LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant John Albert KIRBY DFM
Service No: 405246
Born: Murwillumbah NSW, 25 March 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 February 1941 (at Brisbane QLD)
Unit: No. 460 Squadron, RAF Station Binbrook, Lincolnshire
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM), 11 June 1943 (Citation Title: No. 460 Squadron)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 460 Squadron Lancaster aircraft NB553), Cambridgeshire, 30 April 1944, Aged 29 Years
Buried: Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edmund Patrick and Gertrude Kirby, of Murwillumbah, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Murwillumbah NSW
Remembered: Panel 107, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster NB553 took off from RAF Binbrook at 1655 hours on 30 March 1944 to carry out a day fighter patrol exercise. Following completion of the exercise an accident occurred due to the ejection of the dinghy during flight. The dinghy became entangled with the starboard side of the tail plane and elevator causing the pilot to lose control of the aircraft. The aircraft crashed near Witchford, Cambridge, about 4 miles south west of Ely.
The crew members of NB553 were:
Flying Officer Richard Bailes (152530) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Frederick Boardman (1813576) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Lieutenant Wilbert Arley Healey DFC (J/21121) (RCAF) (Pilot) (No. 49 Squadron RAF)
Sergeant Tom Atwell Hutchison (1802804) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Brian Jagger DFM (171172) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Joseph Jones (1332717) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air)
Flight Lieutenant John Albert Kirby DFM (405246) (Air Gunner) (Gunnery Instructor)
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, 166/22/16
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
Firkins, P. C. (Peter Charles) (441386) Strike and Return, Westward Ho Publishing City Beach WA, 1985