LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant John TREADGOLD
Service No: 423939
Born: Gladesville NSW, 10 December 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 July 1942
Unit: No. 15 Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 15 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft W5690), Berkshire, 16 November 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Oxford (Botley) Cemetery, Oxfordshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William and Stella Treadgold, of Gladesville, New South Wales; husband of Joyce Ellen Treadgold, of Gladesville, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Gladesville NSW
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2100 hours on 16 November 1943 Wellington W5690 took off from RAF Hampstead Norreys detailed to carry out a night training exercise. Almost immediately flying control received an emergency call from the aircraft requesting a priority landing. Some ten minutes later eyewitnesses saw the Wellington execute a very tight turn to port, losing height, and crash 200 yards south of Westridge. (Westbusthay Farm is also quoted). Accident investigators probing the remains of the starboard engine found that the No 1 cylinder head barrel had split. Three of the crew members were killed and two were injured.
The crew members of W5690 were:
Sergeant Kenneth Dudley Attwell (R/172425) (RCAF) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant J J H Littlejohn (1397104) (RAFVR) (Navigator Bomb Aimer) Injured
Sergeant J Stanley (1894206) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner) Injured
Sergeant Norman Ralph Templeman (1396482) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant John Treadgold (423929) (Wireless Air Gunner)
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 166/40/101