John Denys Williams

Pilot Officer

Conflict:

WW2

Additional Information:

Son of Robert George Baskerville Williams and Elizabeth Jane Williams (nee Knowles) of Newmarket, Auckland, New Zealand.

References:

Martyn (2008)

NZ WAR GRAVES

Public Contributions:

From: For Your Tomorrow. Errol W. Martyn Volume One. "Routine patrol off Colombo to identify shipping, etc. 273 Squadron, RAF (China Bay/Trincomalee, Ceylon) Vildebeest III K4156 - took off at 0555 p...iloted by Sgt DB Ross, RAF, and crashed 18 miles off Colombo at 0620 while circling an unidentified ship at 50 to 100 feet. K4156's starboard wing apparently stalled, causing the Vildebeest to spin into the sea and sinnk. One of the crew survived, injured, but the other two, including a New Zealander, are commemorated on the Singapore Memorial." Pilot Officer John Denys Williams was Age 20, had 341 hours and 17 ops. Although a pilot, Williams was acting as observer on this flight. From the official Draft Obituary as obtained from the Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum: "In April 1937 he applied for a Short Service Commission in the Royal Air Force and on being provisionally selected embarked on the "Remuera" at Wellington on the 30th October, 1937 to proceed to the United Kingdom. On arriving in England he reported to Air Ministry where he was confirmed in his appointment to a Short Service commission for 4 years as a pilot officer from 6th December 1937 and instructed to proceed on the same date to the Civil Flying School, Desford, Leicestershire to commence his flying training. This preliminary training completed, he was posted on the 19th February, 1938 to the Royal Air Force Depot, Uxbridge, Middlesex, for a short course in service procedure. This was followed by his posting on the 5th March to No. 9 Flying Training School, Hullavington, Whiltshire, for training on service type aircraft and while here on 1st June 1938 he was awarded his Flying Badge. His next posting was on the 17th September, 1938 to No.48 Squadron, Eastchurch, Kent. During December he attended a navigational reconnaissance course with the School of General Reconnaissance, Thorney Isalnd, Hampshire, at the conclusion of which he returned to No. 48 Squadron. Early in August he proceeded to Ceylon on posting to No. 273 Squadron, China Bay. War having been declared he commenced operational flying and as pilot of a Vildebeeste aircraft took part in seventeen shipping patrols off the coast of Ceylon. On the 9th January, 1940 Pilot Officer Williams was navigator of a Vildebeeste aircraft engaged on a shipping patrol off Colombo. While flying low to identify a ship the aircraft crashed in the sea Pilot Officer Williams going down with the aircraft." Read More

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Casualty

Service Number:

40583

Name:

John Denys Williams

Rank:

Pilot Officer

Date of Birth:

17 October 1919

Date of Enlistment:

Not known

Unit:

Royal Air Force, 273 Squadron

Casualty Details

Cause of Death:

Not known

Date of Death:

09 January 1940

Day of Death:

Tuesday

Age at Death:

Conflict:

WW2

Embarkation Details

Text in italics supplied by Cenotaph Online, Auckland War Memorial Museum

Cemetery

Cemetery:

Singapore Memorial

Cemetery Reference:

Column 409.

Cemetery Location:

Singapore