Flight Lt HWA Sheahan
Harold Wentworth Aylward Sheahan
- Rank
- Flight Lt
- Honours
- DFC
- Squadron
- No 220 Squadron
- School
- King Edward VII School
- Fate
- Did not survive the war, 2 August 1940
- In the book
- Pages 39, 51, 54, 60
From the book
Links of Long Standing
Several joined well before war was declared including amongst others, TH Archbell, AS Ainslie, I Bocock, CBE Burt-Andrews GL Cruickshanks, G Chater, IB Difford, FA Harte, GDL Haysom, CB Hull, GLB Hull, AG “Sailor” Malan, EJ Morris, MT Pattle, H Rosofsky, JF Roulston RN Selley, HWL Sheahan CR Taylor and FL Watson.
The First Ten Months
Coastal Command pilots, Flight Lieutenant’s AS Ainslie and HWA Sheahan were the first South Africans serving in the RAF to be decorated during the Second World war and their “Distinguished Flying Cross” awards were announced in the February 20th “London Gazette”.Twenty-seven - year-old Ainslie a No 210 Squadron Sunderland pilot from the Eastern Cape trained as a “General Botha” cadet after attending Dale College 8 and had spent time at sea before joining the RAF, while 28- year- old Sheahan, a No 220 Squadron Lockhead Hudson pilot, completed his schooling at King Edwards in Johannesburg.
Against Unfavourable Odds
Flight Lt HWA Sheahan DFC 6 lost his life on August 2nd, 1940. His name was added to the Westminster Abbey “Roll of Honour” in 1947 but as he was not an aircrew member serving under Fighter Command’s operational control during the “Battle of Britain”, his name is not included on the monument panels or Memorial Wall.
Against Unfavourable Odds
Squadron Leader CB Hull DFC, one of 13 pilots killed on the 7th had been in command of No 43 Squadron since September 1st 21. His short “Battle of Britain” included an Me 109 and sharing 3 Me 110’s. Hull and Harold Wentworth Alyward Sheahan commissioned in 1935 with Service No’s as close as the distance separating their schools, St Johns College, and King Edward’s and the number of days between losing their lives.