LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Peter Robert Alfred Stewart WHITING
Service No: 407631
Born: Salisbury, England, 4 March 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 7 December 1940
Unit: No. 61 Squadron (RAF), RAF St Eval, Cornwall
Died: Air Operations (No. 61 Squadron Lancaster aircraft R5563), Bay of Biscay, 19 August 1942, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Alfred and May Whiting, of Fullarton, South Australia. LL.B. Barrister and Solicitor
Roll of Honour: Unley SA
Remembered: Panel 113, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Lancaster R5563 took off from St Eval aerodrome at 1128 hours on 19 August 1942 to carry out an anti-submarine patrol in the Bay of Biscay off the north coast of Spain. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. It was later recorded that the missing crew had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of R5563 were:
Flight Sergeant Kenneth Robert Jackson (R/62219) (RCAF) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant James McNeary (1329586) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant George Anderson Melville (973352) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Frank John Monk (634693) (RAF) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer II Charles Percival Shriner (R/52504) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant Ernest Walter Temple (975654) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Peter Robert Alfred Stewart Whiting (407631) (Observer)
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, 163/177/334