LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Alfred Keith DE GARIS
Service No: 416835
Born: Mildura VIC, 3 March 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 October 1941 (at Adelaide SA)
Unit: No. 11 Personnel Disposal and Reception Centre, RAAF Overseas Headquarters
Died: Aircraft Accident (RN Fleet Air Arm DH86B aircraft AX844), Scotland, 31 March 1943, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Dunfermline (Douglas Bank) Cemetery, Fifeshire, Scotland
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Alfred Ernest and Alice Ruby De Garis; husband of Isabel Berry De Garis, of Prospect, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Adelaide SA
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
On the 31st March 1943, Pilot Officer Henderson was a passenger in Fleet Air Arm aircraft AX844 which crashed at Donebristle, Fife at 1521 hours. All but one on board the aircraft were killed.
On board AX844 were:
Pilot Officer Alfred Keith De Garis (416835) (Observer)
Pilot Officer William Gordon Henderson (413766) (Pilot)
Leading Airman Peter James Murphy (FX 91318) (Royal Navy)
Pilot Officer Newman (436336) (RNZAF) Injured
Petty Officer Airman Frederick Henry Parr (FX 82259) (Royal Navy) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Brian Harwood Pudney (416699) (Observer)
Flying Officer Owen Mortimer Shroff (416645) (RNZAF)
Pilot Officer Maurice Victor Smith (422327) (RNZAF)
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 A9300, DEGARIS A K