Roll of Honour 2023

P AGE 164

W ORLD W AR II

S T . E DWARD ’ S S CHOOL , O XFORD R OLL OF H ONOUR

Name DOUGLAS WARREN FLATAU (Ldg Aircraftsman)

Roll Number 3189 Died 17:08:1942

Set / House G

Arrive SES 1937

Lef SES 1940

Where MONTGOMERY, ALALBAMA, USA Serving with TRAINEE, R.A.F.V.R.

Age 19

Buried Montgomery (Oakwood) Cemetery, USA Remembered The St. Edward’s School WW2 Memorial

Born Ware, Hertfordshire 1923. He was in the School Choir, appeared in the Play and was a member of the Lower Modern VIth Form when he left. ‘He showed promise of becoming a writer of no mean ability, It is one of the tragedies of total war that a sensitive and artistic boy such as he should be involved in what was alien to his nature’ (Chronicle). He joined the RAFVR straight from School as a Cadet in 1941 and a year later was a Leading Aircraftsman sent for pilot training in Montgomery, Alabama, USA where he was killed in training in August 1942. An official report of the time stated: ‘Crashed at Americas Auxiliary Airfield when control was lost in a slow roll. A 23 year old US Civilian Instructor also died’. He was buried in a local cemetery.