LEST WE FORGET
Lieutenant Colonel Edward John MARSTON
Service No: VX39064 (Australian Army)
Born: Richmond VIC, 19 January 1899
Enlisted in the Army: 19 November 1940
Unit: Headquarters II Division, AEME
Died: Aircraft Accident (QANTAS Lodestar aircraft VH-CAB), Port Moresby, 26 November 1943, Aged 44 Years
Buried: Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery, PNG
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edward James Marston and Margaret Elizabeth Marston; husband of Corinna Thelma Marston, of East Malvern, Victoria
Roll of Honour: Malvern VIC
Remembered: Panel 12, Supplementary Panel 11, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 0400 hours on 26 November 1943, Lockheed Lodestar aircraft registration VH-CAB crashed just after takeoff from Wards Strip enroute from Port Moresby to Townsville. The aircraft was operated by QANTAS. There were 4 crew members and 11 passengers on board, all of whom were killed.
The crew members were:
Squadron Leader William Godfrey Campbell (261730) (Pilot) RAAF Reserve
Flight Sergeant Neil Grosvenor Evan (417064) (Radio Operator) QANTAS Secondment
Pilot Officer John Randolph Fleming Henderson (410863) (Second Pilot) RAAF Reserve
Flying Officer Keith George Little (267726) (Purser) RAAF Reserve
The passengers were:
Captain John W Baish (O-0384600) (US Army)
Lieutenant Colonel John Benedict Bolger (NX462)
Second Lieutenant John E Brown (O-1798348) (US Army)
Colonel Frank O Dewey (O-11386) (US Army)
Lieutenant Colonel Clive Valentine Ferrey (37572) (British Army)
Flight Sergeant Leslie Harold Jenke (8868) No. 13 Aircraft Repair Depot, Breddan QLD
Mr Robert E Lewis (280) (US Civilian) (Red Cross War Correspondent)
Lieutenant Colonel Edward John Marston (VX39064) (Australian Army)
Major John Francis McCarthy (NX7195) (Australian Army)
Staff Sergeant Vincent W Novak (33362619) (US Army)
Mr Harry H Poage (202) (US Civilian) (Red Cross War Correspondent)
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 B883, VX39064