LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Alexander John MELDRUM
Service No: 400723
Born: Shepparton VIC, 15 September 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 13 October 1940
Unit: No. 40 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 40 Squadron Wellington aircraft HE109), Tunisia, 11 April 1943, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Medjez-el-Bab War Cemetery, Tunisia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert and Annabell Meldrum, of Caniambo, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1759 hours on the night of 11 April 1943 Wellington HE109 took off to attack the landing ground at St Marie du Kit. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. Other crews returning from the mission thought they saw an aircraft explode and go down over the target area at approximately 2140 hours. On 28 July 1943 the aircraft was found by members of an American Fighter group. Some remains and personal effects were found among the wreckage. All the crew members had been killed in the crash.
The crew members of HE109 were:
Sergeant Leslie Peter Grace (1319874) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Arthur Reginald Graves (1276707) (RAFR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Peter Cyril Phillip Kipling (1339181) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Alexander John Meldrum (400723) (Pilot)
Sergeant Ralph Milbourne (1383407) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Herbert Ernest Wilkinson (114436) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
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, 166/27/96
Bibliography:
Ilbery, P.L.T. (Peter Leslie Thomas) (422957) Hatching an Air Force: 2SFTS, 5SFTS, 1BFTS Uranquinty and Wagga Wagga, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 2002