LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer John Leahy TULLY
Service No: 404189
Born: Brisbane QLD, 4 August 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 June 1940
Unit: No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit Spitfire aircraft AA800), North Sea, 30 July 1942, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Francis Joachim and Ann Mary Tully, of Quilpie, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Quilpie QLD
Remembered: Panel 111, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1347 hours on 30 July 1942 Spitfire AA800 took off from RAF Station Wick to carry out an operational photographic reconnaissance over the Bergen area, Norway. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it did not return to base. The aircraft was plotted on the outward journey until 1437 hours when AA800 was at 24,000 feet, 170 miles and on a bearing 070 degrees from Wick. At this time AA800 passed out of range. Five hours later at 1937 hours, an unidentified aircraft was plotted flying at 1,000 feet 11 miles east of Whalsay Island (Shetlands), and at 1949 hours this same aircraft was identified as hostile and 20 miles east of Lerwick. Spitfires were scrambled to intercept but could find no trace of the enemy aircraft. At the same time as AA800’s limit of endurance was 1950 hours, an Air Sea Rescue search for AA800 was carried out in the same area but no trace of wreckage or dinghy was found. In 1949, it was recorded that Flying Officer Tully 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, 163/59/64