LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Philip William HEARNE
Service No: 407930
Born: Goodwood SA, 28 April 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 February 1941
Unit: Delivery Flight 490, RAF Station Takoradi, Ghana
Died: Aircraft Accident (Blenheim aircraft BA531), Ghana, 28 August 1942, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Takoradi European Public Cemetery, Ghana
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William and Gladys Hearne, of Goodwood, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Unley SA
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
On the 28th August 1942, Blenheim BA531 took off at 1430 hours on Delivery Flight No. 490. About 45 minutes after take off from base, local inhabitants saw the aircraft circle a low hill and then fell to the ground. The aircraft crashed 3 miles west of Salt Ponds, Ghana, and the crew members were killed.
The crew members of BA531 were:
Sergeant Philip William Hearne (407930) (Observer)
Sergeant John Walter Mortimer (550761) (RAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Raymond John Purser (115010) (RAF) (Pilot)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/121/216