In Memoriam - Those Air Force Pilots/Crews who died on this day in WW2.

65 years ago today were these lads from 202sq:

CRASHED 20TH NOVEMBER 1944 AT LOUGH AN LABAN ENISKILLEN
RANK - NAME - SERVICE
W/O Ernest Slack RAF - Buried Stanley New Cemetery - Durham
F/Sgt. John W. Geldert RAF - Buried MORECAMBE AND HEYSHAM (TORRISHOLME) CEMETERY Lancashire
F/Lt. George Vincent Forbes-Lloyd (Pilot) RAF - Buried RADLETT (CHRIST CHURCH) CHURCHYARD EXTENSION, ALDENHAM
Sgt. Douglas W. Nater RAF - Buried ALDBOROUGH HATCH (ST. PETER) CHURCHYARD Essex
F/Sgt Gordon F.Tribble RAF - Buried DORKING CEMETERY Surrey
F/Sgt Peter B.Marshall RAF - Buried CHICHESTER CEMETERY Sussex
Sgt. Fred J. Deem RAF - Buried WELLINGTON CEMETERY, Somerset
P/O William John Sharp RAAF - Buried IRVINESTOWN CHURCH OF IRELAND CHURCHYARD County Fermanagh and was from Burwood in Victoria.

 

67 years ago today were these lads from 38 Wing RAF:

DAVIES, NORMAN ARTHUR Pilot Officer 401422 38 Wing RAF HQ 20/11/1942 28 Royal Australian Air Force Australian Z. 9. STAVANGER (EIGANES) CHURCHYARD Norway Eiganes

FRASER, HERBERT JOHN Pilot Officer 401601 38 Wing RAF HQ 20/11/1942 28 Royal Australian Air Force Australian Z. 10. STAVANGER (EIGANES) CHURCHYARD Norway Eiganes

Details from : Glider Crews

Operation Freshman was an attempt to deliver a small force by glider to destroy the hydro-electric power station at Vermork, in Telemark, Norway, where heavy water was being produced for German atomic research. Two gliders containing men of the Royal Engineers towed by two Halifax bombers, set off on the night of 19-20 November 1942. The mission was a disaster. One Halifax and both gliders crashed in southern Norway. The occupants were either killed in the crash or subsequently executed by the Germans in compliance with Adolf Hitler’s notorious ‘commando order’. The order denied members of enemy ‘special forces’ any protection under the terms of the Geneva Convention and Allied commandos were to be executed as soon as they were captured.

Two of the glider pilots were Australians attached to 38 Wing RAF: Pilot Officer Norman Arthur Davies, of Melbourne, Victoria, and Pilot Officer Herbert John Fraser, of Bendigo, Victoria. Davies and Fraser are buried in adjoining graves at Stavanger (Eighanes) Churchyard, Norway. The two Australians are commemorated on a memorial at Skitten Airfield, near Wick in Caithness, Scotland.

 

65 years ago today were these lads from 202sq:

CRASHED 20TH NOVEMBER 1944 AT LOUGH AN LABAN ENISKILLEN
RANK - NAME - SERVICE
W/O Ernest Slack RAF - Buried Stanley New Cemetery - Durham
F/Sgt. John W. Geldert RAF - Buried MORECAMBE AND HEYSHAM (TORRISHOLME) CEMETERY Lancashire
F/Lt. George Vincent Forbes-Lloyd (Pilot) RAF - Buried RADLETT (CHRIST CHURCH) CHURCHYARD EXTENSION, ALDENHAM
Sgt. Douglas W. Nater RAF - Buried ALDBOROUGH HATCH (ST. PETER) CHURCHYARD Essex
F/Sgt Gordon F.Tribble RAF - Buried DORKING CEMETERY Surrey
F/Sgt Peter B.Marshall RAF - Buried CHICHESTER CEMETERY Sussex
Sgt. Fred J. Deem RAF - Buried WELLINGTON CEMETERY, Somerset
P/O William John Sharp RAAF - Buried IRVINESTOWN CHURCH OF IRELAND CHURCHYARD County Fermanagh and was from Burwood in Victoria.

