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The Royal British Legion Scotland Kirkwall Branch - Orkney IslesTele/Fax 01856 873297 |
On Anzac Day, 25th April, this year a delegation from Kirkwall Royal British Legion paid respects to four New Zealand servicemen who are buried in St. Olaf Cemetery. Vice Lord Lieutenant Gary Gibson, Legion President Bryan Taylor, Chairman and his Vice John McCafferty and James Spence laid crosses provided by the archivist of the National Army Museum at Waiouru in New Zealand and Ken Amer of Orkney Today newspaper took photos for the museum's grave database. All four New Zealanders were pilots in the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve and died in Orkney during World War 2 in aircraft accidents, details of which are given below.  HMS Tern (Twatt airfield). Died 5th December 1942. Son of Charles Bush and of Margaret Rubina Bush (née Wilson) of Wellington. Plot 33, Joint Grave 1. Thomas was the pilot of Sea Hurricane I serial Z7089 of 771 Suadron which was on a test flight after overhaul at the Hatston Fleet Air Arm workshops. It went into a steep dive from about 600 feet and crashed into the Peedie Sea, killing Thomas but avoiding any casualties on the ground. Sub-Lieutenant Lloyd Harding Johnson, RNZNVR, age 21. HMS Argus (fleet carrier). Died 3rd February 1943. Son of Ernest Alfred Johnson and of Lucy Eva Johnson (née Brightwell) of Leeston, Canterbury. Plot 33, Grave 11. On camera gun attacks near Woodwick Bombing Range, Evie, Seafires IB serials MB362 and MB369 of 880 Squadron based at Hatston collided at about 6000 feet. Both pilots, Lloyd Johnson and Sub-Lieutenant Anthony Smalley (aged 23, of Malvern, Worcestershire), were killed, dying of multiple injuries when the aircraft crashed. Sub-Lieutenant Louis Frank Weatherall, RNZNVR, age 22. HMS Tern (Twatt airfield). Died 26th April 1944. Son of Francis William and Louisa Culf Weatherall of Ettrick, Otago. Plot 33, Grave 8. Louis was the pilot of Skua I serial L2951 of 771 Squadron which force landed in the sea 6 miles west of Stromness. Louis's body was recovered with the wreckage of the aircraft, but that of his air gunner, Derek Read (aged 19, of Crook, Westmorland) sank during recovery and he is remembered on Panel 3, Bay 5 of the Lee-on-Solent Memorial. Lieutenant Lonsdale Hollis Wiren, RNZNVR, age 26. HMS Daedalus (Fleet Airm Arm administrative centre). Died 4th June 1943. Son of Lonsdale William Frederick Wiren and of Jessie Evelyn Wiren (née Hollis) of Lyall Bay, Wellington. Plot 33, Grave 4. Lonsdale was pilot of one of three Martlets of 878 Squadron which took off from Hatston at 2.45am on a night flying exercise and flew into low cloud. Twatt radar operator ran half a mile to the Yonbell transmitter in a desperate attempt to get the aircraft down. One landed safely at Skeabrae. Lonsdale's Martlet IV serial FN288 crashed 400 yards north of Stymilders, Stenness and he died of multiple injuries. The third Martlet IV serial FN248 crashed at Huntscarth, Harray and burst into flames to set the hillside on fire and its pilot, Lieutenent Stanley Brett (aged 24, of Newmarket, Suffolk) also died. Above details of aircraft crashes given in Gregor Lamb's excellent book, "Sky over Scapa, 1939-1945". |