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RAF Odiham Supports Funeral of 27 Squadron WW2 Veteran Warrant Officer James Kingham

RAF Odiham personnel have supported the funeral of Warrant Officer James Kingham, who sadly died on 12 Sep 20, at the age of 97.

WO Kingham served on 27 Squadron during WW2. He flew as a navigator in Beaufighters until 1945, and remained in the Far East until 1946, tracking down missing Allied aircraft crashes across several countries. He was deeply proud of his time on 27 Sqn, which he joined under the command of James Nicholson VC DFC.

Shortly after the capitulation of Japan, he was forced to make a fuel diversion into what turned out to be a Japanese-held airfield in Sumatra; the crew feared a rough treatment, but instead, at the break of dawn a Japanese NCO's katana was ceremonially surrendered to WO Kingham. Typically humble, that sword has sat in his wardrobe ever since.

WO Kingham returned to his beloved 27 Sqn as a special guest at the Squadron Centenary in 2015, at which he took great pleasure in giving a speech. He felt decades younger, being surrounded once more by the Squadron he loved, and his grandson Flt Lt James Kingham, who was serving on 27 Sqn during the Centenary year.

A Chinook from 27 Sqn kindly conducted a flypast for the funeral as part of a training sortie in the area.

Quam celerrime ad astra.

 

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