LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Frederick Avery BEYER
Service No: 409656
Born: Bendigo VIC, 24 January 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 10 October 1941
Unit: No. 45 Group (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 45 Group Mitchell aircraft FR203), North Atlantic Ocean, 8 November 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Frederick Carl Garrett Beyer and Ethel Beyer, of Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Bendigo VIC
Remembered: Panel 3, Column 1, Ottawa Memorial, Ontario, Canada
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 8 November 1943 Mitchell FR203 was proceeding on a ferry flight from Canada to the United Kingdom. While en route to Reykjavik, Iceland, a distress signal was received stating the aircraft was on fire about 50 miles west of Reykjavik. A further contact was made a few moments later and air-sea rescue put into operation. Subsequent searches proved unsuccessful with no trace of the aircraft or crew members found.
The crew members of FR203 were:
Flying Officer Frederick Avery Beyer (409656) (Navigator)
Mr Owen Geraint Davies (Radio Operator) British Civilian
Mr Guy Record (Pilot) Canadian Civilian
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, 166/5/338