A photo of the memorial.

Your Place And Mine - Fermanagh - Lough Navar Forest memorials

 

65 years ago today were these lads from 460sq RAAF

Type Lancaster
Serial Number NE141
Squadron 460
X1D AR-P
Operation Aschaffenburg


NE141 was one of two 460 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation. See:PB469 Airborne 1537 21Nov44 from Binbrook. The first four crewmen are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. The others are buried in Durnbach War Cemetery.

P/O McMaster was the son of Sir Fergus and Lady McMaster of Clayfield, Queensland.
At 37, F/S Herbertson was well above the average age of Bomber Command aircrew.

P/O R.F.McMaster RAAF KIA
Sgt Harold.Henry.Day RAFVR KIA
(Son of Harry Christmas Day and Hilda Polly Day, of Birmingham; husband of Marjorie Constance Day, of Perry Barr, Birmingham.)

F/O F.J.Pettiford RAAF KIA
F/O K.R.Stewart RAAF KIA
F/S W.Herbertson RAAF KIA
F/S M.A.Jones RAAF KIA
F/S R.S.Chandler RAAF KIA

 

Thought it might be appropriate to include the (9) RAAF lads who died on Christmas Day during WW2.

CRAVEN, GEORGE EDWARD JAMES
Sergeant
405721
RAF FERRY COMMAND DORVAL
25/12/1942
21
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Panel 2. Column 1.
OTTAWA MEMORIAL
Canada Ontario

ARTHUR, KEITH
Sergeant
416736
1 ANS PARKES
25/12/1942
22
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Plot A. Row D. Grave 1.
PARKES GENERAL CEMETERY
Australia New South Wales

FREAK, CHARLES RONALD
Leading Aircraftman
39886
4 SOTT
25/12/1943
35
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Plot C. Row A. Grave 1.
ADELAIDE (CENTENNIAL PARK) CEMETERY
Australia South Australia

KLEINIG, THEODORE VICTOR BENNO
Flying Officer
416433
8sq
25/12/1943
26
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
A3. E. 9.
PORT MORESBY (BOMANA) WAR CEMETERY
Papua New Guinea Port Moresby

MILLER, STANLEY JAMES
Flying Officer
420699
8sq
25/12/1943
24
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
A3. E. 7.
PORT MORESBY (BOMANA) WAR CEMETERY
Papua New Guinea Port Moresby

TURK, EDWIN JOHN
Pilot Officer
428376
8sq
25/12/1943
31
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
A3. E. 8.
PORT MORESBY (BOMANA) WAR CEMETERY
Papua New Guinea Port Moresby

WHITE, BARRY CAMERON
Flight Sergeant
418030
8sq
25/12/1943
23
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
A3. E. 10.
PORT MORESBY (BOMANA) WAR CEMETERY
Papua New Guinea Port Moresby

These four crew were in A9-444 which served with 8 Sqn. Destroyed by bomb blast 25/12/43,on return from operations at Vivigani. Crew; PLTOFF Edwin John Turk 428376, FLGOFF Stanley James Miller420699, FLGOFF Victor Theodore Benno Kleinig 416433 and FLTSGT Barry Cameron White 418030 killed.

ADF Aircraft Serial Numbers - A9 Bristol Beaufort

TREMAYNE, SYDNEY HORATIO
Aircraftman 1st Class
128944
12 ARD
25/12/1944
19
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
D.C.13.
ADELAIDE RIVER WAR CEMETERY
Australia Northern Territory

GEE, HOWARD WALTER
Flying Officer
413980
38sq
25/12/1945
23
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Sec. 73. Grave 26.
BRISBANE (LUTWYCHE) CEMETERY
Australia Queensland

 

Flight Lieutenant John Aloysius Siebert DFC killed on this day 28th March 1941.



