LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Allen Grayson EDWARDS
Service No: 416166
Born: Adelaide SA, 24 August 1907
Enlisted in the RAAF: 31 March 1941
Unit: No. 541 Squadron (RAF), operating from RAF Station Mount Farm, Oxfordshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 541 Squadron Spitfire aircraft DR660), off the French Coast, 25 January 1943, Aged 35 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Allen Crisp Edwards and Maud Sophia Lewis Edwards, of Hyde Park, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Unley SA
Remembered: Panel 187, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Spitfire DR660 flown by Flying Officer Edwards took off from RAF Station, Mount Farm at 1116 hours on 25 January 1943 to carry out a photo reconnaissance over the Chateaurue and Clermont Fenraud area, Southern France. The weather forecast for the target area was broken cloud with considerable cloud over the whole of the north of France on track to the target area. At 1520 hours a message was received from the aircraft stating engine trouble had arisen and a further message 15 minutes later indicated that he intended to bale out approximately 20 kms south west of Guernsey. As the ASR was unable to carry out a search due to the weather conditions and the range of the search from the English coast, a distress signal was broadcast to the German ASR service, but no news was forthcoming from Germany. Flying officer Edwards is recorded as missing lost 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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/11/7