LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Kenneth John BANFIELD
Service No: 432469
Born: Hamilton NSW, 4 March 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 2 January 1943
Unit: No. 3 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 3 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit Oxford aircraft HM667), Worcestershire, 24 July 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Bath (Haycombe) Cemetery, Somerset
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Sydney Milsom Banfield and Christina Banfield, of Dudley, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Dudley NSW
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Ken Banfield Memorial Clock, Dudley NSW
During non-operational day flying instruction on 24 July 1944, Oxford HM667 struck an electric cable pylon at 1300 hours, and crashed 3 to 4 miles along the Powick/Malvern main road. All on board were killed.
The crew members of HM667 were:
Flight Sergeant Kenneth John Banfield (432469) (Second Pilot)
Aircraftman II Alan Gerald Clark (1814448) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer under training) (Supernumerary) Aged 17 Years
Flight Sergeant Kenneth John Luscombe (1585614) (RAFVR) (First 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, 166/5/630
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line