From Adelaide, he was 23 when he was awarded the D.F.C. late in 1940. Siebert received his flying training at Point Cook Victoria, gaining his wings in June 1938. He left the following month for England for service with the R.A.F. Siebert gained the award for successfully carrying out 200 hours' operational flying, many of the flights having been made in adverse weather conditions. His courage and determination in attacking the enemy had been outstanding, and he had a long record of consistently good work.



Head and shoulders portrait of Flight Lieutenant John Aloysius Siebert DFC (service no.36155) wearing the flight uniform leather helmet with protective ear muffs and a fur lined jacket. Squadron leader J.A.Siebert was reportedly killed in action in a flight mission near Bakel (near Helmond) on 28 March 1941. This drawing was reproduced in the in the 1942 publication, 'R.A.F: war pictures by British artists'.

207 Squadron graves: Eindhoven

Avro Manchester L7303 EM-P: Dusseldorf, 27/28 March 1941: pilot Flt Lt JA Siebert DFC RAAFJohn Aloysius Siebert DFC: note that his grave, Plot FF, Grave 4, like all the 207 Squadron graves has a poppy cross planted in front bearing the inscription From 207 Squadron RAF Association.
John Siebert, aged 23, was the son of Francis Joseph and Ella Mary Siebert, of Kingswood, South Australia. He was the first Allied airman to be buried in Eindhoven after his 207 Squadron Avro Manchester, based at RAF Waddington, was shot down on the night of 27/28 March 1941. L7303 EM-P was attacking Dusseldorf : the rest of the crew were POWs - 2nd Pilot Peter Robson, Observer George Fomison, W/Op AG Jim Taylor, M/U William McDougall and R/G Peter Gurnell.
The remaining members of his crew were able to bale out in time. John Siebert stayed in his Manchester until everybody else had jumped to safety, The next morning it appeared that his parachute was only half open when he hit the ground.
Siebert's Manchester was shot down by Stabs Feldwebel Gerhard Herzog of NachtJagdGeschwader 1 flying a Messerschmitt Me-110. Stfw Herzog himself was killed in action on 20 October 1943 having shot down between 9 and 12 aircraft.

 

1942

BAILEY, RONALD SUMMERSON
Sergeant
401770
75sq
Townsville
28/03/1942
21
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Panel 9. PORT MORESBY MEMORIAL
Papua New Guinea
Port Moresby

BLOOMFIELD, DAVID I'ANSON
Flight Sergeant
402721
457sq
28/03/1942
25
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Panel 111. RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
UK Surrey

BOWER, FRANK GRAHAM
Sergeant
404478
109sq
RAF
28/03/1942
21
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Panel 112. RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
UK Surrey

CASSELLS, FRANCIS JOHN
Sergeant
404933
109sq
RAF
28/03/1942
21
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Panel 112. RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
UK Surrey

EDWARDS, JAMES GEORGE
Sergeant
403043
457sq
28/03/1942
26
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Panel 112. RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
UK Surrey

GREEN, MERVYN RICHARD ROBERTS
Pilot Officer
400707
7sq RAF
28/03/1942
23
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
4A. G. 3. HAMBURG CEMETERY
Germany Hamburg,
Hamburg

MAHER, JAMES BRIAN
Flying Officer
402517
115sq
28/03/1942
25
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Coll. grave 13. D. 1-4.
BECKLINGEN WAR CEMETERY
Germany
Saltau-Niedersachsen

TAYLOR, ARCHIE WILLIAM
Flight Sergeant
402417
236sq
RAF
28/03/1942
28
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Panel 111. RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
UK Surrey

WELLER, JOHN ALLAN
Pilot Officer
404518
115sq
28/03/1942
26
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Coll. grave 13. D. 1-4.
BECKLINGEN WAR CEMETERY
Germany
Saltau-Niedersachsen

 

1943

Such was his popularity in England that the Marquess of Donegall organized a public fund to which red-headed Britons paid £5000 to 'buy' Bluey his own Spitfire.


