LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Francis Charles BARRETT DFC
From Australia serving in the Royal Air Force
RAF Service No: 77959 (RAF)
Born: Location, Date unavailable
Enlisted in the RAF: Date unavailable
Unit: No. 108 Squadron (RAF)
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 108 Squadron Liberator II aircraft AL577), Northern Ireland, 16 March 1942, Aged 32 Years
Buried: Belfast City Cemetery, Northern Ireland
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Francis Joseph and Alice Ida Barrett; nephew of Walter Beames, of Frewville, South Australia. His brother Allen Bernard (435012) also died on service
Roll of Honour: Unknown
DFC Citation: As Senior Air Gunner in the Squadron, Flying Officer Barrett is not only a first class shot, but also he has the ability to pass on his knowledge to other Gunners. It was chiefly due to his accuracy of fire during a daylight raid over Valona that attacking aircraft were driven off. One enemy aircraft which attacked with greater determination was destroyed by Flying Officer Barrett. (Citation dated 8 April 1941)
Liberator AL577 took off from Gibraltar for the UK on 15 March 1942. It was intended to land at RAF Station Hurn, but the aircraft was west of its course and at about 0730 hours on 16 March 1942 it crashed into high ground at Jenkinstown, near Dundalk, Eire. All the crew of 6 members and 9 passengers were killed with 4 passengers being seriously injured.
The crew members of AL577 were:
Flight Lieutenant Francis Charles Barrett DFC (77959) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Henry James Gibbons (948393) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator)
Sergeant Charles Joseph Ingram (916998) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Paul Herrick Morey (917067) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Pilot Officer John Peile Tolson (67640) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Lindsay Ross Williams (402429) (Co-Pilot)
Passengers:
Sergeant C R Amos (1182180) (RAFVR) (Pilot) Seriously injured
Flying Officer J R Anderson DFC (79508) (RAFVR) (Pilot) Seriously injured
Sergeant Walter Paul Brooks (931402) (RAFVR)
Sergeant Andrew McMillan Smith Brownlie (546659) (RAF)
Flight Sergeant George Buchanan (1060536) (RAFVR)
Flight Sergeant Carlton Stokes Goodenough (R/62738) (RCAF)
Sergeant Sidney Frederick Hayden (910905) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner) (Australian in the RAF) Seriously injured
Flight Sergeant Leslie George Jordan (905148) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Pilot Officer George Frederick King (J/15525) (RCAF) (Observer)
Sergeant T E Pattison (644625) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner) Seriously injured
Pilot Officer Wilfred Bertrand Stephens (113267) (RAF) (Pilot) Fatally injured: Died: 19 March 1942
Flight Sergeant Herbert William Thornley Sloman (402677) (Pilot)
Wing Commander Richard John Wells (39918) (RAF) (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
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record AWM 65 213