Wightman, R P (Ronald Paul)

Sergeant Ronald Paul Wightman was the son of Lieutenant Commander Lawrence Hyder Wightman, R.N.V.R. and of Louise Wightman (nee Blanc).

Ronald was serving with 7 OTU[1] during January 1943. He, Sergeant Robert Turnbull, Sergeant Dennis Lowman and the pilot, Sergeant Ruempller, were taking part in a training flight in a Wellington Bomber VIII[2] (HX439). During the exercise, the weather took a turn for the worse and heavy snowstorms arrived in the area, causing serious issues for all planes in the air.

The training had ended or was ended due to the weather and the crew and plane returned home. For reasons that are unknown during this process it crashed into the ground, some 2 miles southwest of Ballykelly, killing all the crew instantly.

Sergeant Robert Turnbull,[3] Sergeant Ronald Wightman, Sergeant Dennis Lowman,[4] the pilot and Sergeant Ruempller[5] all died in the accident.

Date of Death: 02/01/1943 (Aged 20)

Service: Sergeant, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, N.7 Operational Training Unit.

Service Number: 1294457

Burial Location: Grave 1.

[1] OTU is Operational Training Unit.

[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] Sergeant Robert Turnbull is buried in Drumachose, Christ Church, Church of Ireland Churchyard. His story is covered in Ulster’s War Graves Volume 2 – County Londonderry’s War Burials – Part 1 – Aghadowey to Enagh

[4] Sergeant Lowman, Dennis Aubrey (service number 1383208), aged 21, was the son of Frederick Charles and Edith Louise Lowman, of Hillingdon. Uxbridge. He was laid to rest in Hillingdon and Uxbridge Cemetery, England.

[5] Sergeant (Pilot) Ruempller, Douglas St Leger (service number 657208), aged 21 was cremated at Putney Vale Cemetery and Crematorium and remembered on the Cremation Screen Wall Panel 3.