TRUSCOTT, KEITH WILLIAM (DFC & Bar) (MID)
Squadron Leader
400213
76sq
28/03/1943
26
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
H.A.12.
PERTH WAR CEMETERY AND ANNEX
Australia
Western Australia

TRUSCOTT, KEITH WILLIAM (1916-1943), Australian Rules footballer and air force officer, was born on 17 May 1916 at Prahran, Melbourne, second child of William Edward Truscott, wickerworker, and his wife Maude Mabel, née Powell, both Victorian born. Keith was educated at Melbourne High School, where he captained the first XI and the first XVIII, and proved a good scholar. He practised as a student-teacher at Spensley Street State School, Clifton Hill, in 1935-36 before working as a clerk with W. Angliss & Co. Pty Ltd, at Footscray. A powerfully built man, 5 ft 9 ins (175 cm) tall and 12 st. 13 lb. (82 kg) in weight, he had auburn hair and dark grey eyes.

From 1937 'Bluey' Truscott played for the Melbourne Football Club. A half-forward flanker in Melbourne's premiership team in 1939, he kicked two goals and was among the best players. His decision to enlist in the Royal Australian Air Force on 21 July 1940 attracted much publicity. Curiously, for someone of his mental and physical ability, he struggled with flying lessons; had he not been a prominent sportsman he would have been suspended from pilot training. Given extra time denied to others, he began to demonstrate the qualities of co-ordination, anticipation, judgement and determination which had made him a champion footballer. Yet he never fully came to terms with landing and persistently levelled out about 20 ft (6 m) too high. Granted leave by the air force in September 1940, he again played in Melbourne's winning grand-final side.

In November that year Truscott reached Canada under the Empire Air Training Scheme. He was commissioned in February 1941 and sent to England where he joined No.452 Squadron in May. Flying Spitfires, he took part in offensive patrols and escorted bombers. He was promoted acting flight lieutenant in September. Next month he won the Distinguished Flying Cross for destroying six enemy aircraft. In January 1942 he rose to acting squadron leader (substantive October) and became commanding officer of No.452. By March, when he was awarded a Bar to his D.F.C., he had shot down eleven German aircraft, probably destroyed another three, and damaged two. He was, by then, the best-known pilot in the R.A.A.F., with a reputation that rested as much on his appealing personality as it did on his considerable achievements. Such was his popularity in England that the Marquess of Donegall organized a public fund to which red-headed Britons paid £5000 to 'buy' Bluey his own Spitfire.

Returning to Australia on leave in May 1942, Truscott turned out one last time for the Melbourne Football Club. He was unfit and out of touch, and struggled to keep up with the play, but he was given a hero's reception by thousands of supporters. Several days later he encountered his former teacher, Bill Woodfull, who asked him how he had enjoyed his return to football. 'Not for me. Too dangerous', Truscott answered.

Truscott's talent for being in the thick of the action saw him posted to No.76 Squadron. Its members reached Papua in July 1942, only weeks before a Japanese force landed at Milne Bay. The Kittyhawk fighter-bombers of No.75 and No.76 squadrons played a decisive role in driving back the enemy: for the first time in World War II a Japanese land offensive was defeated. On 27 August, when No.76 Squadron's commanding officer was killed at a critical stage of the battle, Truscott took command. For several days, while the outcome hung in the balance, he led from the front as the Kittyhawk pilots strafed and bombed enemy land and sea forces, and repelled occasional air-attacks. Conditions were appalling, with near-constant rain, mist and low cloud, a perilously slippery airstrip, and often intense anti-aircraft fire. Truscott was mentioned in dispatches (1943).

