LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Gordon Lindsay Charles GIFFORD
Service No: 402740
Born: Junee NSW, 15 June 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 October 1940
Unit: No. 457 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 457 Squadron Spitfire aircraft BS173), off Darwin NT, 2 May 1943, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles Edward and Lena Gifford, of Goulburn, New South Wales
Roll of Honour: Goulburn NSW
Remembered: Panel 6, Northern Territory Memorial, Adelaide River NT
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Goulburn-Mulwaree Honour Roll 1939-1972, Goulburn NSW
Remembered: Mittagong and District War Memorial, Mittagong NSW
On 2 May 1943, Spitfire BSI73 flown by Flying Officer Gifford was one of 12 aircraft which took off to intercept enemy aircraft approaching Darwin. Flying Officer Gifford was leading White Section of four with Warrant Officer Raymond Edward Barker (405711) (Discharged: 1 February 1946), Flight Sergeant Ian Sutherland Morse (403358) (Discharged: 26 February 1946) and Flight Sergeant William Stanley Hardwick (407791) (Discharged: 14 January 1946). The intercept was made at 1135 hours approximately 60 miles west of Darwin and White section dived on the enemy aircraft. After the first attack BS173 was not seen again and it was believed the aircraft had crashed in the sea. Two other pilots missing in the same encounter were later found and rescued.
Flying Officer Alexander Charles McNab (405240) (No. 452 Squadron) was also killed in the battle.
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, 166/15/93; A9845, 272
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line