LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Anthony Kent BIGGS
Service No: 412886
Born: Panton Hill VIC, 9 September 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 15 August 1941 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 223 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations (No. 223 Squadron Baltimore aircraft FA298), off Sicily, 9 July 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Aubrey Wilfred and Judith Henry Biggs, of Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Column 272, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Ku-ring-gai World War 2 Book of Remembrance, Gordon NSW
On 9 July 1943 Baltimore FA298 was one of a formation which bombed Trapani Mile landing ground, Sicily, just prior to the invasion. Approximately 15 miles from the landing ground, the formation was attacked by ME109 aircraft and Macchi 200s or FW 190s from 1058 to 1105 hours. Shortly after leaving the target FA298 was attacked by an ME109. The port engine caught fire and the aircraft lost height under control, until about 200 feet above the sea 15 miles north west of Trapani, Sicily, when it dived steeply into the sea at 1101 hours. None of the crew members were seen to bale out and no movement or dinghies were seen after the aircraft crashed.
The crew members of FA298 were:
Flying Officer Anthony Kent Biggs (412886) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer David Arnott Jenkins (132767) (RAFVR) (Navigator/Bomb Aimer)
Flight Sergeant Bernard McGrail (1313183) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Harry Gordon Speakman (1021740) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
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, 166/5/214
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line