LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Alfred Neil YEAMAN
Service No: 406670
Born: Melbourne VIC, 9 May 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 March 1941 (at Perth WA)
Unit: No. 1519 Beam Approach Training Flight (RAF), RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk
Died: Aircraft Accident (Airspeed Oxford aircraft AT724), Suffolk, 4 June 1942, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Feltwell (St Nicholas) Churchyard, Norfolk UK
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Vernon Charles and Hilda Eliza Yeaman, of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; husband of Patrine Hope Yeaman, of Dalkeith, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Melbourne VIC
Remembered: Panel 133, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
On the 4th January 19423, Oxford AT724 took off from RAF Mildenhall at 1515 hours, for beam flying practice, from 1515 to 1730 hours. At 1645 hours the aircraft crashed on the downwind side of the drome and two were killed and one injured. At 1645 hours the aircraft was seen to be proceeding on a course 060 degrees across the aerodrome at approximately 150 feet height. The undercarriage and the flaps were down, and the aircraft dived into the ground and caught fire. A report into the accident stated: “Sergeant Cook who was injured stated that: “at 1630 hours the auxiliary petrol cocks were still in the OFF position.” The maximum endurance with the main tanks only ON is approximately 3.5 hours. The aircraft had been flying since 1315 hours and as the accident occurred at 1645 hours this time coincided with the maximum endurance of the aircraft on main tanks only. After the crash, the aircrafts auxiliary fuel tank cocks were found in the off position. “
The crew members of AT724 were:
Sergeant Alfred Neil Yeaman (406670) (First Pilot, Instructor)
Sergeant Robert Jack Brewer (1331144) (RAFVR) (Student Pilot)
Sergeant E G Cook (798657) (RAFVR) (Student Pilot) Injured
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, 163/181/67
Bibliography:
Gaston, Bruce DFC (406646), Harry Horner DFC OAM (406595), Raymond Storer (406666) (Editors), Aircrew for the Duration: of and by members of RAAF EATS Courses 10, 11, 12 & 13, Gaston Horner and Storer, Nedlands WA, 1990