LEST WE FORGET
Bombardier Harry Collier WARREN
Service No: 1899
Born: Port Pirie SA, December 1893
Enlisted in the Army: 17 August 1914
Unit: No. 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps
Died: Injuries from an Aircraft Accident, England, 4 April 1917, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Newport Cemetery, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Henry Charles and Francis Mary Warren. Born at Port Pirie, South Australia
Place of Association: Port Pirie SA
Remembered: Panel 13, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
The record shows his rank as Bombardier. At the time of his death, he was a pilot-under-training and some correspondence shows he held the rank of Cadet.
On 4 April 1917, Cadet Warren was killed in the crash of Avro aircraft B/389 at the South Carlton Aerodrome. He was flying dual under instruction by Second Lieutenant Claude Picton Lowry RFC who reported that the aircraft taken off in a northerly direction and had completed a half circuit and was flying towards the sheds (hangars). To avoid interfering with a chance landing, he made a quarter turn to the right. This started the machine in a spinning nose dive from about 150 feet. As soon as he became aware he was in a spin, he shut off the engine but could not move the rudder. All his efforts failed top right the machine and he was unaware if Cadet Warren was endeavouring to work the rudder or if it was locked by the air pressure. He was conducting dual instruction and Cadet Warren was making turns under verbal instruction. The conclusions from the Court of Enquiry are not held on Cadet Warren’s Service Record. Second Lieutenant Lowry was injured.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record B2455, WARREN HARRY COLLIER
Bibliography:
Muller, P. (Peter) and Hutchinson, J. (John) Secrets Revealed: a brief history of No. 3 Squadron RAAF, Lutheran Publishing House Adelaide SA 5000, 1991
Wrigley, H.N. (Henry Neilsen) (6) The Battle Below: Being the history of No. 3 Squadron AFC, Errol G. Knox Sydney NSW, 1935