LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Frederick Dempster FAWCETT
Service No: 13121
Born: Gardenvale VIC, 25 July 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 February 1941
Unit: No. 75 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 75 Squadron Kittyhawk aircraft A29-1013), Halmaheras, 25 March 1945, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Fredrick Richard William and Edith Rose Fawcett, of Mornington, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 8, Ambon Memorial, Indonesia
Remembered: Panel 103, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1000 hours on 25 March 1945, Kittyhawk A29-1013 flown by Flying Officer Fawcett crashed midway between Cape Lelai and Lolobata, Halmaheras. The aircraft was returning to base at Wama air strip, Morotai, from a mission to Sagea village. A29-1013 had called up Warrant Officer John Aloysius McDonnell (417861) (Discharged: 5 February 1948) his No. 1 and said that he only had 20 gallons of petrol left and Warrant Officer McDonnell instructed him to follow him as they would be over the strip in a few minutes. The aircraft were at 8,000 feet and began a gentle descent through wispy cloud, breaking cloud at 5,500 feet, and the strip right in front of McDonnell. McDonnell continued his course for a few minutes when he heard A29-1013 say he was about to ditch at Gaella and McDonnell informed Harpy. He circled the area about seven miles south of base for 20 minutes trying to make contact with Flying Officer Fawcett but without success. Other searches were also unsuccessful.
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, 166/13/427; A9845, 169