(C) TottonTogether -
14 -
(Edward Jack & Donald George William)
17.8.42 Cadets E J Sims (17) and D G Sims (16) were brothers killed when Oxford R6321 of 6 (P)AFU, Little Rissington crashed near North Leach Police Station. They are buried together in Eling (St Mary) Churchyard extension, Hampshire.
EDWIN JACK STEWART & DONALD GEORGE WILLIAM SIMS
Air Training Corps -
DIED MONDAY 17,h AUGUST 1942
Edwin and Donald Sims were born in Southampton to parents Edwin Sims and Constance Savage.
They had 2 siblings, Valerie Jose and David C.
Edwin was born on the 15th January 1925, a Coppersmiths Apprentice by trade and his brother Donald was born a year later on the 10th April 1926, a Chartered Accountant. In the 1939 census the brothers were living with their family in 'Jacdon' Downs Park Avenue, Eling.
On 17th August 1942 Pilot William Alexander H Miller (122087) of the RAF Volunteer Reserve took off from RAF Northleach in an Airspeed Oxford MK1 N6321 with the brothers on board to enable them to become air minded. Not long after take off the aircraft had been witnessed flying very low over Northleach and sadly hit the ground 3 miles north of the town resulting in loss of life to all 3 on board. At the inquest the Coroner returned a verdict of death by misadventure and the crash had been an accident. Edwin and Donald both died of a fracture to the skull.
William was buried at Little Rissington (St Peter) Churchyard.
Edwin aged 17 and Donald aged 16 were interred on 22nd August 1942 in Section 6 Row C Plot 27 at Eling Cemetery with their little sister Valerie who had died in childhood.
Copied from https://www.facebook.com/TEFHS/
Totton and Eling Family History Facebook page.