LEST WE FORGET
Leading Aircraftman Walter GRAYSON
Service No: 412589
Born: Adamstown NSW, 25 September 1912
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 July 1941
Unit: No. 27 Elementary Flying Training School (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 27 Elementary Flying Training School Tiger Moth aircraft T6127), Induna, Zimbabwe, 29 March 1942, Aged 29 Years
Buried: Bulawayo (Athlon) Cemetery, Zimbabwe
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Walter and Beatrice Maud Grayson; husband of Dorothy Grayson, of Wickham, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Adamstown NSW
Remembered: Panel 134, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Dudley Public School Roll of Honour – World War II, Wallsend NSW
On 29 March 1942, Tiger Moth T6127 was engaged in formation flying practice when it crashed one mile north of Thabas, Induna. The pilot was slightly injured and Leading Aircraftman Grayson was killed. An inquiry into the accident stated: “The cause for the accident was obscure, between the time when Flying Officer Morcom completed the break away from the formation until just before the moment of impact. The opinion of the court was that the primary cause was lack of control of the aircraft due to Flying Officer Morcom becoming semi-conscious through ‘blacking out” or becoming attacked with a “fit of fainting” for which no proof could be obtained.”
The crew members of T6127 were:
Leading Aircraftman Walter Grayson (412589) (Student Pilot)
Flying Officer P Morcom (42868) (RAF) (Instructor 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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705 163/118/308
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
Winter, V.A. (Vincent Adams) Noble Six Hundred: the story of the Empire Air Training Scheme with special reference to Australians who trained in Southern Rhodesia, V.A. Winter Brighton VIC 3186, 1982