LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Melville John KINGSHOTT
Service No: 400278
Born: Coburg VIC, 17 December 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 August 1940
Unit: No. 17 Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 17 Operational Training Unit Blenheim aircraft P6959), Shropshire, 3 January 1942, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Shawbury (St Mary) Churchyard, Shropshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Harry Julian and Elsie May Kingshott, of West Brunswick, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brunswick VIC
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 3 January 1942, Blenheim P6959 took off from RAF Station Upwood for a cross country training exercise. The aircraft dived from the cloud base, estimated at 2,000 feet, and failed to recover before hitting the ground at 1145 hours at Stanton eight miles north east from the centre of Shrewsbury. The three crew members were killed.
The crew members of P6959 were:
Sergeant Wilfred Jowett (1058855) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Flying Officer Melville John Kingshott (400278) (Pilot)
Sergeant Robert MacAuley Masson (1058564) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
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, 163/41/66