After the battle of Milne Bay, No.76 Squadron performed a relatively routine, sometimes tedious, garrison role in north-west Australia, though Truscott did manage to shoot down a Japanese bomber, increasing his tally to fourteen enemy aircraft destroyed, three probables and three damaged. On 28 March 1943, while carrying out mock attacks over Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia, he misjudged his height, struck the water and was killed. He was buried with Anglican rites and full air force honours in Karrakatta cemetery, Perth. Alfred Cook's portrait of Truscott is held by the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.
Select Bibliography

J. Herington, Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943 (Canb, 1954); I. Southall, Bluey Truscott (Syd, 1958); D. Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force 1939-1942 (Canb, 1962); C. Shores and C. Williams, Aces High (Lond, 1994); A. Stephens, High Fliers (Canb, 1996); A. D. Garrison, Australian Fighter Aces 1914-1953 (Canb, 1999). More on the resources

Author: Alan Stephens

Print Publication Details: Alan Stephens, 'Truscott, Keith William (Bluey) (1916 - 1943)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 16, Melbourne University Press, 2002, pp 415-416.

BERESFORD, JOHN FRANCIS
Sergeant
5593
53 RASU
28/03/1943
21
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
C. A. 17.
KHAYAT BEACH WAR CEMETERY
Israel

CLARK, KEITH JAMES
Aircraftman 1st Class
79872
23sq
28/03/1943
18
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Grave 811.
ESK CEMETERY
Australia
Queensland

SOMERVELL, DAVID EDWARD
Flight Sergeant
415189
235sq
RAF
28/03/1943
33
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Panel 193.
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
UK Surrey

 

1944

BERTHELSEN, MERVIN LEE
Sergeant
426451
25sq
28/03/1944
20
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
N.C.15.
PERTH WAR CEMETERY AND ANNEX
Australia Western Australia

CRICHTON, GEORGE OWEN
Flight Sergeant
415893
25sq
28/03/1944
20
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
N.C.16.
PERTH WAR CEMETERY AND ANNEX
Australia Western Australia

FITTON, KEITH ALEXANDER
Flight Lieutenant
403730
31sq
28/03/1944
27
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Joint grave 7. A. 5-6.
AMBON WAR CEMETERY
Indonesia Ambon

FOX, RONALD MARK
Sergeant
3470
6sq
28/03/1944
27
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Panel 36.
RABAUL MEMORIAL
Papua New Guinea Rabaul

FOYLE, RAYMOND CHARLES
Flight
Sergeant
410970
31sq
28/03/1944
22
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Joint grave 7. A. 5-6.
AMBON WAR CEMETERY
Indonesia Ambon

GRANT, CLIVE DOUGLAS
Flight Sergeant
417070
6sq
28/03/1944
20
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Panel 35.
RABAUL MEMORIAL
Papua New Guinea Rabaul

JONES, HERBERT GEORGE
Aircraftman
1st Class
124652
3 Emb Dep Sandgate
28/03/1944
29
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Anzac Plot 1. Portion 7. Sec. 84. Grave 52.
BRISBANE (LUTWYCHE) CEMETERY
Australia Queensland

NASH, JAMES ALEXANDER (DFM)
Pilot Officer
410368
6sq
28/03/1944
21
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Panel 35.
RABAUL MEMORIAL
Papua New Guinea Rabaul

PENALUNA, FRANK ARTHUR
Pilot Officer
416887
6sq
28/03/1944
30
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Panel 35.
RABAUL MEMORIAL
Papua New Guinea Rabaul

WADE, HORACE MILWARD
Flying Officer
415201
6sq
28/03/1944
27
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Panel 34.
RABAUL MEMORIAL
Papua New Guinea Rabaul

 

1945

DAY, JOHN ALFRED
Flight Sergeant
431092
627sq
RAF
28/03/1945
20
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Panel 284.
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
UK Surrey

HANNAFORD, HECTOR ROY (DFC) Part of Operation Husky 1943
Flight Lieutenant
407427
105 OTU (T)
28/03/1945
27
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Panel 4. Column 3.
OTTAWA MEMORIAL
Canada Ontario

HODGES, LYLE WILLIAM
Aircraftman 1st Class
163160
2 O T U Mildura
28/03/1945
32
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
2W. A. 9.
SYDNEY WAR CEMETERY
Australia New South Wales

 

1941

In Memoriam - Those Air Force Pilots/Crews who died on this day in WW2.

