15/vii/44 – Loss of F/Sgt Howard Scott & F/O Colin Duncan

After completing a Patrol in aircraft MM551 (ME-X), F/Sgt Howard Scott and F/O Colin Duncan, both New Zealanders, were killed when their aircraft crashed in woodland near Holmesley South whilst attempting to land at RAF Hurn in low cloud. There is little information available about the detail of this crash, which resulted in the first losses of the Squadron in almost 4 months.

Both men were interred in the New Zealand Section of Brookwood Military Cemetery on 19/vii/44, with Irwin Skudder and Tom MacKay in attendance representing the Squadron.

The graves of F/Sgt Howard Scott & F/O Colin Duncan.
(Brookwood Military Cemetery, New Zealand Section. Plots 8.AA.5 & 8.AA.6)

Their names are duly recorded in the Roll of Honour.

11/iii/44 – Trip to Middle Wallop & Loss of F/Sgt Anderson

11^th March 11:00
AIRSPEED OXFORD II X7293
Pilot: F/O Scott
Navigator: Self
BASE – MIDDLE WALLOP
Pilot as Navigator & Navigator as Pilot about half the way. Fairly hazy.
1:00

12:05
Pilot: F/O Scott
2^nd Pilot: F/O Robinson
Navigator: Self
Another 10 mins driving amongst the bumps
0:55

14:30
DH Mosquito XII HK227 ME-E (A/I Mk.VIII)
Pilot: F/O Scott
Navigator (R): Self
NFT, CINE-GUN & A/C TEST
The usual 15,000ft climb to test the blowers & feathering tests
0:45

On 07/iii/44, F/Sgt John Anderson, a New Zealand pilot arrived at the Squadron from 51 OTU where he had been trained on Beaufighters. On 11/iii/44 he was on only his second solo flight in a mosquito. On landing, he swung, tried to climb, and then dived into the ground after his undercarriage hit an obstruction. He was killed instantly. The subsequent report was critical of the fact that he had been posted direct to the squadron from an OTU but had no Mosquito experience.

Anderson was buried at Brookwood Military Cemetery on the 15^th March, with Squadron Representatives in attendance. He lies in grave number 2.K.7, a short distance from his fellow Squadron members, Riwai, Clark, Watson & Edwards. His death brings the total number of lives lost since the start of Broody’s tour to 15.

The grave of F/Sgt John Anderson.
Brookwood Military Cemetery (Plot number 2.k.7)

His name is duly recorded in the Roll of Honour

21/ii/44 – Loss of F/O Riwai & F/Sgt Clark

On the morning of 21^st February, after the night time patrols had ended, a pre-dawn attack was identified and crews were scrambled to engage the enemy – several for the second time that night. Amongst those who took off were Tohunga “Ricky” Riwai, the Squadron’s only Maori aircrew, and his navigator, Ian Clark. For reasons unknown, Ricky’s aircraft crashed into the steel anti-invasion defences beyond the airfield perimeter and both men were killed instantly. Leslie Hunt recalls how several individuals ignored the threat of the adjacent minefield and ran to give assistance to both men, albeit in vain.

Riwai and Clark had only been posted to the Squadron 75 days before, but all the background information I have read about the Squadron shows the high regard in which this crew were held, especially Ricky who was an extremely popular member of the Squadron.

Hunt said: “Words cannot express the feelings of the squadron after this tragedy – we had all come to regard Rick as one of the grandest types any of us have ever known, and with his shy but equally popular navigator, made a crew which we were confident would achieve great things” [Leslie Hunt – “Defence Until Dawn”].

Riwai and Clark were in the squadron photograph taken some 3 weeks before their death. I think that Riwai, sitting on the front row in flying boots, with arms and legs crossed exudes a mass of confidence and self-assuredness!

Tohunga “Ricky” Riwai (sitting) and Ian Clark (standing) photographed on 02/ii/44

The graves of F/O Riwai & F/Sgt Clark.
Brookwood Military Cemetery (Plots 2.K.2 & 2.K.1B)

“Ricky” Riwai and Ian Clark were interred in the New Zealand Section of Brookwood Military Cemetery, next to the graves of their mates “Snowy” Watson and Ernest Edwards.

The photo below shows the graves of 4 airmen of 488(NZ) squadron side by side – 4 brave Kiwis who came to England to fight for the freedom of the British Empire, and now lie many thousands of miles from home.

The graves of F/O Riwai, F/Sgt Clark, F/Sgt Edwards & F/Sgt Watson.
4 Aircrew of 488(NZ) Squadron who were killed in February 1944.

As part of my research for this blog, I visited Brookwood and gave my thanks to these men for their sacrifices so that I could bring up my children in a free world. With each loss I record, the more and more of the reality of war is revealed to me. I feel a sense of huge sadness each time an anniversary is reached, and cannot even begin to imagine how these losses impacted on the members of the squadron who survived each clash with the enemy as they saw their friends die.

The loss of Riwai and Clark takes to 14 the total number of aircrew who have given their lives since the start of Broody’s tour in September 1943. Their names are duly recorded in the Roll of Honour.

3/ii/44 – Loss of F/Sgt Watson & F/Sgt Edwards

At 01:45 on the morning of 3^rd February, Keith “Snowy” Watson (Pilot) and his Navigator Ernest Edwards, flying Mosquito HK363, were killed in a tragic accident whilst taking part in a searchlight exercise. It was recorded in the ORB that Watson most was most likely blinded temporarily by the searchlight and lost control. The ORB goes on to say:

“This was a most promising crew and a great loss to “B” Flight and the Squadron”

Just hours after these 2 young men were photographed side by side, they took to the air and died together. They were buried side by side in the New Zealand Section of Brookwood Military Cemetery.

F/Sgt Ernest Edwards and F/Sgt Keith “Snowy” Watson
2^nd February 1944, just hours before they were killed during a searchlight exercise

The graves of F/Sgt Edwards and F/Sgt Watson at Brookwood Military Cemetery
(Plots 2.K.1 and 2.K.1A)

Their names are duly recorded in the Roll of Honour