LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Andrew Francis PEACOCK
Service No: 403371
Born: Lake Cargelligo NSW, 11 August 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 January 1941
Unit: No. 457 Squadron, RAF Redhill, Surrey
Died: Air Operations: (No. 457 Squadron Spitfire aircraft VB BM251), off the French Coast, Kent, 1 May 1942, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Harold and Charlotte Agnes Pearl Peacock, of Canberra, Australia
Roll of Honour: Canberra ACT
Remembered: Panel 113, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Lake Cargelligo War Memorial, Lake Cargelligo NSW
No. 457 had flown, during its first full month of operations (April 1942), 376 sorties of which all except forty-four were flights involving penetration of enemy territory. The Fighter Command offensive continued on much the same scale during May, and in the first nine days, the Australians flew 7 sweeps and 6 Circuses besides providing a further 12 aircraft for coastal patrols. The pattern of operations, the areas patrolled, even the Circus targets, were in general the same as during April and on only two Circuses and one sweep did No. 457 meet any opposition. The sweep encounter on 4th May was a fleeting engagement but, on 1st and 9th May, bitter German attacks were made and on each occasion two Spitfires were shot down.
Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1954 – Page 348
On 1 May 1942, Spitfire BM251 took off at 1830 hours, one of 12 aircraft detailed to carry out an operational sortie over enemy territory in France. The target was the Marquise Shell factory, and the Squadron was acting as high cover at 22,000 feet. BM251 was last seen to follow its Leader in a dive upon enemy aircraft at about 17,000 feet, ten miles inland from the French coast. BM251 was not seen again and failed to return to base.
The four Spitfire aircraft lost in this period were:
Sergeant Andrew Francis Peacock (403371) lost 1 May 1942
Flight Lieutenant Harold Leslie North DFC (41608) (RAFVR) lost 1 May 1942
Sergeant Richard Arthur George Halliday (407246) lost 9 May 1942
Sergeant William James Smith (400942) lost 9 May 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, 163/150/161
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line