John Grant Dasent. RNZAF 485 Sqn. Lost 22/12/1943

[Scott McIntosh]

John Grant Dasent. RNZAF 485 Sqn. Lost 22/12/1943. Spitfire BL634.

I am looking for any more information relating to the above pilot. I am also looking to see if there is a photo of him to be found anywhere.

Apparently the pilot was on a navy cooperation exercise and hit the sea with his aircraft damaging it but was able to regain height and bail out. Something must have gone wrong because he was found dead 18 minutes later by a navy ship.

Does anyone have anything else to add to this accident.

Thanks.

[Luther Moore]

Here's a start.I'm sure other members will have more to add soon.

FULL NAME
John Grant Dasent
RANK LAST HELD
Flying Officer (Pilot)
FORENAME(S)
John Grant
SURNAME
Dasent
WAR
World War II, 1939-1945
SERIAL NO.
NZ404342
GENDER
Male
BODY ON EMBARKATION
Royal New Zealand Air Force
LAST UNIT SERVED
Royal New Zealand Air Force, 485 (NZ) Squadron, RAF
PLACE OF DEATH
Scotland
DATE OF DEATH
22 December 1943
AGE AT DEATH
24
YEAR OF DEATH
1943
CEMETERY NAME
Dirleton Cemetery, East Lothian, Scotland
GRAVE REFERENCE
Sec. E. Grave 1040
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
Son of Gerald Poynings Dasent and Ellen Elizabeth Dasent of Hastings
FURTHER REFERENCES
Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch: Volplane Press.
SOURCES USED
Commonwealth War Graves Commission. URL: www.cwgc.org

[errolmartyn]

Scott,

From my For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume Two: Fates 1943-1998):

Wed 22 Dec 1943
ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY AIR FORCE
Navy Co-operation exercise
485 Squadron, RNZAF (Drem, East Lothian - 13 Group, Air Defence of Great Britain)
Spitfire VB BL634 - hit the sea surface and damaged its radiator, but managed to regain some height before the pilot baled out over the water NE of Dunbar at 1050. However, he still left the fighter too low and was found dead when picked up 18 minutes later by HMS Vivien. Buried at Dirleton, 2½ miles north of his base, the pilot’s leaving of the cockpit was hindered by a bulky experimental ‘G-suit’, known after its designer as the Franks Flying Suit.
Pilot: NZ404342 Fg Off John Grant DASENT, RNZAF - Age 24. 897hrs (220 on Spitfire) 71 ops.

And from Vol Three (biographies & appendices):

Amendment -

DASENT, J G – aircraft hit the sea while circling a convoy in a diving turn in an attempt to intercept an attacking aircraft. Baled out at 500 feet but parachute did not fully deploy.

Biography -

DASENT, Flying Officer John Grant.
NZ404342; b Hastings 27 Jul 19; Wanganui Collegiate; farm hand - father's farm, Aorangi, at Mangatahi. NZ Army/TF; RNZAF Levin/GTS as Airman Pilot u/t 23 Nov 40, 2EFTS 19 Jan 41, 3FTS 1 Mar 41, Pilots Badge [wef 14.4.41] & Sgt 25 May 41, att RAF & emb for UK 18 Jun 41, 3PRC 31 Jul 41, 10AGS (Defiant) staff pilot 10 Aug 41, Comm 13 Oct 42, 7FIS (various a/c types) for BAT cse 13 Jan 43, 61OTU (Spitfire) 19 Jan 43, 485 Sqn RNZAF (Spitfire - 71 ops) 16 Mar 43 [deck ldg practice on fleet carrier HMS Argus with Seafire 22-23 Jun], kao 22 Dec 43. Dirleton Cemetery - E.1040, East Lothian, Scotland. Son of Gerald Poynings & Ellen Elizabeth Dasent (née Wilson), Aorangi, Mangatahi.

The Air Force Museum of New Zealand might have a photo of him that they could scan for you for a small fee - info@airforce museum.xtra.co.nz

Errol

[Scott McIntosh]

Thanks for that Errol.

Fantastic information and great detail.

I will follow up on the air museum photo possibility.

Thanks once again.

[McFly]

Some more info on F/O Dasent.
________________________________________

485 Sqn Operational Diary (1 July 42 - 1 Sep 45) - Anthony Vandyk (Sqn Adj).

Entry for Nov and Dec 1943.

