LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Maurice Edward TRIMNELL
Service No: 436623
Born: Melbourne VIC, 9 May 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 27 February 1943 (at Perth WA)
Unit: No. 18 Squadron, Batchelor NT
Died: Air Operations (No. 18 Squadron Mitchell aircraft N5-169), Tanimbar Islands, 24 August 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Ambon War Cemetery, Indonesia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Albert Edward Lawrence Trimnell and Bridget Lillian Trimnell, of Carnegie, Victoria, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Caulfield VIC
Remembered: Panel 101, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
N5-160 was one of two No. 18 Squadron Mitchells engaged in an offensive shipping search in the eastern Tanimbar Islands. The aircraft parted to fly to the north and south or Larat Island respectively and then rendezvous on the east side. N5-169 failed to make the rendezvous. Four squadron standby aircraft searched for the missing aircraft on the afternoon on 24 August, two on the morning on the 25 August and one flew to a pre-arranged rendezvous position that afternoon. On all these flights, no sighting of the aircraft or its crew was made.
The crew members of N5-169 were:
Captain Andre De La Porte (NEIAF) (Pilot)
Lieutenant Drasijer (NEIAF) (Second Pilot)
Lieutenant Lee Kok Hien (NEIAF) (Top Gunner)
Lieutenant Meijer (NEIAF) (Navigator)
Sergeant Samallo (NEIAF) (Wireless Operator)
Flight Sergeant Maurice Edward Trimnell (436623) (Air Gunner)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A9845, 24; A705, 166/40/243