WATTON ST MARY CHURCHYARD ROLL OF HONOUR


RAF Watton was a permanent RAF station built in the late 1930s and first used as a light bomber airfield housing for varying periods Nos. 18, 21, 34, 82, 90 and 105 Squadrons, In 1943 it was taken over by USAF. This memorial at the station remembers the airmen lost. The plaques read as follows
"To the memory of those of the Royal Air Force and Commonwealth Air Forces who lost their lives while serving at RAF Watton and Bodney."
and
"This propeller was recovered from Blenheim R3800 which was shot down over Aalborg, Norway on 13th August 1940 while operating out of Watton."
On this raid 82 Squadron lost 11 of the 12 aircraft despatched.
=======================================================

Both of these lads are buried at Watton

Pilot Officer FREDERIC NORMAN GRANT 404461, 21 squadron, Royal Australian Air Force who died age 25 on 13 September 1941. Son of Norman Frederic and Maud Florence Grant, of Auchenflower, Queensland, Australia.

Sergeant PETER ERNEST RITTER 1375091, Observer, 21 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve who died age 20 on 13 September 1941. Son of Ernest George and Beatrice L. Ritter, of Northolt Park, Middlesex.

 

1942

In Memoriam - Those Air Force Pilots/Crews who died on this day in WW2.


FLETCHER, WILLIAM JOHN PERCIVAL
Sergeant
406476
27 O T U
13/09/1942
21
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Row 3. Grave 1.
FRADLEY (ST. STEPHEN) CHURCHYARD UK Staffordshire



MILNE, JAMES GORDON
Sergeant
408774
27 O T U
13/09/1942
26
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Row 3. Grave 4.
FRADLEY (ST. STEPHEN) CHURCHYARD UK Staffordshire



TURNBULL, JOSEPH ALBERT
Sergeant
411555
27 O T U
13/09/1942
30
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Row 3. Grave 2.
FRADLEY (ST. STEPHEN) CHURCHYARD UK Staffordshire

View attachment 37714

ROBERTSON, GRAHAM BRINDLEY JOHN
Pilot Officer
412717
19 Bombardment sq
13/09/1942
28
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
Protestant Plot. Grave D593. (GRM/4).
MAREEBA OLD CEMETERY Australia Queensland
(headstone not yet available)

 

1940

Missed this one which is very sad! Roll of Honour states that he died of Self Inflicted Wounds. I have been unable to find any further details on his death.

PARBUTT, PERCY FRANCIS
Aircraftman 1st Class
17525
4 Recruit Depot Pearce
13/09/1940
35
Royal Australian Air Force
Australian
O.B.8.
PERTH WAR CEMETERY AND ANNEX Australia Western Australia



The family was originally from Shifnal (a small market town) in Shropshire.

 

1943


GILES, LESLIE LLOYD Sergeant 417633 1 O T U EAST SALE 13/09/1943 22 Royal Australian Air Force Australian Plot B. Row A. Grave 16.
SALE WAR CEMETERY

HARPER, NOEL JAMES Leading Aircraftman 430167 1 SFTS Point Cook 13/09/1943 19 Royal Australian Air Force Australian 1.N.A.7. SPRINGVALE WAR CEMETERY, MELBOURNE

NOLAN, MERVYN FRANCIS Flight Sergeant 414505 453sq 13/09/1943 24 Royal Australian Air Force Australian Row 2. Grave 20. ILLOGAN (ST. ILLOGAN) CHURCHYARD

PROUDFOOT, SAMUEL GEORGE Squadron Leader 403006 11sq 13/09/1943 28 Royal Australian Air Force Australian 1. H. 11. MADRAS WAR CEMETERY, CHENNAI

PURKISS, VINCENT MARTIN Leading Aircraftman 432972 1 SFTS Point Cook 13/09/1943 19 Royal Australian Air Force Australian 1.N.A.9. SPRINGVALE WAR CEMETERY, MELBOURNE

