LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant John Joseph EGAN
Service No: 415126
Born: Maylands WA, 14 August 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 July 1942
Unit: No. 214 Squadron (RAF), RAF Chedburgh, Suffolk
Died: Air Operations: (No. 214 Squadron Stirling aircraft MZ261), Germany, 24 May 1943, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Joseph Michael and Annie Maria Egan, of Victoria Park, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Victoria Park WA
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Stirling MZ261 took off from RAF Chedburgh at 2315 hours on the night of 23/24th May 1943, detailed to bomb Dortmund, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed on the 24th May 1943 at Unna, 15 kms east north east of Dortmund. All the crew were killed and they are buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.
The crew members of MZ261 were:
Sergeant Donald Eric Alford (1393222) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Victor Harry Archer (641651) (RAF) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant John Dodd (1107057) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant John Joseph Egan (415126) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Peter Harold Liddle (129581) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Lionel Martin (1294190) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Frederick James North (1231672) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
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 A9301, 415126