LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Eoin Samuel FRANCIS
Service No: 417704
Born: Portland VIC, 8 February 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 July 1942 (at Adelaide SA)
Unit: No. 622 Squadron (RAF), RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk
Died: Air Operations (No. 622 Squadron Lancaster aircraft NF939), North West Europe, 7 January 1945, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas Edward and Flora Francis, of Seacliffe, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Brighton SA
Remembered: Panel 283, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 122, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Lancaster NF939 of No. 622 Squadron took off from RAF Station Mildenhall at 1608 hours on 6 January 1945 to lay mines in the Danzig area. Nothing further was heard of the aircraft or crew after take off. In 1950 it was concluded that the aircraft crashed in the sea.
The crew members of NF939 were:
Flight Sergeant Paul Anthony Christie (2205721) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Eoin Samuel Francis (417704) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant William Kelly (2206561) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Warranty Officer William McRae (641994) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Robert Charles Soanes (912579) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Arthur Douglas Steeden (1339232) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Gordon Robert Traylen (1398770) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
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, 166/14/332