McWha, Archibald John
Lieutenant
Royal Flying Corps
Killed in a flying accident on Tuesday 2 January 1917 (aged 24)
Buried:
Shorncliffe Military Cemetery, Kent, England (Grave M. 424)
Commemorated:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Family grave headstone in Bangor Abbey Graveyard
BIOGRAPHY
Archibald John McWha was born on 7 March 1892 at Cachar, India, and he was the third son of Dupree (sometimes Dupré) and Martha Harris McWha (nee Blayney) of India, late of Bedford, who were married on 15 December 1881 at St Andrew’s Church, Calcutta. Dupré McWha was a son of the late John McWha of Belfast. Martha Harris Blayney was a daughter of Archibald Blayney of The Cottage, Marine Parade, Holywood, Co Down.
Dupré and Martha Harris McWha (nee Blayney) were tea planters, and they had six children:
Dupree (born 26 July 1883 at Cachar, Assam, India; died 15 July 1903 in India)
Winifred Kathleen Barry Ritchie (born 14 September 1886 in India)
William Barry Ritchie (Willie, born 23 March 1888 in India)
Archibald John (born 7 March 1892 at Koyah, Cachar, Assam, India)
Norman Terrance Barry Ritchie (born 30 November 1897 at Cachar, Assam, India)
Ilien Ritchie Barry (born 10 November 1899 in India; died 15 November 1899)
Their mother, Martha, died in England on 21 March 1923.
Their father, Dupree) died in England on 30 June 1938.
Archibald John McWha was educated at Bedford Grammar School.
In 1911, Archibald McWha was an Engineering Apprentice at the Queen’s Engineering Works and he, his mother and his brother Norman were living at 75 Ashburnham Road, Bedford. Norman McWha also served in the Army during the Great War, while his father, his brother William, and his sister (Mrs Cooper) lived in India.
Lieutenant Archibald John McWha served with the Royal Flying Corps, and he gained his flying certificate on 31 March 1916 in a Maurice Farman Biplane. In September 1916 he had whooping cough.
Lieutenant McWha and his air mechanic died as the result of a flying accident on 2 January 1917; 5 January 1917 in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Debt of Honour Website. They were flying out of Lympne aerodrome in Kent; his remains were removed to Shorncliffe Military Hospital, and he was buried in Shorncliffe Military Cemetery.
Lieutenant Archibald John McWha is commemorated on the family grave headstone in Bangor Abbey Graveyard where his date of death is inscribed as 2 January 1917. This is also the date of death recorded on his Medal Index Card.
McWha
Erected in memory of John McWha, of Ballymullan
Who died on 4 November 1820 aged 43 years
Also Ann McWha his wife who died on 12 April 1829 aged 45 years
Also their daughter Ann Jane Finlay, wife of Captain James Finlay
Who died on 11 June 1860 aged 43 years
Also their son John McWha of Belfast who died 9 January 1875 aged 59 years
Also John, son of the latter named John McWha who died in infancy
Also Elizabeth Ritchie, wife of the above named John McWha of Belfast
Who died on 13 February 1904 aged 80 years
W. B. R. McWha M.D. son of above John McWha
Accidentally drowned at Koyah Cachar, India, on 26 July 1886 aged 24 years
Buried on the Koyah Tea Estate
Dupre McWha who died at the residence of his father, Koyah Cachar, India
On 15 July 1903 aged 20 years, buried at Koyah Cachar, India
Archibald John, Lieutenant Royal Flying Corps, son of Dupre McWha
Who was killed in action on 2 January 1917 aged 23 years
Buried at Shorncliffe
Lieutenant Archibald John McWha left no will and, under the Law of Intestacy, his estate became the property of his father. In April 1917, one week after returning home from India, Dupré McWha wrote to the War Office waiving all claim to his son’s estate, in favour of his wife, Martha McWha.
Dupré McWha died on 3 June 1938 in Hornsey, Middlesex
After the accident, a Court of Enquiry was held at the School of Aerial Gunnery, Hythe, Kent, to consider the circumstances. Witness statements were taken and the Declaration of the Court stated that Aeroplane F.E.2.b 4974 piloted by 2nd Lieutenant McWha accompanied by Sergeant George Wilkes (No. 3621) took off on a test flight from Lympne aerodrome. After rising to about 800 feet, the engine failed and in an endeavour to regain the aerodrome the pilot stalled the machine through lack of speed while turning, resulting in the destruction of the aeroplane which caught fire on coming to earth, and the deaths of 2nd Lieutenant McWha and Sergeant Wilkes. Sergeant Wilkes was buried in Sutton (St Nicholas and All Saints) Churchyard, Surrey.
In the 29 July 1922 edition of the Hastings and St Leonards Observer there was a death notice for Lieutenant Archibald John McWha’s brother, Captain Norman Terrance Barry Ritchie McWha, who also fought in the First World War. The death notice stated that he had served with the 1st Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment and had died suddenly on 20 July 1922 ‘the result of wounds received on active service in the Great War’.