MALE Harold Otho

Appears on the Royal Air Force casualties list for Worcestershire.

On 20th November 1942 Harold Male was the pilot of a Ventura II aircraft detailed to fly from Yarmouth to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.  He and his crew, Pilot Officer Stanley E. Sutherland, along with three passengers arrived in Dartmouth at 16.40 hours.  Two of the passengers disembarked and at 17.40 the aircraft took off on its return journey with a cargo of hydraulic oil.  Contact was lost with the aircraft and it was established later that the aircraft had crashed 4 miles North East of Caledonia, Nova Scotia, killing all on board. Local residents reported hearing an aircraft circling the area, then the engines ceased and within a minute there was a loud explosion.  An investigation into the crash concluded that whilst circling at a low altitude in conditions of poor visibility the aircraft struck trees with its port wing tip and crashed.

A letter from H.J. Winnington, Honorary Secretary of PCC, St James Church, Wollaston dated 17th December 1950 can be found within war records held at Worcestershire Archives requesting that Pilot Officer Harold Male, RAFVR be added to the county roll of honour.

The following information has been information researched and transcribed by The Black Country Society:
Howard Male was the son of Henry Male of Wollaston and he attended King Edward’s School from 1931 to 1936.  He then went to work at Lloyds Bank as a clerk.  In January he volunteered and joined a Light Anti Aircraft Battery.  He transferred to the Royal Air Force and trained as a pilot in Canada.  His proficiency was such that he became an instructor and he was commissioned in November 1942.