Date: 18th August 1940
Unit: No.257 Squadron RAF
Type: Hawker Hurricane I
Serial: P3175
Code: DT- S
Call sign: Blue 2
Location: Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex
Pilot: P/O. Gerard Hamilton Maffett 80814 Age: 24. Killed (1)
Note:
Born in Murree, India on June 11 1916, Maffett was educated at the Imperial service College , Windsor.
He left in 1934 and went to work for the Daily Mail in London.
On April 30th 1938 Maffett joined the RAFVR as an airman u/t Pilot (741503) and did his weekend flying on Tiger Moths at 13 E & RFTS , White Waltham.
Called up on September 1st 1939,he was posted to 1 ITW, Cambridge in early November.
Maffett went to 12 FTS , Grantham on December 30th , completed the course in early June, was commissioned and then sent to No.2 School of Army Cooperation at Andover on the 15th. He went to 5 OTU, Aston Down on June 22nd and after converting to Hurricanes, he joined 257 Squadron at Northolt on July 7th 1940. Maffett made his first operational sortie on the 19th. On the 18th he was credited with a Do 17 destroyed and a He 111 damaged.
REASON FOR LOSS:
On that day , nine Hurricanes took off from Martlesham Heath at 8.25 a.m. led by Flight Lieutenant H.R.A Beresford and were ordered to patrol Debden at 15,000 feet.
The squadron climbed towards Debden. At 14,000 feet they encountered two large formations of Ju88ís with various formations of Bf110s at 16,000 feet. Being unable to catch up with the Ju88ís , the squadron turned their attention to the Bf110s.
At least six Bf110s were claimed as being destroyed by the squadron but two Hurricanes were also lost including P3175 which crashed on the Essex foreshore near Stone Point at Walton-on-the-Naze at 8.50 a.m.
Pilot Officer Maffett was killed when his parachute failed to open in time as he 'bailed out' at low altitude.
A complete cockpit section of airframe, including instrument panel and windscreen, together with an almost complete engine and the remains of the three wooden propellor blades were recovered between 1972 & 1973 -team led by G.H. Rayner, R.N.
The full exhibition is now displayed in the Battle of Britain Museum at Hendon.
The aeroplane was originally built by the Gloster Aircraft Company and delivered to the No.10 Maintenance Unit in June 1940. It was originally taken on charge on June 29th and issued to No. 257 Squadron on August 9th. P3175 remained Mafett's mount until the final crash on August 18th 1940.
Pilot Officer Gerard Hamilton Maffett
The preserved wreck of Maffett's Hurricane (Photos via C. Ellis)
P/O. Maffett grave, Bray Cemetery (Courtesy C.W.G.C.)
(1) His brother W/Cmdr John Francis Maffett 25054 R.A.F. was also killed on the 12th February 1942 - commemorated on panel 64 Runnymede Memorial - no further details as yet.
Burial Details:
P/O. Gerard Hamilton Maffett. Bray Cemetery Sec. O. Grave 42
Son of Lt.-Col. Reginald Ernest and Gwendoline Mary Maffett, of Wellington Lodge, Maidenhead, Berks.
Researched & compiled by Clive Ellis for the Aircrew Remembrance Society February 2010
