Pilot Officer David Norris CARMICHAEL, 403040

On 6 January 1942 David Norris Carmichael was Second Pilot on board Wellington Mk.IV Z1182 scheduled to target the Battleships Sharnhorst and Gneisenau in Brest, France. The 458 Sqn ORB states that “Wellington IV 1182 crashed near North Howden Station when leaving on Operations”, giving a take-off time of 04:37am. The record of events states “Crashed near Breighton immediately after taking off owing to icing. One killed, one died from injuries and four slightly injured. Bombs jettisoned safely just before crash. A/C being salvaged by armament section”. A letter to David’s father, Mr James Alexander Carmichael, states that the aircraft crashed at approximately 04:45am. Fellow crewmember Flying Officer Edward John Norman MacDonald also died in the crash. The rest of the crew; P/O Moran; Sgt Bottomley; Sgt Barlow; and Sgt Darling, all survived though some with injuries.

 The pilot, Pilot Officer Moran, wrote: “arriving at my aircraft I found up to an inch of frozen snow on the wing and control surfaces of the aircraft.”, then telling Wg Cdr Mulholland that he would be unable to take off until the snow had been cleared. After taking off, Moran found that “the aircraft was not gaining height and the airspeed had dropped to 110 mph”. Moran felt the left wing start to drop and the aircraft begin to lose height. The aircraft “struck the ground in a left hand turn. I was thrown out of my seat and found myself on the forward exit hatch as the aircraft came to rest.”

David was born on 7 January 1915, meaning he died on the day before his 27^th birthday.    

                                                           The Sydney Morning Herald, 28 January 1942, Page 16

David was from Narrandera in New South Wales, Australia, though he was living on Dudley Street, Coogee, Sydney as an Accountant when he signed up to the RAAF in June 1940. He embarked for Canada in April 1941 where he trained in No 11 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) at RAF Yorkton, earning his flying badge in July 1941 before arriving in the UK in August 1941 where he completed conversion training at No 23 Operational Training Unit (23OTU) from where he was posted to 458 Sqn in November 1941.

David was buried on 8 January 1942 in St John the Baptist and All Saints Churchyard, Holme-on-Spalding-Moor. That same day, at 5pm, David’s father received the following telegram from the Air Board:

“Deeply regret to inform you that your son Pilot Officer David Norris CARMICHAEL is reported to have lost his life as the result of an aircraft accident near North Howden Station England. The Air Board joins with the Air Ministry in expressing profound sympathy in your sad bereavement.”    

                                   Lachlander and Condobolin and Western Districts Recorder, 2 February 1942, Page 2