LEST WE FORGET

Sergeant Richard Selkirk WADDY

Service No: 402175
Born: Morpeth NSW, 2 June 1910
Enlisted in the RAAF: 24 June 1940
Unit: No. 55 Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 55 Operational Training Unit Hurricane aircraft V6359), Durham, 21 April 1941, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Hylton (Castletown) Cemetery, Durham
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edgar Lloyd Waddy and Lottchen Sara Waddy; husband of Marjorie Rose Waddy, of Mosman, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Mosman NSW
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

On the 21 April 1941, Hurricane V6539 took off from RAF Usworth, and crashed at about 2000 hours near east Bolton, County Durham, killing Sergeant Waddy.

A report by the Squadron Leader Flying at RAF Usworth stated: “the aircraft took off at 1809 hours. I gave instructions that no aircraft was to land at Usworth at the moment as a bank of fog had suddenly enveloped the aerodrome. I gave orders over the radio for all aircraft to circle Usworth until cleared or alternatively to land at Ouston or Acklington if Usworth was not clear in a reasonable time. Some 20 minutes after I noticed Sergeant Waddy still circling the aerodrome and as I considered it unfit to land, I told him to land at Ouston or Acklington as they were clear. Sergeant Waddy had lost sight of the aerodrome and did not know his position, so instructions were given for him to be homed to Usworth. Fifteen minutes later Waddy was again circling the aerodrome, but it was still unfit to land. He was told to stand by for a vector to Ouston. It was not possible to fly direct from Usworth to Ouston due to balloons, so the first vector given was 270 for 4 minutes. This was acknowledged, but Waddy left his transmitter on after the acknowledgement, which means that he did not receive the second vector which would have brought him to Ouston.

Sergeant Waddy eventually switched off his transmitter 18 minutes later and called up Ackbar. On receipt of this message I instructed Ackbar to home Waddy to Usworth where I intended to instruct him to land him irrespective of the weather knowing that he must be short of petrol. Unfortunately Waddy was out of radio touch for a further 20 minutes, due I think to flying very low. He was eventually contacted by radio and he informed Ackbar he was circling the “Monument” and was short of petrol.

A Flight Commander who was standing by in a Hurricane was then ordered off the ground and told to contact Waddy at the “Monument” and bring him back to the aerodrome. The Flight Commander was unable to find Waddy immediately, and as the latter had only five gallons of petrol left, I instructed Waddy to select a field and carry out a forced landing with the undercarriage retracted. There was no further communication received from Waddy over the radio.”

As the aircraft was force landing the starboard main plane struck a building causing the aircraft to crash before reaching the selected field. The Pilot made no attempt to use his parachute.

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, 163/196/99

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