LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Eric Francis Kennedy PEARSE
Service No: 406490
Born: Geraldton WA, 27 August 1912
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 January 1941
Unit: No. 113 Squadron (RAF), Comilla Main, Bangladesh
Died: Air Operations (No. 113 Squadron Blenheim aircraft V9620), India, 23 May 1942, Aged 29 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Nelson Archer Leopold and Elizabeth Hilda Pearse, of Bridgetown, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Mingenew WA
Remembered: Column 421, Singapore Memorial, Singapore
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Blenheim V9620 of 113 Squadron took off on a sortie on the morning of 23 May 1942, and failed to return to base. Information later received from 221 Group (RAF Command) advised that an aircraft had crashed in jungle country in the Eastern States of India A revolver belonging to a crew member of V 9620 and Flying Officer Grigg’s log book was recovered from the wreckage and later received by the unit. It was established in 1942 that the aircraft crashed in the jungle, four miles north east of Ompi Bazaar, India, and 20 miles south of Agartala. The aircraft was burnt out and the crew of three found dead. They were buried at the scene of the crash near a small village of Bahurambari. Later exhumation was not possible due to remoteness of the location, and inability to identify the locality of burial site.
The crew members of V9620 were:
Flight Sergeant Joseph Francis Germein (407362) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Colin Davies Grigg (406382) (Observer)
Flying Officer Eric Francis Kennedy Pearse (406490) (Pilot)
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, 163/51/133
Bibliography:
Gaston, Bruce DFC (406646), Harry Horner DFC OAM (406595), Raymond Storer (406666) (Editors), Aircrew for the Duration: of and by members of RAAF EATS Courses 10, 11, 12 & 13, Gaston Horner and Storer, Nedlands WA, 1990