LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Hadyn Selby RAWSON
Service No: 300549
Born: Brisbane QLD, 28 June 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 8 July 1940
Unit: RAAF Reserve (Civil Aircrew) (Australian National Airways Pilot)
Died: Aircraft Accident (Australian National Airways operated C49A aircraft registration VH-CDC (Serial No. 41-7690)), Tacloban, Philippines, 13 November 1945, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Sai Wan War Cemetery, Hong Kong
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Ernest Henry and Violet Elaine Rawson; husband of Constance Viva Rawson, of Cardwell, Nottingham.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 134, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 13 November 1945, Douglas VH-CDC, an ANA aircraft under charter for 322 Troop Carrier Wing, USAAF, crashed in the sea about one mile from Tacloban airstrip, Leyte, Philippines. The aircraft was on a travel flight from Archerfield to Manila and return. The plane could not land owing to rain and wind and crashed after an unsuccessful approach and go-around owing to bad weather. This was the second fatal accident (1) of an ANA charter service.
(1) The first fatal ANA military charter courier services accident was the loss of Douglas DC3 registration VH-CXD at Higgins Field, Queensland, on 5 May 1945 (Flying Officer Ernest William Clarke GM (277547)).
Three crew members and eight passengers were killed. The three crew members were:
Warrant Officer Christopher Marshall Good (417476) Co-Pilot
Warrant Officer Lloyd George Jones (425645) Radio Operator
Warrant Officer Haydn Selby Rawson (300549) (Australian National Airways) Pilot
One passenger, Lieutenant McCabe (USAAF) survived and another Australian among the passengers, Able Seaman Thomas Jenkins (Australian Merchant Navy) was killed.
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, 166/35/693
Parnell, N. M. (Neville M.) Flypast: a record of Aviation in Australia, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1988 – Page 201
Bibliography:
Yule, P. (Dr. Peter) The Forgotten Giant of Australian Aviation: Australian National Airways, Hyland House, Flemington Victoria, 2001