LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Maurice Henry WADHAM
Service No: 407740
Born: Kent Town SA, 27 March 1912
Enlisted in the RAAF: 4 January 1941
Unit: No. 2 Air Observers School (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 2 Air Observers School Anson aircraft 536), Cumberland, 10 January 1942, Aged 29 Years
Buried: Haverigg (St Luke) Churchyard, Millom, Cumberland
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Henry and Mary Wadham; husband of Betty Lillian Wadham, of Walkerville, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Adelaide 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
On the 10th January 1943, Anson 536 crashed at 0420 hours, when it hit an obstruction on take off and crashed into the sea off the Cumberland coast. All the crew members were killed. The accident report stated “The cause of the accident was primarily lack of control during take off allowing the aircraft to swing. Secondly the undercarriage wheel striking the flare cover which in turn tilted or threw it into the air where it presumably struck the tail plane of the aircraft “
The crew members of 536 were:
Pilot Officer William John Henderson (106867) (RAF) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant Henry Lincoln Gibson (400467) (Observer)
Flight Sergeant Joseph Lyon Roberts (551591) (RAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer Frank George Ernest Tizard (564418) (RAF) (First Pilot)
Sergeant Maurice Henry Wadham (407740) (Observer)
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, 163/176/205
Bibliography:
Gaston, Bruce DFC (406646), Harry Horner DFC OAM (406595), Raymond Storer (406666) (Editors), Aircrew for the Duration: of and by members of RAAF EATS Courses 10, 11, 12 & 13, Gaston Horner and Storer, Nedlands WA, 1990