John Percival Wilkie (1925-1947)

John Percival Wilkie (1925-1947)

Second World War Roll of Honour 

John Percival Wilkie was born in Shanghai on 4 February 1925, the only child of Percival William Aldred Wilkie, a shipping agent, later working in Naval Ordnance in Melbourne, Australia, and Lilian (née Neave) Wilkie. He spent part of his childhood in China and, at the time of his application, was living with his maternal family in Whitley Bay, Northumberland. He was educated at King William’s College in the Isle of Man before matriculating at Downing College as an RAF Cadet in October 1943. He played rugby for the College and was Captain of the re-formed Badminton Club in his first term.

John enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, where he trained as a Navigator and Radar Operator, and rose to the rank of Leading Aircraftman before being commissioned as a Pilot Officer on 3 August 1945. He was promoted to Flying Officer on 3 February 1946. On 1 April 1947, he took off from RAF Wahn in Germany at 1.30pm in Mosquito Mk XVI PF520 with his pilot, Flight Lieutenant Austin Willis Clements, for a meteorological reconnaissance flight. The weather called for a cloud base of 6,000 feet, topping out at 9,500 feet. At 1.50pm, having completed its climb and descent, the aircraft was flying at 2,500 feet over the airfield when the pilot reported that one of the engines was “running high”. The aircraft was next seen over the base at about 1,500 feet, where witnesses reported hearing the engines misfiring and white vapour coming from the exhausts. It was next seen by a farmer at Hoffnungstahl near Rösrath, flying at a height of 40 feet at a speed of approximately 160 mph. The aircraft passed within a few feet of him before flying under some telegraph wires which were supported by 30 foot poles. The engines then opened up and the aircraft began to climb slightly before striking some trees and crashing at 2.05pm. The aircraft hit the ground in a ploughed field some 120 yards further on. Both airmen had been thrown clear of the wreckage and John Wilkie was killed in the crash. His pilot was seriously injured.

Flying Officer Wilkie was killed on active service on 1 April 1947, aged 22. He is buried at Munster Heath War Cemetery.

Sources

TNA – Air accident report AVIA 5/29/W2377

Image 

Downing College Rugby Team, 1943-4 (DCPH/2/3/8/8, copyright Lafayette Photography Ltd). John Wilkie is on the far right of the back row.