LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Raymond Knight HODSON
Service No: 413999
Born: Punchbowl NSW, 23 November 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 10 October 1941
Unit: No. 27 Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 27 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft BK241), Derbyshire, 3 February 1943, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Scropton (St Paul) Churchyard and Extension, Derbyshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Arthur Samuel and Marian Elizabeth Hodson, of Mosman, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Punchbowl NSW
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1812 hours on the 3 February1943, Wellington BK241 took off from Church Broughton detailed to carry out night cross-country training. The aircraft returned to base about 2300 hours, and commenced to circle in readiness to land. At 2302, however, the aircraft went into a flat spin and crashed four miles to the north east of the airfield. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of BK241 were:
Sergeant Frederick George Bell (401884) (Pilot)
Sergeant Raymond Knight Hodson (413999) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Kevin Vincent Howes (406737) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Frederick James Keown (1079113) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Arthur William Reid (656535) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
A Court of Inquiry into the accident stated: “the accident occurred at night at the time the Pilot on completion of the exercise was circling the aerodrome prior to landing. The cause of the accident is unknown, but it was presumed to be the result of loss of control followed by either a stall turn or flat spin.”
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, 166/18/29