LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Ernest Hamilton GRIFFITH
Service No: 403334
Born: Albury NSW, 22 May 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 January 1941
Unit: No. 456 Squadron, RAF Colerne, Wiltshire
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 456 Squadron Mosquito aircraft DE600), Wiltshire, 29 September 1943, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Bath (Haycombe) Cemetery, Somerset
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles Hunter Griffith and Olive May Griffith, of Albury, New South Wales, Australia; husband of June Margaret Murray Griffith, of Narrandera, New South Wales
Roll of Honour: Albury NSW
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 10 April 1943, Flight Lieutenant Griffith was involved in an aircraft accident in which Flying Officer Reginald Ross Hely (403811) was killed.
On 29 September 1943, Mosquito DE600 was being air tested when it crashed at Colerne airfield in the UK at 0643 hours. Both the crew members were killed. The aircraft went into a violent spin causing the starboard engine and tubular engine mounting structure to be completely torn away from the aircraft when at an altitude of about 1,000 feet.
The crew members were:
Corporal William Henry Blakeley (26160) (Fitter IIA)
Flight Lieutenant Ernest Hamilton Griffith (403334) (Pilot)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
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, 166/16/55
Bibliography:
Bennett, J. (John William) Fighter Nights: 456 Squadron RAAF, Banner Books Belconnen ACT 2617, 1995
Ilbery, P.L.T. (Peter Leslie Thomas) (422957) Hatching an Air Force: 2SFTS, 5SFTS, 1BFTS Uranquinty and Wagga Wagga, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 2002
Vincent, D. (David) Mosquito Monograph: A history of Mosquitoes in Australia and RAAF operations, David Vincent Highbury SA 5089, 1982