LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Eric Austin FROST
Service No: 435622
Born: Atherton QLD, 27 December 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 1 July 1943 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 31 Squadron
Died: Aircraft Accident: (No. 31 Squadron Beaufighter aircraft A8-8), off Morotai, 12 February 1945, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Aubrey and Margaret Agnes Frost, of Mossman, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 9, Ambon Memorial, Indonesia
Remembered: Panel 102, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1048 hours on the 12 February 1945, Beaufighter A8-8 took off from the Pitoe airstrip detailed to carry out a bombing, gunnery and single engine practice over Tolenoeoe north east of the Halmaheras. The aircraft crashed in the sea at about 1230 hours, some 15 nautical miles from Gela Point, Morotai. The Navigator was killed in the crash and the Pilot survived. The bombing and gunnery exercises had been completed satisfactorily, and the Pilot had feathered the port motor for the single engine practice. After flying for a short time with the starboard motor unfeathered, the Pilot restarted the port motor. The aircraft then started losing height as it flew towards the airstrip. It then suddenly dropped the left wing and swung left. All corrective action failed and the aircraft hit the water in a spiral dive. The Pilot undid his straps and parachute and floated to the surface. He swam around looking for the Navigator but could not find him. He climbed into the inflated dinghy. At 1320 hours, he was picked up by a rescue boat from the 15th American Rescue Squadron. The boat searched the area but no trace of Sergeant Frost was found.
The crew members of A80-8 were:
Warrant Officer Richard Frank Chiffings (415303) (Pilot) Rescued, Discharged from the RAAF: 17 September 1946
Sergeant Eric Austin Frost (435622) (Navigator)
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, 166/14/356
Bibliography:
Parnell, N.M. (Neville M.) Whispering Death: A history of the RAAF’s Beaufighter Squadrons, AH & AW Reed, Terry Hills NSW, 1980
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Beaufort, Beaufighter and Mosquito in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1990