The Airmen's Stories - P/O P A Worrall

Pyers Arthur Worrall was born on 5th February 1921, his family were from Avon Dassett in Warwickshire. His father, Percival Reginald Worrall CBE DSO MC (1880-1950) served in the Bedfordshire and Devonshire Regiments in WW1. He married Agnes Margaret Mary Mostyn (1888-1973) in 1912.

PA Worrall attended Downside School before joining the RAF on a short service commission in April 1939.

Worrall commenced training at 9 E&RFTS Ansty, going on to FTS Cranwell and was then posted to 6 OTU Sutton Bridge on 22nd June 1940.

After converting to Hurricanes he was posted to 85 Squadron at Martlesham Heath on 20th July.

He shared in the destruction of a Do17 on 26th August and claimed a Me110 destroyed on the 31st. In this combat, over Tunbridge Wells, he was himself shot down and baled out, slightly wounded in the thigh. He was admitted to Croydon Hospital. His Hurricane, V6581, crashed on Court Lane, Newenden.

On 13th September Worrall was posted to 249 Squadron at North Weald. He claimed a Me109 destroyed on 25th October and another probably destroyed on 8th November.

Worrall arrived in Malta in a Sunderland from the Middle East on 20th January 1941 and joined 261 Squadron at Hal Far.

He returned to the Middle East in May and in 1942 was in Burma serving with 136 Squadron as a Flight Commander.

Worrall was killed in a flying accident on 8th June 1942, aged 21. He was flying Hurricane IIB BM926 which crashed on take-off from Alipore. The engine failed and he struck a pillbox and burst into flames.

He is buried in Calcutta (Bhowanipore) Cemetery.

Above cemetery images courtesy of The War Graves Photographic Project www.twgpp.org