FLGOFF Granville Allen Mawer 403112
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| Squadron/s | 452 SQN |
| Rank On Discharge/Death | Flying Officer (FLGOFF) |
| Mustering / Specialisation | Pilot |
| Date of Birth | 31 Oct 1919 |
| Date of Enlistment | 09 Dec 1940 |
| Date of Death | 26 Sep 1943 |
| Contributing Author/s | David Hamilton and Ron Rigg Updated by Vince Conant July 2013 The Spitfire Association |
Allen was born on the 31/10/19 in Canterbury, NSW. He enlisted on the 9/12/40 and in the records it is noted that he was Discharged Dead (DD) on the 26/9/43 as at the result of a collision. He was serving in 452 Squadron, Spitfires, at the time.
He lies in Adelaide River war cemetery with the other boys who lost their lives fighting the enemy.
After many years of holding on to the precious, very personal, war time diaries of his father, Granville Allen Mawer has taken the courageous step of publishing them in the spirit of historical importance.
Australian Flying Officer Allen Mawer (1919-1943) at 21 in 1941, flew the most famous aircraft ever built, the Spitfire, powered by a Merlin V12 engine and armed with four 20mm Hispano cannon, fought the Germans over the English Channel. He spent his evenings partying in London. He experienced the perils of aerial combat and the hazards of wartime romance in the same day.
Later, 1943 at 23, he lived in a swamp airstrip south of Darwin. The Japanese came over so infrequently that he felt he was going troppo. He left several women behind in London and Sydney who he thought had given up on him. Most of his mates were dead. There was no beer. War was hell and he was reckless.
All this and much more Flying Officer Allen Mawer confided to his diary, a candid and sometimes disconcerting record of his conquests in the air and on the ground. The highs and lows of his war, and how it ended, offer a lively and poignant insight into the human cost of armed conflict.
Service number: 403112
Rank: Flying Officer
Unit: 452 Squadron
Service: Royal Australian Air Force
Conflict: 1939-1945
Date of death: 26 September 1943
Place of death: Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Cause of death: Accidental
Cemetery or memorial details: Adelaide River War Cemetery, Northern Territory, Australia
Source: AWM148 Roll of Honour cards, 1939-1945 War, Air Force
A58-54 F.VC BR548
Arrived in Australia on SS Hoperidge 23/10/42. Rec 1AD ex UK 28/10/42. Installed Merlin 46 Eng#90415.Rec 1FW RAAF ex 1AD 09/11/42. Rec 452Sqn RAAF ex 1FW 09/11/42. Coded QY-M. Operational damage as Troppo Blue 3 during Raid#57, causing forced landing at Strauss Field 20/06/43 following enemy action, with damage to engine from 7.7mm bullet that pierced the oil system over Manton Dam causing a wheels up landing at Strauss Strip with damage to airscrew, air intake, radiators and skin. Pilot; P/O Granville Allen Mawer Serv#403112 not injured. Rec 7RSU ex 452Sqn RAAF for repair 21/06/43. Rec 457Sqn RAAF ex 7RSU 04/09/43. Coded ZP-V. Rec 7RSU ex 457Sqn RAAF 16/10/43. Rec 457Sqn RAAF ex 7RSU 10/11/43. Accident 20/05/44 (One record states 09/05/44) suffered damage during taxiing, when aircraft rolled into a gutter causing u/c collapse and aircraft to flip onto its back, at Sattler Field NT. Pilot F/O James Henry Greaves Serv#402949 (Ex 453Sqdn RAAF 1943) not injured. Rec 14ARD ex 457Sqn RAAF 29/05/44. AMSE Approval for conversion to components per File# 9/16/1696 Min#20 17/06/44. ADF SERIALS
A58-121 F.VC EE677
Arrived in Australia on SS Sarp 24/02/42. Rec 1AD ex UK 24/02/43. Rec 1AP ex 1AD 17/05/43. Rec 1AD ex 1AP 06/06/43. Issued 452Sqn RAAF ex 1AD with aircraft proceeding to Bankstown 07/06/43. Rec 2AP (Bankstown) ex 1AD 26/06/43. Fitted with CAAG Suiting Equipment 08/07/43. Rec 452Sqn RAAF ex 1AD 16/07/43. Accident 0800hrs 26/09/43, mid-air collision with Spitfire JL314 (A58-201) near the vicinity of Manton Dam during Flight formation, Army Co-operation and Camera gunnery flight, after taking off as White 3 (Section flight of 4, led by F/Lt Adrian P Goldsmith) at 0745 Hrs. A fifth Spitfire, Troppo 43, made an attack from the rear of white section who were flying line abreast at 2000 feet, who then passed below the formation and flew south. White 1 (Goldsmith) followed and took gun camera film. White 3 then attacked Troppo 43 from the eight o'clock position from the sun after White 1 moved to starboard to allow for room. White 3 closed and then moved to starboard of Troppo 43. Unaware of White 3 attack, Troppo 43 commenced a steep climb and then pulled to starboard. His port wing contacted White 3's port wing causing both wings to break off at about 6 feet from the tip. Both aircraft commenced to roll out of control, then crashing into the ground, with both aircraft bursting into flames a half a mile apart. Location: 131 Degrees 8 Minutes East/12 Degrees 51 Minutes South (3 miles S E of Manton Dam). Pilot White 3,F/O John Philip Adams Serv#404491 and Pilot Troppo 43, F/O Granville Allen Mawer both killed. F/O J P Adam was buried with full military honours 1700hrs 26/09/43 at Adelaide River War Memorial (Grave F.C.8) Rec 7RSU ex 452Sqn RAAF 27/09/43. Rec 14ARD ex 7RSU 10/10/43. AMSE Approval to convert to components per file#9/16/1113 Min#5 12/10/43. A58-121 RR Merlin M46#92623. A58-201 RR Merlin M50 #115835. ADF SERIALS details of F/O J.P. Adams
