Kiralfy, Dennis Maurice Gerald, 1913-1941

Person

Kiralfy, Dennis Maurice Gerald, 1913-1941

1913-1941

Kiralfy, Dennis Maurice Gerald, son of Gerald Archibald Kiralfy MBE and Margaret Milner, d. of John Milner Harker; b. 19 Mar. 1913; adm. Sept. 1926 (H); left Dec. 1930; Pembroke Coll. Camb., matric. 1932, BA 1935; swam and played water polo against Oxford 1936; Brit. Avia­tion Insurance Co. 1936-9; Dept. of Civil Aviation Air Ministry 1939; FO RAFVR 1938; killed on active service 1 Jan. 1941.

Dennis Maurice Gerald Kiralfy was born at Kensington, London on the 19th of March 1913 the only son of Gerald Archibald Kiralfy MBE, an architect, and Margaret Milner (nee Harker) Kiralfy of 9, Addison Crescent, London, later of Oak Grove, Churt in Surrey. He was christened at the Church of St John the Baptist, Kensington on the 3rd of June 1913. He was educated at Linton House School from 1921 to July 1926 and at Westminster School where he was up Homeboarders from September 1926 to December 1930. He matriculated for the City and Guilds Engineering College at South Kensington in September 1931 and was accepted as a student member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers on the 17th of November 1931. He resigned his membership on the 2nd of January 1933.
He matriculated for Pembroke College, Cambridge in 1932 where he achieved a BA in 1936. He represented Cambridge University at swimming at Wembley against Oxford University on the 27th of June 1936 and also was also a member of the University at Water Polo team in 1936. He was on the staff of the British Aviation Insurance Company from 1936 to 1939 when he left to join the Department of Civil Aviation Department at the Air Ministry where he was appointed as a Junior Operations Officer in the Directorate of Operational Services.
He was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in the Reserve of Air Force Officers on the 22nd of September 1936 and was promoted to Flying Officer on the 22nd of March 1938. He resigned his commission in order to accept a commission on the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve with the rank of Pilot Officer on the 20th of October 1938 and was promoted to Flying Officer from the same date, with seniority from the 22nd of March 1938.
Dennis Kiralfy took off from RAF Bircham Newton in Hudson Mk I T9287 for a transit flight to a satellite airfield where the aircraft was to drop off three airmen and then continue on for an orientation flight of the general area. The aircraft was flying at low level near to the satellite airfield when its port wing hit a barn at Barn Field, North Street, Longham in Norfolk. The aircraft crashed into a ploughed field at 2.48pm where it caught fire, killing all on board.
The crew was
Flying Officer Henry Edward Middleton Featherstone (Pilot)
Leading Aircraftman Kenneth Charles George Gilder (Air Gunner)
Leading Aircraftman William Arthur Meller (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Robert Arthur Plowright (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Roy McKenzie Mansell (3rd Pilot)
Pilot Officer John Buttemer Allen (2nd Pilot)
Flying Officer Dennis Maurice Gerald Kiralfy (4th Pilot)
Aircraftman 1st Class George Alexander Meridew (Air Gunner)
His father received the following telegram dated the 2nd of January 1941: - “Deeply regret to inform you that your son Flying Officer Dennis Maurice Gerald Kiralfy is reported to have lost his life as the result of an aircraft accident on January 1st 1941. Letter follows. The Air Council express their profound sympathy.”
An inquiry into the accident concluded that: -“All the occupants were killed and the exact cause of the accident will never be fully established. The pilot was very experienced and had a reputation for steadiness and reliability, the error of judgement that he made with such tragic results is in this case almost inexplicable. The pilot’s instructions were to drop 3 airmen at the satellite aerodrome to work on an aircraft which was urgently required, then to take 2 new pilots round the district to show them various landmarks, the situation of the satellite and the orientation of the aerodrome generally.”
His funeral took place on the 7th of January 1941.
He is buried at St Alban’s Church, Hindhead.

Flying Officer 70368; 206 Squadron, Royal Air Force

GB 2014

International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition

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Prepared for import into AtoM by Westminster School Archive staff, 2019-2020. Updated by Bethany Duck, Archives Assistant, September 2022.

The Record of Old Westminsters: A biographical list of all those who are known to have been educated at Westminster School from Play 1919 to Election 1989, Volume 4, compiled by F.E. Pagan and H.E. Pagan, Padstow, 1992.

Westminster School Second World War Memorial by John C. Hamblin, 2022.