LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Russell Charles DENNY
Service No: 415769
Born: Broomehill WA, 4 January 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 1 February 1942
Unit: No. 11 Radar School RAF
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 11 Radar School Botha aircraft L6290), Cheshire, 28 May 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Hooton (St. Paul) Churchyard, Cheshire UK
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles and Martha Ellen Denny, of Gnowangerup, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Gnowangerup WA
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
On the 28th May 1943, Botha L6290 took off on a non-operational ASV (Air to Surface Vessel radar) training flight. The aircraft crashed at 1740 hours at Overpool, 1.5 miles north of Hooton Park, Wirral, Cheshire, and all the crew were injured. Sergeant Denny died later of his injuries. The aircraft was approaching to land about 1,000 yards behind an Anson aircraft, when at about 700 feet the Pilot decided to go round again. He opened up but an engine cut, and the aircraft spun in and hit the ground in a dive after the spin had been corrected. The Pilot asserted that the starboard engine had cut and he spun to starboard, although an eye witness stated that the aircraft spun to port. The engine cut when opening up to go around again, causing the good engine to pull the aircraft into a spin.
The crew members of L6920 were:
Sergeant Austin (1334147) (RAFVR) Injured
Sergeant J R Balzire (1192694) (RAFVR) (ASV (Radar) Instructor) Injured
Warrant Officer Russell Charles Denny (415769) (ASV (Radar) Student)
Sergeant F Spillane (1311068) (RAFVR) (Pilot) Injured
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, 166/9/101