See also Robert John McQuitty (brother)

HOBART AIRMAN MISSING

Father's Protest At Lack of Official Advice

SGT-PILOT WILLIAM MORRISON McQuitty (20) son of Mr and the late Mrs James McQuittv of Glen St Hobart is reported missing. In the latest British Air Ministry casualty list It is stated unofficially that he was drowned while returning from a bombing raid over Germany

His father said last night he had received no official notification that his son was missing Last week he said I received a cablegram from my father n Belfast ex pressing deepest sympathy and I wondered .what this referred to then I saw an article in a mainland newspaper about William and his supposed death

I wrote to the Air Board immediately asking it to check the statements and the board informed me by telegram that it would make inquiries in London. That is all I have heard. Mv family and I have been in suspense waiting for something official and Î hope other parents are not treated like this

McQuitty’s heroism was commented on last week by the London correspondent of a mainland newspaper It was stated that he and three other members of the crew of a bomber were drowned while returning from Germany.

McQuitty s Whitley bomber (said this correspondent) was hit severely while he was flying to his objective On one engine he flew on amid a hail of shells the shrapnel from which made many holes in the fuselage and wings of the bomber McQuitty however piloted the aircraft as if nothing had happened continuously losing height until he was over his target when he released his bombs

He then began the perilous return flight of more than 200 miles across the sea It appeared that he would be able to land his machine but suddenly the overworked engine seized and the aircraft planed down to the water.It was then nine miles from the coast which normally the crew would have had  an excellent chance of reaching in their rubber dinghy When the dinghy was launched however it was impossible to inflate it because it had been punctured by shrapnel. The crew then had to rely on their Mae Wests (lifebelts) When the rear gunner-a poor swimmer-tried to in date his he found that it had been punctured and could not be inflated

The observer-a strapping fellow and a strong swimmer-thereupon handed his life belt to the gunner The observer reached the shore hours afterwards exhausted after having avoided the menace of coastal defence devices

I last saw McQuitty he said calmlv standing on the top of the fuselage giving advice and instructions in an effort to save his companions He was wizard (Wizard is an R A F word indicating super excellence)

McQuitty was interested in aviation from boyhood He was an enthusiastic adherent of gliding and from this he graduated to power flying He obtained his A class licence at Cambridge Tasmania a few weeks after the war broke out At  RAAF training school he topped the school with 99 p c in practical flying tests After completing his training he was draftediInto theI Royal Air Force.

We are still hopeful the news that Will was drowned is not true said Mr McQuitty tonight.

The Mercury 4 Aug 1941