LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Kenneth Gard PEARCE
Service No: 416228
Born: Kadina SA, 13 July 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 24 April 1941
Unit: No. 142 Squadron (RAF), RAF Grimsby, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 142 Squadron Wellington aircraft BJ768), France, 8 November 1942, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Vannes (Boismoreau) Communal Cemetery, Morbihan, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Alfred St. Leger Pearce and Hilda Pearce, of Maitland, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Maitland SA
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Wellington BJ768 took off from RAF Grimsby at 1741 hours on the night of 8/9th November, 1942, detailed to carry out a gardening operation and lay mines in French coastal waters. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. Post war it was established that all the crew had lost their lives.
The crew members of BJ768 were:
Pilot Officer Douglas James Bradshaw (119905) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Sergeant Ronald Granville Evison (1214198) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Cyril Sydney Herbert Hill (1319144) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Kenneth Gard Pearce (416228) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Claude Besnard Sautelle (411390) (Wireless Operator)
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, 163/150/269