LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Horace STEWARD
Service No: 403822
Born: Manly NSW, 27 November 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 March 1941
Unit: No. 33 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 33 Squadron Hurricane aircraft), off the North African Coast, 4 November 1942, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Horace and Laurel Linda Steward, of Manly, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Manly NSW
Remembered: Column 264, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Manly ANZAC War Memorial, Manly NSW
Flying Officer Steward flying a Hurricane aircraft took off at 0645 hours on 4 November 1942, being one of a formation of twelve aircraft detailed to strafe enemy motor transport vehicles on the road east of Galal. While over the target area the formation encountered anti-aircraft fire and one aircraft was hit and seen to crash into the ground. Immediately after the formation was attacked by ME109 enemy aircraft and another Hurricane was seen to dive into the sea. It is not known which of the two Hurricanes was flown by Flying Officer Steward, but he did not return to base from this mission. The pilot of the other plane shot down became a Prisoner of War in Italy. Following post war investigations and enquiries, it was recorded in 1949 that Flying Officer Steward had lost his life at sea.
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, 163/57/235
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line