LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Harold PETERS
Service No: 428533
Born: Dunolly VIC, 8 May 1910
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 November 1942
Unit: No. 4 Air Observers’ School (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 4 Air Observers’ School Anson aircraft N5026), Isle of Man, 30 December 1943, Aged 33 Years
Buried: Andreas (St Andrew) Churchyard, Isle of Man
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William and Leila Peters; husband of Margaret Peters, of Bentleigh, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Melbourne VIC
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On the 30 December 1943, Anson N5026 took off from West Freugh at 1953 hours, on a non-operational night navigation exercise. It hit a cliff at 2100 hours, and crashed 1.5 miles from Port Soderick, Isle of Man. All on board were killed.
The crew members of N5026 were:
Flight Sergeant Cecil Gordon Eckersley (416210) (Pilot)
Sergeant Lewis James John Henly (1585996) (RAFVR) (Staff Wireless Operator)
Sergeant Harold Peters (428533) (Navigator)
Sergeant Henry St George Thompson (425073) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Geoffrey Robert Tippett (429362) (Bomb Aimer)
An Inquiry into the accident found that the primary cause of the accident was “the shearing of one of the propeller Boss belts, which caused spasmodic and intense vibration, and loss of engine revs as it came into contact with the nuts of the front cover. It was though that the Pilot decided to make an immediate forced landing, preferably on water near the coast, but that he overshot aiming north while flying in bad visibility, and faced with cliffs ahead, he opened up to try and clear them, but crashed head on into them.”
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, 166/32/271