Hi- I'm looking for some information on 283 Squadron beyond what the (pretty good) Wikipedia article can tell me. Anyone know of any particular book/site that deals with them in detail? Better yet, anyone know anyone from 283? This is unrelated to my other posts about old-boys from my school, this is more personal.
Hi Ethan, Unable to assist with detail of losses overall however there were only four RAAF lads lost with 283sq during the war. The aircraft was en route to North Africa with a crew of four Australians and one RAF. This may provide some interest from browsers and bring some further information. RAAF FATALITIES IN SECOND WORLD WAR AMONG RAAF PERSONNEL SERVING ON ATTACHMENT IN ROYAL AIR FORCE SQUADRONS AND SUPPORT UNITS Source: AWM 237 (65) NAA : A705, 166/5/290 166/16/181 Commonwealth War Graves records Aircraft Type: Warwick Serial number: BC 300 Radio call sign: Unit: ATTD 283 SQN RAF Summary: On the 8th September 1943, Warwick BC300 crashed at 0135 hours at Dorset, UK, and all the crew were killed. After take off, a very flat turn resulted in a stall and the aircraft spun in from about 500 feet. Crew: RAAF 22930 PO Gordon, H P Captain (Pilot) RAAF 409548 PO Holdsworth, F D (Observer) RAAF 421033 Flt Sgt R C Bellingham, (Wireless Air Gunner) RAAF 413133 Flt Sgt G W Murtagh, (Wireless Air Gunner) RAF 969821 Corporal J B Kieran, (???) The four RAAF members are buried in the Christchurch Cemetery, Hampshire, UK. The RAF member was buried at Liverpool (West Derby) Cemetery, Lancashire, UK. A Court of Inquiry into the accident stated : “ The aircraft had arrived at 30 ADU Hurn at about 1200 hours on the 7th September from RAF Station Bircham Newton. It was en route to North Africa, and it took off from RAF Station Hurn airfield at 0131hours on 8th September, loaded approx 600 lbs under Max take off load and about 200 lbs below Max landing load. The weather and visibility was good. Evidence shows that the aircraft took off in the normal manner and immediately turned to starboard and flew for a short distance in an erratic manner. Upon reaching a height of 6/800 feet it fell out of control and burst into flames from impact with the ground. Flt Sgt Gordon was a very steady pilot, and for the last nine months had flown Hudson, Wellington and Warwick aircraft. It must have been impressed on him throughout his training that to attempt turns in a heavy aircraft immediately after take off was highly dangerous especially at night from a strange airfield. In view of the evidence that a turn starboard was made immediately after takeoff it is considered that the turn was not intended by the Pilot. The manoeuvres of the aircraft during the short flight seemed to indicate that the Pilot was unable to control it properly.”. In was the opinion of the Court that “the accident was not caused as a result of airmanship or by carelessness on the part of PO Gordon. The damage to the aircraft was total and complete and from a careful examination of the wreckage no conclusion could be known as to why the aircraft fell out of control.” View attachment 69837 In Memory of Pilot Officer HORACE PALMER GORDON 22930, Royal Australian Air Force who died age 29 on 08 September 1943 Son of Edwin and Elizabeth Gordon, of Duranbah, New South Wales, Australia. Remembered with honour CHRISTCHURCH CEMETERY In Memory of Pilot Officer FRANK DAVID HOLDSWORTH 409548, Royal Australian Air Force who died age 27 on 08 September 1943 Son of Arthur Josiah and Mabel Hannah Holdsworth, husband of Honora Jean Holdsworth, of Surrey Hills, Victoria, Australia. Remembered with honour CHRISTCHURCH CEMETERY In Memory of Flight Sergeant RONALD CHARLES BELLINGHAM 421033, Royal Australian Air Force who died age 20 on 08 September 1943 Son of Ralph and Jessie Laird Bellingham; nephew of Mrs. F. R. McEvoy, of Randwick, New South Wales, Australia. Remembered with honour CHRISTCHURCH CEMETERY In Memory of Flight Sergeant GEORGE WILSON MURTAGH 413133, Royal Australian Air Force who died age 26 on 08 September 1943 Son of George Stedham Hill Murtagh and Martha Quinn Murtagh, of Coogee, New South Wales, Australia. Remembered with honour CHRISTCHURCH CEMETERY In Memory of Corporal JAMES BRUCE KIERAN 969821, 283 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died on 08 September 1943 Remembered with honour LIVERPOOL (WEST DERBY) CEMETERY
Thanks for the reply, Happily enough, I'm looking for a man who survived the war! From 1943-1945 my Grandmother was engaged to an Australian guy from 283. All I know is that he was nicknamed 'Rocky', and was a navigator. I found several pictures of him and guys from the squadron in one of her photograph albums when I was going through my Grandfather's things last November (Granny died in 1995). There is also a table-cloth which I believe Rocky's mother sent my Grandmother. I think they had planned to go to Australia together after the war but at the last minute she decided she couldn't face leaving England and her family, and the engagement was broken off. She was apparently heartbroken and got engaged to someone else on the rebound, which was in turn broken off when she met my grandfather. Anyhow there's loads of good photos of 'Rocky' and his comrades in various places, and I was thinking of trying to find out if he had a family and sending them the pictures, as judging by how old he looks in her pictures I fear that the odds of his still being alive aren't great. Just an idea. Of course the problem is I know next to nothing about him, not even his name!
