LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Eric James ANDERSON
Service No: 423579
Born: Auburn NSW, 27 November 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 July 1942
Unit: No. 51 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Snaith
Died: Air Operations (No. 51 Squadron Halifax aircraft LW538), North West Europe, 19 August 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Nowell Anderson and Millicent Florence Anderson, of Mortlake, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Concord NSW
Remembered: Panel 259, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Ivanhoe War Memorial, Ivanhoe NSW
On 27 September 1943 Flight Sergeant Anderson evaded capture in France while serving with No. 27 Operational Training Unit when forced to abandon Wellington X3966 that had been damaged by anti-aircraft fire over France during a Nickel (leaflet dropping) operation.
On 19 August 1944 Halifax LW538 took off from Snaith to attack a target at Sterkrade, Germany. Nothing further was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it did not return to base. Following post war enquiries and investigations when no trace of the missing aircraft or crew was found, it was recorded in 1950 that the crew members had no known graves.
The crew members of LW538 were:
Sergeant Kenneth Ernest Charles Adams (1852722) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Eric James Anderson (423579) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant John Edward Cartwright (3050652) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Ronald Frederick John Franklin (1615606) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Keith Knowles Kempson (419721) (Wireless Operator)
Sergeant Edwards Laurie McLaren (1824962) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer William Patrick Quan (429347) (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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/3/119
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line