LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Augustine Francis DRUMMOND
Service No: 424862
Born: Cessnock NSW, 9 March 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 October 1942
Unit: No. 626 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Wickenby
Died: Air Operations: (No. 626 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LL839), France, 26 March 1944, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Maubeuge-Centre Cemetery, Nord, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Earnest and Edith Drummond; husband of Virginia Madge Drummond, of Ashfield, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Cessnock NSW
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cessnock War Memorial, Cessnock NSW
On the night of 26/27 March 1944, Lancaster LL839 took off from Wickenby at 1910 hours detailed to bomb Essen, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at Bousignies-sur-Roc (Nord) 25 kms north east of Avesnes-sur-Helpe, and near the French/Belgium border. Five of the crew members were killed in the crash, one was taken prisoner and one evaded capture.
The crew members of LL839 were:
Sergeant Charles Banks (1580816) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant G Burrows (1226439) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner) Evaded Capture
Flight Sergeant Augustine Francis Drummond (424862) (Rear Gunner)
Flying Officer K W Gordon (J/23480) (RCAF) (Navigator) PoW
Flight Sergeant Douglas Bartholomew Laidlaw (1055861) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Douglas Sydney Lockett (1818729) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Harold Walter Parsons (1275550) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper 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, 166/10/202
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line