LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer William Grenbry OUTHWAITE
Service No: 400646
Born: Melbourne VIC, 27 July 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 12 October 1940
Unit: No. 239 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 239 Squadron Hurricane aircraft Z5212), Libya, 23 November 1941, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of A. Grenbry Outhwaite and Ida Sherborne Outhwaite, of South Yarra, Victoria, Australia. L.L.B.
Roll of Honour: Melbourne VIC
Remembered: Column 245, Alamein Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
When returning from a Wing sweep over Al Adem on 23 November 1941, eleven Hurricanes from No. 238 Squadron encountered, 50 enemy aircraft comprising 30 Ju87s and about 20 Me109s and G50s at El Gubi. After the ensuing combat, Z5212 failed to return to base. With no trace of the missing pilot being found following on post war enquiries and investigations, it was recorded in 1948 that Pilot Officer Outhwaite had no known grave.
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, 163/50/35
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