LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Douglas Clarence WILLIAMSON
Service No: 412786
Born: Manly NSW, 21 March 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 July 1941
Unit: No. 52 Operational Training Unit (RAF), RAF Station Aston Down, Gloucestershire
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 52 Operational Training Unit Spitfire aircraft X4059), Somerset, 15 October 1942, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Cirencester Cemetery, Gloucestershire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Clarence Melville and Ida May Williamson, of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Commonwealth Bank of Australia Honour Rolls, Sydney NSW
On 15 October 1942, Spitfire X4059 crashed half a mile from the Aston Down aerodrome. The Spitfire was detailed to carry out formation flying practice with Master aircraft AZ364 flown by Flying Officer Lawton. After one hour, the formation was to break up and the pilots were to practice aerobatics. As the Spitfire was entering the circuit it collided with the Master aircraft and both aircraft crashed killing the crew members in both aircraft. A Flying accident report stated: “the Pilot of the Spitfire failed to keep a sufficiently good lookout causing him to collide with the Master aircraft.”
The pilot of Spitfire X4059 was:
Sergeant Douglas Clarence Williamson (412786) (Pilot)
The crew members of Master AZ364 were:
Pilot Officer Geoffrey Christopher Appelby Holt (88147) (RAF) (Pilot under Instruction)
Pilot Officer John Clifford Lawton (65584) (RAFVR) (Instructor 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, 163/178/431
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line