LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Charles Neil WEATHERSON
Service No: 431676
Born: Melbourne VIC, 26 October 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 10 August 1943
Unit: No. 8 Operational Training Unit
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 8 Operational Training Unit Boomerang aircraft A46-82), near Parkes, 29 May 1945, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Parkes General Cemetery, NSW
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles Edward and Bertha Stuart Weatherson; husband of Yvonne Mary Grant Weatherson, of Glebe, New South Wales
Roll of Honour: Kew VIC
Remembered: Panel 113, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 29 May 1945, Boomerang aircraft A46-17 and A46-82 collided in mid-air and the pilots were killed. Both Pilots were briefed to carry out a track reconnaissance from Dilga to Gumble to
Manildra and a tactical reconnaissance of dispersed targets at No. 8 OTU Gunnery Range. Pilot Officer Weatherson was authorised to use this route and Pilot Officer Foster to use the route but in reverse order. Both were authorised to take off at 1130 hours but there was a 10 minute delay in starting up A46-17 flown by Pilot Officer Foster. The Accident Investigation assumed that due to the time lag, the aircraft met over the gunnery range and while both pilots were making a reconnaissance of the targets at the range, they collided and both aircraft burst into flames on impact and crashed.
The Pilots were:
Pilot Officer William Ernest Lyall Foster (443813) (Pilot A46-17)
Pilot Officer Charles Neil Weatherson (431676) (Pilot A46-82)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/43/1396; A9845, 175