Person Page - 170

Flight Sergeant Frederick Popham DESHON
Service No: 426555
Born: Brisbane QLD, 29 August 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 July 1942
Unit: No. 27 Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 27 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft BJ 652), Derbyshire, 21 January 1944, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Chester (Blacon) Cemetery, Cheshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Arthur Popham Deshon and Violet Brenda Deshon, of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia husband of Betty Phyllis Deshon, of Ascot Queensland
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

On the 21st January 1944, Wellington BJ 652 took off from RAF Church Broughton at 2017 hours for a night cross-country training flight. At 2130 hours on the advice of the Met Office at No 93 Group, Lichfield broadcast a general message advising all aircraft to land by 2330 hours. This was not acknowledged by BJ 652, which nine minutes later transmitted a wireless signal advising its position as Gainsborough. Subsequently, the aircraft heading south, crashed at 2210 cutting a swathe through trees before impacting onto a limestone outcrop, just below 700 feet above sea level, near the Derbyshire village of Middleton-by-Youlgrave. All the crew members were killed.

The crew members of BJ 652 were:

Flight Sergeant William Thomas Barnes (30581) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Frederick Popham Deshon (426555) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Lloyd George Edmonds (416941) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant James Kydd (426621) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Thomas Dudley Murton (430628) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer Keith Jobson Perrett (434608) (Air Gunner)

A Court of Inquiry into the accident stated: “The aircraft took off on a six hour cross country exercise at 2017 hours. Initially the aircraft had radio trouble which was not remedied until 1945 hours when he was told to stand by, as Control had been advised by Met that a cold front would affect the northern part of the route. The route was altered slightly eliminating the leg to Peebles and making the spot northern turning point Down Pecklington. After the aircraft had taken off, the Group Met advised Lichfield to recall the aircraft by 2330 hours and Lichfield sent out a recall on the 2130 broadcast and advised Group Met later that it had been acknowledged. At 2330 hours Lichfield advised that the recall had not been acknowledged by BJ 642. No more was heard from BJ 642 until it was reported that it had crashed at 2210 hours 10 miles north of Ashbourne airfield, Derbyshire.”.²