LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Frank John Hoskins TURNER
Service No: 410775
Born: Chatswood NSW, 21 January 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 31 January 1942 (at Melbourne VIC)
Unit: No. 17 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 17 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit Master aircraft DL942), Cheshire, 25 November 1943, Aged 22 Years
Cremated: Birkenhead (Landican) Crematorium, Cheshire
CWGC Additional Information: No additional information
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 25 November 1943, Master DL942 took off from the RAF Station Calveley airfield detailed to practice solo aerobatics, steep turns, and forced landings. At about 0900 hours an eye-witnesses attention was drawn to the noise of an aircraft doing aerobatics at an altitude of about 5,000 feet. The aircraft carried out rolls to the left and then to the right. He then saw the aircraft do a normal turn left for about 360 degrees, and then suddenly flick over right, go into a steep spiral dive and crash, killing Flight Sergeant Turner. It was considered that the accident was due to loss of control due to structural failure, which was due to an excessive loading while carrying out aerobatics.
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, 166/40/104