LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Edward Arthur DALEY
Service No: 400785
Born: St Arnaud VIC, 10 August 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 8 November 1940
Unit: No. 145 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 145 Squadron Spitfire aircraft AB459), off the Italian Coast, 4 July 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edward Charles and Elizabeth Hannah May Daley, of Ormond, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 11 Column 2, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1205 hours on 4 July 1943 Spitfire AB459 took off with other Squadron aircraft to provide high level cover for bombers over Gerbini. After leaving the target several RF 2001s were sighted but were not engaged. AB459 which failed to return from the mission was last seen 5 miles south of Comiso, Sicily, flying straight and level. Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was recorded in 1948 that Warrant Officer Daley had lost his life at sea.
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, 163/100/116
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