LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Mervyn Louis EASTGATE
Service No: 405351
Born: Bundaberg QLD, 4 November 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 March 1941
Unit: No. 223 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: Conquest of Tunisia (No. 223 Squadron Baltimore aircraft FA193), Tunisia, 2 April 1943, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Medjez-El-Bab War Cemetery, Tunisia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Thomas Eastgate and Alice Theresa Eastgate, of Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On the morning of 2 April 1943 Baltimore FA193 was one of a formation of aircraft engaged in bombing enemy positions. While over the target area, heavy and accurate anti-aircraft fire was encountered and the aircraft was seen to blow up after receiving a direct hit. Two of the crew members were able to bale out and were taken prisoner while the other two were killed in the crash.
The crew members of FA193 were:
Flight Sergeant F Craig (1250960) (RAFVR) (Navigator Bomb Aimer) PoW
Flight Sergeant Mervyn Louis Eastgate (405351) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Roy Victor Harris (1293601) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant B G Shearing (1377717) (RAFVR) (Pilot) PoW
Flight Sergeant Craig in a POW report stated “I saw Eastgate’s body near the remnants of the aircraft and was able to identify it. The aircraft crashed near Wadi Akarit, Tunisia.”
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, 166/11/28