Somerville, W (William)
Corporal William Somerville
Corporal William Somerville was the son of Joseph and Mary Somerville, of Upperlands. William was flying in a Martinet Mark I target aircraft[1] (Serial Number HN939), with Flying Officer Thomas Charles Morris, DFC.
The target plane was heard to be stuttering overhead by a witness on the 26th of September 1943 at approximately 9:45 am, near the village of Dornoch, North of Inverness. It was the obvious from the noise of engine failure that something was seriously wrong. An attempt to land was made, but the pilot hit high ground, bounced over the farmhouse the witness was then in, banked and unfortunately, it crashed into a stone wall and burst into flames about 50 yards from the door of the witness who was called Bill Grant.[2]
A man now lay in flames on the ground, a short distance from the plane, whilst the other airman who was stuck in the burning wreckage, screamed for help. It was impossible to get to him and he soon died. The witness and other locals then retrieved blankets from their homes and put the flames out on the fatally wounded airman on the ground. He was later named, Flying Officer Thomas Charles Morris, DFC.[3] Around twenty minutes later the RAF arrived and took him to hospital. He would though pass away the next day due to the severity of his wounds and burns.
Date of Death: 26/09/1943 (Aged 22)
Service: Corporal, Royal Air Force
Service Number: 626169
Burial Location: Upper Tamlaght-O’Crilly Church of Ireland Churchyard
[1] The Miles M.25 Martinet I was first flown on the 24th of April 1942 and went out of production in 1945. It was a two-seater plane used as a Target Tug. It would basically fly an unmanned drone behind it for training ground gunners to fire live ammunition at. Less than 2000 were built.
[2] Bill Grant later made an audio recording of the event during the 19th of Aug 2009.
[3] Flying Officer Thomas Charles Morris, DFC, Service Number: 47701, aged 30, was the son of Thomas Richard Morris, and of Nellie Morris, of Southsea. He was laid to rest in Portsmouth (Milton) Cemetery, Plot C. Row 8. Grave 8.
