Twentyman, W (Wilson)

Twentyman, W (Wilson)

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Pilot Officer Wilson Twentyman was born on the 21st April 1916 and was the son of William Ogden Twentyman and Millicent Agnes Twentyman, of Hukanui, Wellington, New Zealand. He was a keen Rugby player and played regularly right up until he joined the RNZAF[1] on the 6th of July 1941, finally leaving for training on the 16th of August of the same year. By the 27th of February 1942 he had received his Wings and the commission of the rank of Pilot Officer. At the beginning of July 1942, he arrived at N.7 (Coastal) Operation Training Unit based in 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[2] (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,[3] 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: 20/07/1942 (Aged 26)

Service: Pilot Officer (Pilot), Royal New Zealand Air Force, 7 Operational Training Unit.

Service Number: 413913

Burial Location: Grave 6.


[1] RNZAF is the Royal New Zealand Air Force

[2] The Vickers Wellington was a twin engines long range bomber, that made its maiden flight during June 1936, finally going into service October 1938.

[3] The Giant’s Causeway is Northern Ireland’s most famous landmark and a World Heritage Site located in the of north of Antrim.

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