LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant John Drummond MAY
Service No: 402573
Born: Mount Druitt NSW, 8 January 1911
Enlisted in the RAAF: 16 September 1940
Unit: No. 99 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 99 Squadron Wellington aircraft HD977), Digri, India, 5 January 1943, Aged 31 Years
Buried: Ranchi War Cemetery, India
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert Williams May and Ellen Elizabeth May, of Strathfield, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Strathfield World War 2 Roll Of Honour, Strathfield NSW
On return from air operations on 5 January 1943, a bomb on board Wellington HD977 exploded on landing at 0345 hours and killed three crew members and two others later died from their injuries.
The crew members of HD977 were:
Sergeant Edward Michael Croft (1074125) (RAFVR)
Flight Sergeant Alexander Benjamin Grigor (1004284) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner) Seriously injured, Died 6 January 1943
Flying Officer William Garfield Clark (J/5972) (RCAF) (Pilot) Seriously injured, Died: 24 January 1943
Sergeant John Drummond May (402573) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant Francis Edwin John Orchard (1281529) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant F H Robertson (1022753) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner) Blown clear, Injured
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/27/8
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line