LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Norman Harold CRAIG
Service No: 420154
Born: Mortdale NSW, 28 May 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 October 1941
Unit: No. 43 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations (No. 43 Squadron Spitfire aircraft), Italy, 15 November 1943, Aged 23 Year
Buried: Minturno War Cemetery, Italy
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Samuel and Gladys Craig, of Hurstville, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Sydney Town Hall World War 1 and World War 2 Honour Rolls, Sydney NSW
On 15 November 1943 a Spitfire flown by Flying Officer Craig was detailed to patrol the battle lines in the Castelthorpe and Minturno area, a short distance inland from the west coast of Italy about 2 miles north of the Garigliano River. The aircraft was flying with three others from the Squadron when two of them flown by Flying Officer Craig and Flight Sergeant Prendergast entered cloud. The aircraft were told by their Section Leader to climb straight ahead and Flight Sergeant Prendergast did so, but Flying Officer Craig failed to do so. His aircraft was contacted by radio and he reported that he was hopelessly lost in cloud. At the time the aircraft were at a considerable height some few miles on the wrong side of the enemy lines. Flying Officer Craig’s aircraft was later located crashed into the north west side of Mount Majo about 8 miles north east of Minturno and he had been killed.
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, 166/8/293
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line