LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Archibald William WAUCHOPE
Service No: 429879
Born: Largs Bay SA, 3 April 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 1 October 1942
Unit: No. 4 Air Observers’ School, RAF Station West Freugh, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 4 Air Observer’s School Anson aircraft L9584), Wigtownshire, 12 June 1944, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Stoneykirk Cemetery, Wigtownshire, Scotland
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Andrew Patrick and Muriel Clarice Wauchope; husband of Phillis Effie Wauchope, of St. Peters, South Australia
Roll of Honour: St Peters SA
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
On the 12th June 1944, Anson L9584 took off on a night navigation exercise followed by a bombing exercise to be carried out at Castle Douglas, Bride and Whithouse. The last message received from the aircraft was a QTR of 060 degrees from Wigbourne at 0225 hours. At 0438 hours the aircraft crashed at Cairnsmore Hill about 12 kms north east of Wigtown while it was believed to be flying in low cloud. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of L9584 were:
Flight Sergeant Robert Charles Beggs (427441) (RNZAF) (Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant William Anthony Edwards (1514431) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Barnard Benson Hayton (1435704) (RAFVR) (Staff Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Horace William George Rennison (926062) (RAF) (Student Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Archibald William Wauchope (429879) (Student Wireless Operator)
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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/43/725