Royal Air Force Ferry Command

Royal Air Force Ferry Command

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Captain Frederick Andrew Matson Son of Andrew and Evelyn Matson, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A.

On the 12th of April 1942, a Lockheed Hudson III[1] (V9112), was taking part in the secretive 1527 “Beam Approach[2]” training flight from Prestwick in the southwest Scotland.

While flying over Northern Ireland’s north coast the flight had run into difficulty and their plane came down near the Glenmakeeran Road, 5 miles southeast of Ballycastle. The plane crashed and all four onboard were killed.

The casualties were Sergeant Ernest Fraser, this airman, Captain Frederick E. Matson (from the United States) and Flying Officer (Bomb Aimer Instructor) James Wheadon MacDougal. They are all buried in Drumachose, Christ Church, Church of Ireland Churchyard. There possibly maybe a 4th but any associations have been dismissed.

During 1949 a request for Captain Frederick Andrew Matson’s body to be returned to the United States was received by Limavady council. The paperwork was correct, but for some reason this never took place. This was probably due to the United States not willing to pay for the airman’s repatriation as he was not serving with their air force.

Date of Death: 12/04/1942 (Aged 27)

Service: Captain (Pilot), Royal Air Force Ferry Command.

Service Number:

Burial Location: Grave 1.


[1] Lockheed Hudson III is an American built light bomber which first flew during December 1938 and was introduced to service and the RAF just two months later.

[2] Beam approach beacon system (BABS) is an automatic radar landing system developed in the early 1940s.

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