LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Laurence Cuthbert PYKE MID
Service No: 406792
Born: Perth WA, 30 August 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 31 March 1941
Unit: No. 216 Squadron (RAF), El Khankar, Egypt
Awarded the Mentioned in Despatches (MID)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 216 Squadron Hudson aircraft), Egypt, 5 November 1942, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Heliopolis War Cemetery, Egypt
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Joseph Henry and Martha Ellen Pyke, of Victoria Park, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Victoria Park WA
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
A Hudson aircraft of No 216 Squadron crashed at 1315 hours on 4 November 1942 at Khanka aerodrome, Egypt. Four members of the crew were killed, two died of their injuries and one was slightly injured.
The crew members were:
Flight Lieutenant Ronald Thomas Bradshaw (44308) (RAF) (Flying Instructor Pilot) Killed
Sergeant Max Otto Brown (618063) (RAF) (Wireless Air Gunner) Killed
Flying Officer Francis Valentine Browne (406637) (Pilot) Killed
Leading Aircraftman Clive William Frederick Ironmonger (1151991) (RAFVR) (FME) Died of Injuries on 4 November 1942
Flight Sergeant Donald Aird MacDonald (982281) (RAFVR) (Observer) Killed
Leading Aircraftman G M Paulger (1080090) (RAFVR) (Fitter 2A) Slightly Injured
Flying Officer Laurence Cuthbert Pyke MID (406792) (Pilot) Died of Injuries on 5 November 1942
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, 163/52/110
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