LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant William Charles TAVERNER
Service No: 416464
Born: St Peters SA, 23 May 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 23 June 1941
Unit: No. 59 Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 59 Operational Training Unit Hurricane aircraft V7170), Northumberland, 26 July 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Harrogate, (Stonefall) Cemetery, Yorkshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Eli Cecil and Johanna Eileen Taverner, of Mypolonga, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Mypolonga SA
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
At 0957 hours on the 26th July 1943, Hurricane V7170 crashed at RAF Station Goswick while practising cross-country battle formation. It appeared that the Pilot did not think quickly enough and accelerated the stall by pulling the stick back instead of choosing a field to force land in immediately the motor stopped due to engine failure.
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, 166/39/105