Pither, V J (Vernon James)
Pither, V J (Vernon James)
Sergeant Vernon Pither was the son of James Luke and Rosanna Amelia Pither, of Shepparton, Victoria, Australia. He served with N.7 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit, which was based in RAF Limavady, Co. Londonderry.
During the early afternoon of the 20th of July 1942, Pilot Officer Wilson Twentyman and Sergeant Vernon Pither took off in a Vickers Wellington bomber[1] (DV772) from RAF Limavady, Co. Londonderry, for a low-level coastal training flight.
Unfortunately, during the flight the two men onboard suffered from low cloud and visibility issues and for reasons that they will only ever know they flew inland, against operational orders.
Near the Giants Causeway,[2] which is located along the north coast of Northern Ireland, the bomber flew into the ground, northeast of the “Causeway Hotel” at approximately 16:10 hour. The plane burst into flames and the pilot and co-pilot were killed instantly.
Pilot Officer Wilson Twentyman and Sergeant Vernon Pither were both laid to rest in this cemetery with full military funerals.
Date of Death: 21/07/1942 (Aged 28)
Service: Sergeant, Royal Australian Air Force, 7 Operational Training Unit.
Service Number: 408512
Burial Location: Grave 5.
[1] The Vickers Wellington was a twin engines long range bomber, which made its maiden flight during June 1936, finally going into service October 1938.
[2] The Giant’s Causeway is Northern Ireland’s most famous landmark and a World Heritage Site located in the of north of Antrim.
