LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Peter Royce WILMOT
Service No: 421953
Born: Coburg VIC, 10 June 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 24 April 1942 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 60 Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 60 Operational Training Unit Mosquito aircraft DD671), Shropshire, 16 September 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Chester (Blacon) Cemetery, Cheshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Harold Royce Wilmot and Hilda Annie Wilmot, of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.
Roll of Honour: Canberra ACT
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 16 September 1943, Mosquito DD671 took off detailed to carry out a solo non-operational day flight of formation flying and radio headings. The aircraft crashed at 1852 hours at Stone Farm, Shrewsbury North, Shropshire, and Flying Officer Wilmot was killed.
A Court of Inquiry into the accident stated: “the Pilot had completed the formation flying with another Mosquito and broke away. He was then seen to carry out tight and steep turns possibly to get on to the tail of the other aircraft. During a steep turn to port the aircraft was observed to flick over in the opposite direction and spin into the ground from a height of 1,000 feet. The aircraft burst into flame and was completely wrecked. The Pilot was doing steep turns in an attempt to play with the other aircraft. In fooling about he did an unauthorised and dangerous manoeuvre.”
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, 166/43/353