LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Frederick Charles Henry JONES
Service No: 408850
Born: Prahran VIC, 7 October 19191
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 June 1941
Unit: No. 252 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 252 Squadron Beaufighter aircraft NE497), Egypt, 6 July 1944, Aged 24 Years
Buried: El Alamein War Cemetery, Egypt
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles Henry and Mabel Evaleen Jones, of Prahran, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Prahran VIC
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1310 hours on 6 July 1944 Beaufighter NE497 crashed on a solo non-operational air test flight at Landing Ground 08, Egypt and Pilot Officer Jones was killed. The accident occurred during a test flight following a 40 hour inspection. The Pilot was solo and had been airborne for 10 minutes when he requested permission in the normal manner, to land from Flying Control. Permission was passed and the aircraft was seen to lower the undercarriage as if making a normal approach. The aircraft was then seen to lose height rapidly and the undercarriage was retracted. The aircraft continued to lose height and finally hit the ground and was set on fire. Flying Control received no further message from the Pilot after the request for permission to pancake. It was considered that the accident appeared to be due to the loss of power on one engine, but the engines were so badly damaged in the crash this was impossible to substantiate.
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, 166/21/167