REEVE, GEOFFREY NORMAN Flight Lieutenant 401081 1 O T U EAST SALE 13/09/1943 28 Royal Australian Air Force Australian Plot B. Row A. Grave 15. SALE WAR CEMETERY

 

1944

ABEL, VICTOR Pilot Officer 422089 82sq 13/09/1944 23 Royal Australian Air Force Australian 14. D. 1. MADRAS WAR CEMETERY, CHENNAI India

HATCH, CYRIL FREDERICK Pilot Officer 185204 640sq RAF 13/09/1944 35 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve UK 10. A. 14. REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY GERMANY
View attachment 37735
LAING, AINSWORTH Flight Sergeant 429583 158sq RAF 13/09/1944 20 Royal Australian Air Force Australian 20. F. 3. REICHSWALD FOREST WAR CEMETERY Germany

MacDOUGALL, ALLAN DOUGLAS Pilot Officer 405955 15sq 13/09/1944 26 Royal Australian Air Force Australian 7. B. 22. DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY Germany
View attachment 37737
TUFNELL, WILLIAM CLARKE Flying Officer 415700 82sq 13/09/1944 22 Royal Australian Air Force Australian 4. C. 18. MADRAS WAR CEMETERY, CHENNAI India

 

1945

MILLEDGE, RONALD WILLIAM Flight Sergeant 438258 2 O T U Mildura 13/09/1945 20 Royal Australian Air Force Australian Plot C. Row C. Grave 8. MILDURA PUBLIC CEMETERY

 

Hi Geoff,

Not sure if I have them if not can I have copies of The Glider Pilots photos ??

Two of the glider pilots were Australians attached to 38 Wing RAF: Pilot Officer Norman Arthur Davies, of Melbourne, Victoria, and Pilot Officer Herbert John Fraser, of Bendigo, Victoria. Davies and Fraser are buried in adjoining graves at Stavanger (Eighanes) Churchyard, Norway.

Cheers
Tom

 

Hi Geoff,

Not sure if I have them if not can I have copies of The Glider Pilots photos ??

Two of the glider pilots were Australians attached to 38 Wing RAF: Pilot Officer Norman Arthur Davies, of Melbourne, Victoria, and Pilot Officer Herbert John Fraser, of Bendigo, Victoria. Davies and Fraser are buried in adjoining graves at Stavanger (Eighanes) Churchyard, Norway.

Cheers
Tom

Hi Tom,

Are these the ones you want?







Cheers

Geoff

Operation Freshman was an attempt to deliver a small force by glider to destroy the hydro-electric power station at Vermork, in Telemark, Norway, where heavy water was being produced for German atomic research. Two gliders containing men of the Royal Engineers towed by two Halifax bombers, set off on the night of 19-20 November 1942. The mission was a disaster. One Halifax and both gliders crashed in southern Norway. The occupants were either killed in the crash or subsequently executed by the Germans in compliance with Adolf Hitler’s notorious ‘commando order’. The order denied members of enemy ‘special forces’ any protection under the terms of the Geneva Convention and Allied commandos were to be executed as soon as they were captured.

Two of the glider pilots were Australians attached to 38 Wing RAF: Pilot Officer Norman Arthur Davies, of Melbourne, Victoria, and Pilot Officer Herbert John Fraser, of Bendigo, Victoria. Davies and Fraser are buried in adjoining graves at Stavanger (Eighanes) Churchyard, Norway. The two Australians are commemorated on a memorial at Skitten Airfield, near Wick in Caithness, Scotland.
User:Skinny87/sandbox - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

1939
BISHOP, FREDERICK ALAN Pilot Officer 41821 13 SFTS 14/09/1939 23 Royal Air Force UK Sec. E. Grave 1002. DIRLETON CEMETERY UK East Lothian





