LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer John Michael CRONIN
Service No: 407269
Born: Port Lincoln SA, 6 January 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 17 August 1940
Unit: No. 107 Squadron (RAF), RAF Lasham, Hampshire
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 107 Squadron Mosquito aircraft), Buckinghamshire, 2 May 1944, Aged 26 Years
Buried: East Finchley Cemetery and St Marleybone Crematorium, Middlesex
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Joseph and Emma Agnes Cronin; husband of Winifred Louise Cronin, of Flinders Park. South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Adelaide SA
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
A Mosquito aircraft flown by Flying Officer Cronin crashed on 2 May 1944, at Littleworth Common, Buckinghamshire, when on a practice night cross country exercise. The aircraft took off at 2230 hours and crashed approx 20 minutes later. The weather at the time was good with bright moon and 7/10 tenths cloud at 1,500/2,000 feet with no great depth. The visibility was 1 km. The aircraft was tested that afternoon and was serviceable. Both the crew members were killed.
The crew members were:
Flying Officer James Alexander Bailie (151665) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flying Officer John Michael Cronin (407269) (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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/8/35