LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant John Francis CASH
Service No: 402109
Born: Randwick NSW, 6 July 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 27 May 1940
Unit: No. 274 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations (No. 274 Squadron Hurricane aircraft Z4578), Libya, 16 August 1941, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of the Revd. Edward Francis Nicholson Cash and Violet Elizabeth Cash, of Christchurch Rectory, Lavender Bay, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: North Sydney NSW
Remembered: Column 245, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Commonwealth Bank of Australia Honour Rolls, Sydney NSW
On 16 August 1941 Hurricane Z4578 took off from Sidi Barrani in company with other Hurricanes from No. 274 Squadron to do an offensive sweep over Gambut. The Squadron was flying at approximately 1,200 feet over Gambut aerodrome when Sergeant Cash broke away followed by his Number 2 Sergeant McDonnell. Lieutenant Hoffe (SAAF) who was in the formation saw Sergeant Cash attacking an S79 which was attempting to land. He then lost sight of Z4578. Shortly after Lt Hoffe saw an aircraft alight on the water 4 miles north of Ras Beddad in the neighbourhood of Bardia in Libya, but he could not identify the aircraft as Z4578 which did not return to base from this mission. A search of the area two hours later could find no trace of the aircraft or 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, 163/95/152
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
Ilbery, P.L.T. (Peter Leslie Thomas) (422957) Hatching an Air Force: 2SFTS, 5SFTS, 1BFTS Uranquinty and Wagga Wagga, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 2002