The first (2) Commonwealth Airmen killed while flying from Drem Scotland occurred on 14th September 1939.
Pilot Officer Frederick Alan Bishop 41821, RAF, an Australian born in Melbourne, was 23 years old and the son of Albert and Susannah Mary Bishop, of Oakleigh, Victoria, Australia.
Pilot Officer Keith Bartram Chiazzari, 41827, RAF, a South African, was 19 years old and the son of Henry William and Elsie Honoria Chiazzari, of Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa.
Both men were killed when Hawker Audax K7479, of No 1 Course, 13 Flying Training School crashed and was destroyed by fire, in the grounds of Whittinghame Farm school, a few miles E of Drem. Pilot Officer Keith Bartram Chiazzari was the pilot and Pilot Officer Frederick Alan Bishop was the passenger.
Dirleton Cemetery contained the CWGC plot for RAF Drem, which before and immediately after the outbreak of WW2 was a training station. It then became the main Scottish fighter airfield, defending the naval bases on the River Forth from German air attacks from Norway.
Photo’s and crash information courtesy of Frank McPherson – Scotland.

Born in Melbourne
Hawker Audax K7479
13 Fighter Training School
Flew into hill near East Linton, East Lothian

P/O 41821 Frederick Alan Bishop 23 (pilot) killed.
P/O 41827 Keith Bartram Chiazzari 19 (pilot) killed

In Memory of
Pilot Officer KEITH BARTRAM CHIAZZARI

41827, Royal Air Force
who died age 19
on 14 September 1939
Son of Henry William and Elsie Honoria Chiazzari, of Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa.
Remembered with honour
DIRLETON CEMETERY

In Memory of
Pilot Officer FREDERICK ALAN BISHOP

41821, Royal Air Force
who died age 23
on 14 September 1939
Son of Albert and Susannah Mary Bishop, of Oakleigh, Victoria, Australia.
Remembered with honour
DIRLETON CEMETERY

In the grounds of Dirleton

Dirleton contained the CWGC plot for RAF Drem, which before and immediately after the outbreak of WW2 was a training station. It then became the main Scottish fighter airfield, defending the naval bases on the River Forth from German air attacks from Norway. The three Aussies reflect these roles.

(Acting) PO Bishop, RAF (14/09/39) was killed when Hawker Audax K7479,
of No 1 Course, 13 Flying Training School crashed and was destroyed by fire,
in the grounds of Whittinghame Farm school, a few miles E of Drem. APO Bishop was the passenger, the pilot also being killed.

Sgt Steele (28/08/42) was killed when Spitfire Vb BM647 of 453 RAAF Sq dived into the ground, 5 ½ miles SE of Garvald, a few miles from Drem. 453 Sq had reformed at Drem in June 1942.

Sgt Millingen (01/10/42) was killed when Spitfire Vb AD235 of 222 (Natal) Sq crashed 2 ½ miles S of Dunbar, following (presumed) structural failure.

Alan Frederick on the commemorative roll.


Alan Frederick Bishop

Service number: 41821

Rank: Pilot Officer

Unit: Unknown unit

Service: Royal Air Force

Conflict: 1939-1945

Date of death: 12 September 1939

Place of death: Scotland

Cause of death: Killed in action

Cemetery or memorial details: DIRLETON CEMETERY, East Lothian, United Kingdom. Sec. E. Grave 1002

Notes: Born in Melbourne.

 

1941

Do not have any info on these lads at all.

CORLEY, COLIN JAMES Sergeant 404065 148sq 14/09/1941 26 Royal Australian Air Force Australian A I. A. 2. EL ALAMEIN WAR CEMETERY Egypt

ROGERS, COLIN LINDSAY Sergeant 400209 33sq RAF 14/09/1941 21 Royal Australian Air Force Australian Column 246. ALAMEIN MEMORIAL Egypt Alamein
Photo here: Australian War Memorial - P04626.001

SKERMAN, VERDUN VICTOR Sergeant 404057 148sq 14/09/1941 25 Royal Australian Air Force Australian AI. B. 4. EL ALAMEIN WAR CEMETERY Egypt