LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Thomas Leslie Hobson KAY
Service No: 413390
Born: Wingate England, 22 October 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 17 August 1941 (At Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 103 Squadron (RAF), RAF Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 103 Squadron Lancaster aircraft JB670), Lincolnshire, 16 December 1943, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Alvin Burnhope Kay and Elizabeth Haysom Kay, of Redhead, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Newcastle NSW
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster JB670 took off from RAF Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire, at 1637 hours on 16 December 1943, detailed to carry out an operational mission. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. At the time of take off the cloud base was 1,000 feet. Soon after take off, JB 670 collided in mid air in cloud with an aircraft from No. 576 Squadron (RAF) flown by Flight Sergeant Frederick Roy Scott (413903) (Pilot) and all on board both aircraft lost their lives.
An enquiry into the Flying Accident reported “When JB670 took off there was a cloud base of 1000 feet and visibility was poor. At 1650 hours at a point 60 deg to the runway and 4 miles distant, a cascade of what appeared to be burning incendiaries fell out of the cloud followed by a dull red glow and explosion. Subsequent investigation revealed that two aircraft had crashed at that point and there was every indication that they had collided in mid air in cloud.
It was considered that the accident should never have occurred and it was due to disobedience of instructions. All crews had been briefed that under no circumstances were they to circle below or in the cloud, but climb straight through the cloud after take off. The depth of the cloud was not more than 1500 feet. Both these aircraft were seen to circle around immediately after takeoff 5 miles from the aerodrome, start to climb through cloud roughly the reciprocal of their take off. Owing to the fact that there are no survivors it is impossible to state which aircraft initially caused the accident.”
The crew members of JB670 were:
Sergeant Peter Coopman (1579993) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Frederick Stanley Copping (1804993) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Francis Andrew Furrie (980286) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Charles Reginald Jaques (136865) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Thomas Leslie Hobson Kay (413390) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Cyril Walter Plampton (1602397) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Valentine Richter (1271609) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
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, 166/22/162
Bibliography:
Charlwood, D.E.C. (Donald Ernest Cameron) (408794) No Moon Tonight (Angus and Robertson 1956), Penguin Ringwood VIC, 3134, 1991