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The Airmen's Stories - F/O N R Wheatcroft

Nigel Ronald Wheatcroft, from Ecclestone Hall, Idridgehay, Derbyshire was born on 21st July 1919, the son of Kenneth and Dorothea Wheatcroft.

He was educated at Winchester College, leaving in 1938 for Trinity College, Cambridge where he read Modern Languages.

This involved courses at Heidelberg and Munich and he ended up spending a year in Germany.

He excelled at cricket but after an prolonged illness never regained his earlier prowess.

Wheatcroft learned to fly with the University Air Squadron and joined the RAFVR in June 1939 as an Airman u/t Pilot, being commissioned and called to full-time service in October 1939. After training at Cranwell FTS (below) he arrived at 5 OTU Aston Down on 22nd June 1940.

 

 

 

 

 

Above image courtesy of Winchester College.

 

After converting to Blenheims Wheatcroft joined 604 Squadron at Northolt on 8th July. He was attached to 11 Group, Uxbridge on the 14th for a short course on R/T procedure and elementary attacks.

He was captain of Blenheim L6728 which crashed at Danebury Hill during an evening flight on 26th November 1940 after losing a propeller. He and Sergeant RHW Taylor were killed.

Wheatcroft is buried in St James churchyard, Idridgehay.

 

Above image courtesy of Alf.

 

 

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