LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Ernest Reginald RASMUSSEN
Service No: 412692
Born: Petersham NSW, 11 January 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 July 1941
Unit: No. 84 Group Support Unit (RAF), RAF Station Aston Downs, Gloucestershire
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 84 Group Support Unit Spitfire aircraft MK946), Sussex, 9 June 1944, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, UK
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Axel and Elsie Maud Rasmussen, of Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Hillston NSW
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Hillston Memorial Park, Hillston NSW
Remembered: Commonwealth Bank of Australia Honour Rolls, Sydney NSW
Spitfire MK946 flown by Warrant Officer Rasmussen took off from Aston Downs at 1642 hours on 9 June 1944 detailed to carry out a non-operational day ferrying delivery flight from No 84 GSU to 132 Airfield Bognor. The aircraft was apparently attempting a forced landing when the cloud base was low, and the wing tip struck the ground and the aircraft cart wheeled. It crashed at 1740 hours at Marsh Farm, Binstead, Sussex, and Warrant Officer Rasmussen was killed.
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, 166/35/286
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line