineer)
Sergeant John Christian Waddell (1566024) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
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, 166/21/160
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line