Alvah Wilkie Flansburgh-Washbourne

Forenames

Alvah Wilkie AWMM

Surname

Flansburgh-Washbourne AWMM

Service number

• NZ411796 AWMM
• WWII 411796 AWMM

Gender

Male AWMM

Birth

29 Apr 1918 RNZAF Biographies (R17845610)

Next of kin

WW2 Mother: Mrs. K. I. Bruce of Herne Bay, Auckland AWMM

Relationship status

Single/WWII AWMM

War

World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM

Armed force / branch

Air Force AWMM

Service number

• NZ411796 AWMM
• WWII 411796 AWMM

Military service

Royal New Zealand Air Force attached to Royal Air Force AWMM

Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Royal Air Force, No. Bomber Command, 102 Squadron AWMM

Military training

• British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, No. 3 Wireless School, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada AWMM
  Course 1: Class 17. Graduation Date: 22/11/1941. AWMM
• British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, No. 6 Bombing and Gunnery School, Mountain View, Ontario, Canada AWMM

Embarkation details

WW2 Vessel was Awatea AWMM Royal New Zealand Air Force AWMM

Medical notes

Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Killed on air operations, engine failure AWMM

Last rank

Flight Sergeant (Wireless Operator / Air Gunner)/Military AWMM
Royal Air Force, No. Bomber Command, 102 Squadron AWMM

Son of Francis Herbert Flansburgh-Washbourne and of Katie Isabel Flansburgh-Washbourne of Herne Bay

Attended Otahuhu Junior High School (Source: RNZAF Biographies (R17845610)) AWMM

Death

11 Feb 1943 AWMM
Age  24 AWMM

Cause of death

Killed in Action AWMM

Death notes

Thirty minutes after taking off the port outer engine failed and was feathered by the crew. The crew made for base but did not jettison the bomb load although the captain was heard by the surviving member of the crew to have instructed this was to be done. The aircraft lost airspeed and height as it neared Pocklington and while over the village of North Dalton the aircraft was put into a turn to port, into the dead engine, and the aircraft lost further height and crashed near North Dalton at 18:39. All but one of the crew were killed. An investigation into the cause of the engine failure found an internal coolant leak was to blame but that the pilot should not have made a turn to the direction of the failed engine. Typically if a Halifax lost an engine in the air and a turn was made into the same direction as the failed engine at low height the aircraft did not have the power in the three good engines to avoid it slipping towards the ground, had this occurred at a greater height there was a chance that the pilot could rescue the situation in pulling it out of a dive but at a low height this was not possible in the height remaining.

Public - John - Researcher - 18 March 2025 - Aircraft Accidents In Yorkshire

Cemetery

Barmby-On-The-Moor (St Catherine) Churchyard, Yorkshire, England AWMM Row B Grave 2 AWMM

Memorial name

Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 2 Hall of Memories AWMM

Related objects

External links

• The 75th Anniversary of VE Day & the Barmby Moor War Dead Project
  https://www.treehousegenealogy.co.uk/post/75th-veday-barmby-moor
  Further Reference
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
  https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2406362
  Sources Used
• RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ea - Gw. ARchives New Zealand (R17845610)
  https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845610
  Sources Used
• List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - List of Personnel Killed or Missing in Various Theatres, 1940 - 1945. Archives New Zealand (R17845744)
  https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845744
  Sources Used

References

• Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press.
• This record is a work in progress and was partially compiled from the “Database of New Zealand Airmen who took part in Advanced Air Training in Canada during WW2”. Researched by Ivan and Lorna Lindsey of Tauranga. N.Z. 2003 – 2012. Reproduced with permission.
• RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ea - Gw. Archives New Zealand (R17845610) - Former archives reference: AIR118
• Please note that the 11 volumes of the "RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939-1945" held at Archives NZ (formerly known as AIR118) should be used in conjunction with Errol Martyn's "For Your Tomorrow". FYT reflects detailed examination of all of the AIR118 bios which contain many inaccuracies and omissions.
• List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - List of Personnel Killed or Missing in Various Theatres, 1940 - 1945. [(New Zealanders Attached to R.A.F. [Royal Air Force]) (Officers), (Europe) - Airmen]. Archives New Zealand (R17845744)
• Auckland Museum. Roll of Honour, Auckland Province, 1939 - 1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 93/139.