LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Edward Tompson MOBSBY
Service No: 407799
Born: Hints England, 12 October 1910
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 January 1941 (at Adelaide SA)
Unit: 90th Squadron, 3rd Bombardment Group (USAAF)
Died: Air Operations (90th Squadron B-25C Mitchell aircraft 41-12470), Buna area, 26 July 1942, Aged 31 Years
Buried: Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery, PNG
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edward Maylott Mobsby and Nellie Maria Mobsby; husband of Erica Joyce Mobsby, of Toorak Gardens, South Australia. Dip. Com. (Adelaide).
Roll of Honour: Burnside SA
Remembered: Panel 97, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Five USAAF Mitchell aircraft from the 3rd Bombardment group took off from APO 929 (Port Moresby) to attack Japanese flying boats at Gasmata, New Guinea. No attack was made and bombs were jettisoned when 15 Japanese zero-type fighters intercepted the aircraft in the vicinity of Gona mission. Two Mitchells were lost. Mitchell 41-12740 was last seen burning fiercely from nose to tail and two crew members were seen parachuting from the aircraft. Mitchell 41-12792 crashed 20 kms south east of Buna.
The crew members of Mitchell 41-12740 were:
Technical Sergeant Robert L Barlow (6922345) (Bombardier)
Corporal Walter N Cook Jr (6973551) (Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer Edward Tompson Mobsby (407799) (Co-Pilot)
First Lieutenant Ralph Lee Lyn Schmidt (O-403818) (Pilot)
Corporal Richmond M Wallace (7002908) (Lower Gunner)
13th Squadron, 3rd Bombardment Group lost Mitchell 41-12792 (Flight Sergeant Edgar Horace Hawter (406129) (Co-Pilot)) on 26 July 1942.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
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, 166/17/827