LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant John David PRATT
Service No: 432727
Born: Cowra NSW, 12 December 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 29 January 1943
Unit: No. 1 (Observer) Advanced Flying Unit, RAF Station Wigtown
Died: Aircraft Accident (Anson aircraft AM177), Isle of Man, 13 November 1944, Aged 19 Years
Buried: Jurby (St Patrick) Churchyard, Isle of Man
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Matthew Thomas Pratt and Mary Gertrude Pratt, of Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Menangle NSW
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2030 hours on the 13 November 1944, Anson AM177 struck high ground on the Isle of Man and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of AM177 were:
Flying Officer Charles Alfred Bardwell (J/43919) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Pilot Officer John Darlington (165747) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Hugh Eugene McDonald (R/180655) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer Percy Henry Hoyle (161369) (RAFVR) (Staff Wireless Operator)
Flight Sergeant John David Pratt (437727) (Wireless Operator under training)
In a court of Inquiry into the accident it was concluded “that the accident was due to an error of judgement on the part of the Pilot, in that he climbed into cloud, and increased height to 3,000 feet. As he knew from the briefing that the icing index was high at 2,000 feet, it was considered that the Pilot lost control of the aircraft while in cloud, and iced up and failed to regain complete control before the aircraft struck a hillside.”
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 166/33/249