"An unfortunate accident occurred on December 22nd off St Abbs Head when F/O J.G. Dasent hit the water with the tip of one his propeller blades, causing his engine to cut. He gained insufficient height to bale out out safely, and reached the the water before his parachute opened. He was picked up by H.M.S Vivien - a destroyer - and given artificial respiration, but this did not revive him and his body was sent Berwick by motor launch. He was buried on December 24th at Dirleton Cemetery, attended by all members of the squadron."
________________________________________

And from Kevin Wells book '485 Sqn - An Illustrated History of the New Zealand Spitfire Squadron' pg. 117.

"On 8 November, 485 was withdrawn from 1 Group and sent to Drem, an RAF base in East Lothian, where the squadron would rest up and replenish its numbers over the winter lull. While in Scotland the pilots were asked to test new pressurized flying apparel known as the Franks' flying suit. Filled with a layer of water, the suit was designed to counter G-forces exerted on a pilot during a tight turn or when coming out of a dive. The new gear was found to be partially effective, but its bulk restricted movement. On 22 November, Pilot Officer j.G. Dasent was lost when his engine cut over the Firth of Forth. The pilot attempted to bale out of his aircraft but found he could not extricate himself from the Spitfire's cockpit. Airborne with him at the time, Yeatman remembered Dasent cursing the flying suit and its designer as he prepared to ditch his aircraft in the sea. Whether he was knocked out by the impact of the forced landing or weather he was still unable to get out of the cockpit no one knew, But his death by drowning caused the pilots to frown upon the suit's continued use. (Note 2 - Some pilots maintain that Dasent did eventually get out of his aircraft, but by that time he was far too low for his parachute to have opened). Franks was at Drem when Dasent went down as was deeply distressed by the incident, Maintaining that is was possible to get out of an aircraft with the suit on. Although testing stopped with 485, other squadrons were to try out the suit and eventually the concept of the pressurized flying suit was viewed more favourably."
________________________________________

No 485 (NZ) Squadron - Operations Record Book (ORB) '1st March 1941 - 30th June 1945'.

"Monthly Summary, December 1943 - The Squadron flew three inconsequent scrambles during the whole month. Flying Officer J.G Dasent whilst flying on Navy Co-operation on the 22nd December 1943 crashed into the sea, and when picked up by H.M.S VIVIEN eighteen minutes later was found to be dead. - S/L M. Hume, CO 485 Sqn."
________________________________________

"Wine, Woman and Song" - A Spitfire Pilot's Story - Doug Brown.Pg.269.

Letter to home dated 18 Jan 1944.

"...You'll be sorry to hear that Johnny Dasent - The Champ - has had it. Soon after I had left squadron in November he was killed in a flying accident near Edinburgh. He apparently was doing some practice interceptions and went too low to the sea, which he hit. He was seen to climb up to about 1000 feet and called on the R/T that he was baling out, but his chute did not open properly and he was forked out of the Firth of Forth dead with the cord around his neck. Very bad luck to befall such a good pilot and likeable character. We did a lot together and became good friends at a time when a few of my pilot colleagues had moved on to other squadrons, been killed or dispatched to POW camps."
________________________________________

Johnny Dasent with Ken Lee who passed away last week. See: rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=12488&page=44#179036





F/O Dasent's grave.

[Scott McIntosh]

Thanks for the additional information McFly,

More than I could have ever wished for.

Intresting that all the accounts of the accident seem to match up.

I have just finished looking at an account where several details are different in describing the accident.

[kristie]

Hi,
I am the (step) grand-daughter of JG Dasent brother, who was also in the RNZAF and flew in WWII. Unfortunately my grandfather died 8 years ago. If you are in need of any additional information my grandmother maybe able to help.

[suescholes]

John was my uncle. Younger son of Gerald Poynings Dasent and Ellen Elizabeth Dasent of Mangatahi, Hawkes Bay.
My understanding from my father was that he was testing a water suit when he went down and struggled to eject as the water held him back.
I am sure i can get a photo of him from my brother who has all the old family photos.
he was based at the East Fortune Airfield at the time of his death.

[Scott McIntosh]

I have messaged you both and I await a reply. Hopefully you see this post here and can reply to it. I would be most happy to talk with you about your relative and would be very pleased if you happened to have a photo of him.

Thank you for posting and I look forward to hearing from you.

[maidenmarewa]

There is a memorial to him on a family headstone in Havelock North, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. Here's a link: www.findagrave.com/memorial/205582689/john-grant-dasent There's also a pic of him on: www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C22982?n=dasent&from=%2fwar-memorial%2fonline-cenotaph%2fsearch&ordinal=1#images