LEST WE FORGET
Leading Aircraftman George Christian Hale WILKINSON
Service No: 405336
Born: Brisbane QLD, 12 September 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 2 March 1941
Unit: No. 2 Service Flying Training School, Forrest Hill NSW
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 2 Service Flying Training School Wirraway aircraft A20-251), near Wagga Wagga NSW, 29 August 1941, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Wagga Wagga General Cemetery, NSW
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Mathew Hale Wilkinson and Marion Winefred Wilkinson, of Toowong, Queensland
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 117, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1540 hours on 29 August 1941, Wirraway A20-251 crashed at Harefield near Wagga and both the crew members were killed. The aircraft was engaged in an instrument flying exercise. Leading Aircraftman Slatyer was in the pilot’s cockpit covered by a hood. He could raise this hood or lower it at will, and he was carrying out specific practices by use of his blind flying instruments. Leading Aircraftman Wilkinson in the rear cockpit was the safety pilot on lookout for other aircraft. The rear cockpit was fitted with dual controls which could be used by the safety pilot in an emergency. The aircraft was at a height of 3,500 feet, when it went into a left hand turn which developed into a spin showing that the aircraft had stalled. It commenced to spin for four turns, then recovered, but immediately began to spin the other way in a reverse direction and hit the ground while recovering from the spin.
The crew members of A20-251 were:
Leading Aircraftman Allan Slatyer (404995) (Trainee Pilot)
Leading Aircraftman George Christian Hale Wilkinson (405336) (Trainee Pilot)
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, 163/178/185; A9845, 110