LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Keith James Horsman MANNING
Service No: 401985
Born: Bendigo VIC, 23 June 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 April 1941
Unit: No. 23 Service Flying Training School (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 23 Service Flying Training School Oxford aircraft AR925), near Heany aerodrome, 15 April 1942, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Bulawayo (Athlone) Cemetery, Zimbabwe
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Horsman and Annie Manning, of Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Prahran VIC
Remembered: Panel 134, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 15 April 1942, Oxford AR925 took off from Heany aerodrome to carry out a solo night cross country flight of 30 minutes duration. The aircraft crashed at about 2200 hours three miles north east of the Heany aerodrome, and Sergeant Manning, a student pilot flying solo, was killed.
The Aerodrome Control Pilot later stated; “Permission was given to AR925 to take off. The take- off was OK and the aircraft climbed directly ahead to about 500 feet. At this point it turned left, and did a complete turn of 90 degrees, then it flew straight and level. A short time later there was a cloud of smoke north east of the flare path.”
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, 163/142/342
Bibliography:
Winter, V.A. (Vincent Adams) Noble Six Hundred: the story of the Empire Air Training Scheme with special reference to Australians who trained in Southern Rhodesia, V.A. Winter Brighton VIC 3186, 1982