LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Francis James O’NEILL
Service No: 406033
Born: North Fremantle WA, 17 December 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 25 May 1940
Unit: No. 113 Squadron (RAF), Jessore, Bangladesh
Died: Air Operations (No. 113 Squadron Bisley (Blenheim MkV) aircraft BA622), Burma (Myanmar), 20 December 1942, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Taukkyan War Cemetery, Myanmar
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Arthur Joseph and Frances Martha O’Neill, of North Fremantle, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: North Fremantle WA
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Bisley BA622 took off on 20 December 1942 from Agartala as No. 2 in the leading flight of a formation of 18 aircraft. Whiles carrying out a bombing run over the target, Magwe, the aircraft received a direct hit from anti-aircraft fire and burst into flames. The aircraft pulled up over the main formation and then spiralled down completely enveloped in flames. No one was seen to bale out and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of BA622 were:
Lieutenant Noel Thomas Wilkin (102147V) (SAAF) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Francis James O’Neill (406033) (Observer)
Flight Sergeant Walter John Henry Thompson (400263) (Wireless Air Gunner)
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, 163/148/342