LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Francis Henry BAGGS
Service No: 406038
Born: Edinburgh Scotland, 28 March 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 25 May 1940 (at Perth WA)
Unit: No. 117 Squadron (RAF), Agartala, India
Died: Air Operations: (No. 117 Squadron Dakota aircraft KG537), Myanmar, 30 July 1944, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Francis Henry and Mary Baggs; husband of Lilian Pauline Baggs, of East Perth, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Northam WA
Remembered: Column 443, Singapore Memorial, Singapore
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Dakota KG537 of 117 Squadron left Syhet at 0636 hrs local time on 30 July 1944, for positions 25.15N, 096.40E and 25.17N 096.58E to carry out an operational supply drop mission. The last message received from the aircraft stated ‘being attacked by Japanese fighters at 24.50N 095.55E south of Chindwin, Burma.’ The aircraft failed to return to base and nothing further heard of aircraft or crew.
The crew members of KG537 were:
Flying Officer Francis Henry Baggs (406038) (Wireless Operator/ Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Thomas Stephens McCartney (402801) (Navigator)
Flight Lieutenant Brian Gerrard Levins O’Reilly (47367) (RAF) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer Hugh Crawford Young (186542) (RAFVR)
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, 163/90/190