LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Francis Pentland SHELLEY
Service No: 402408
Born: Branxton NSW, 8 May 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 August 1940
Unit: No. 75 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 75 Squadron Kittyhawk aircraft A29-100), near Fall River PNG, 11 August 1942, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Cecil Harcourt Shelley and Irene Hermoine Shelley, of Manly, New South Wales
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 9, Port Moresby Memorial, PNG
Remembered: Panel 104, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Crookwell War Memorial, Crookwell NSW
At 1150 hours on 11 August 1942, 16 aircraft from Nos. 75 and 76 Squadrons took off from Fall River to intercept approaching enemy aircraft. Warrant Officer Shelley in A29-100 was detailed to fly in this operation flying No. 2 to Flight Lieutenant Coker. Contact was made with the enemy and a general combat took place. There was a low cloud base with 8/10th cloud. Flight Lieutenant Coker reported that when he approached base from the east at about 1230-1245 hours and at a height of about 2,500 feet, he saw Shelley about 200 yards astern and to port. Two to three minutes later he entered a rain squall and lost sight of Shelley. About three minutes later he observed two Zeros below him and turned 90 degrees to attack, and took a good look back but did not see Shelley, and immediately pressed home his attack on the leading aircraft. Warrant Officer Shelley in A29-100 failed to return and it was considered possible that his aircraft came down in the sea without being observed. Also lost in this general action were Flying Officer Albert Gordon McLeod (411807) in Kittyhawk A29-93 and Flight Sergeant George Frederick Inkster (402292) in Kittyhawk A29-36.
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, 163/161/263
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
Ilbery, P.L.T. (Peter Leslie Thomas) (422957) Hatching an Air Force: 2SFTS, 5SFTS, 1BFTS Uranquinty and Wagga Wagga, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 2002