LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Kenneth Clifford BEE
Service No: 403854
Born: Melbourne VIC, 17 October 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 4 March 1941 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 3 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations (No. 3 Squadron Kittyhawk aircraft ET322), Libya, 21 December 1942, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Tripoli War Cemetery, Libya
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Jasper Oswald and Emma Pauline Bee, of Cremorne, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: East Melbourne VIC
Remembered: Panel 98, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Commonwealth Bank of Australia Honour Rolls, Sydney NSW
On 21 December 1942, Kittyhawk ET322 flown by Flight Sergeant was in a formation of six aircraft on a long range reconnaissance patrol over enemy territory. At 1530 hours an enemy landing ground was located and a number of large enemy aircraft was seen in the dispersal area. Seven enemy aircraft were destroyed by strafing, and others were damaged. During the action Flight Sergeant Bee’s aircraft was set on fire by the enemy ground defences and it crash landed near the Landing Ground about 2 kms from Elksir Cemetery.
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, 163/91/584
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line