LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Allan Edward ARNOLD
Service No: 420112
Born: Maclean NSW, 30 August 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 October 1941
Unit: No. 159 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations (No. 159 Squadron Liberator aircraft BZ962), Rangoon area, 29 February 1944, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Edward and Christina Arnold, of Lindfield, New South Wales. Australia. This airman died with his eight crewmates. The individually unidentified remains of only seven of the crew are buried in Plot 4, Row E, Graves 14 to 20 of RANGOON WAR CEMETERY, Myanmar. Each grave marker reads: AN AIRMAN OF THE 1939-1945 WAR, ROYAL AIR FORCE, 29TH FEBRUARY 1944, KNOWN UNTO GOD. All nine men are commemorated by name on the SINGAPORE MEMORIAL.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Column 444, Singapore Memorial, Singapore
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: St David’s World War 2 Stained Glass Windows, Lindfield NSW
Remembered: St David’s Uniting Church Roll of Honour, Lindfield NSW
Remembered: Knox Grammar School Old Boys’ War Memorial, Wahroonga NSW
At 1615 hours on 29 February 1944 Liberator BZ962 took off together with other Squadron aircraft to attack Rangoon. BZ 962 carried a bomb load of 4500lbs (2100kg). According to eye witness accounts from five other aircraft, two aircraft were seen over the target area to go down in flames and hit the ground. No distress signals were received from BZ962 which did not return to base after the mission, but an Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) plot faded out at 0500 hours in position 22.04N 089.16E. Three aircraft were sent out on a parallel search but found nothing of the missing aircraft or crews.
The crew members of BZ962 were:
Flight Sergeant Allan Edward Arnold (420112) (Pilot)
Sergeant Desmond Riversdale Anthony Burgess (1659085) (RAFVR) (Beam Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Arthur Robert Burn (1319428) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flying Officer Bernard Clifton DFM (50589) (RAFVR) (First Wireless Operator)
Pilot Officer Michael Ludlow Davis (J/86883) (RCAF) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant John Henry Starmer Leak MID (1682798) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Charles Alfred George Plank (1435434) (RAFVR) (Second Wireless Operator)
Sergeant Ansel Ernest Blackburn Stout (771563) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Warrant Officer Victor Ernest Whitehall (1262742) (RAFVR) (Co-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, 166/4/112
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line