LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Frank Elliott WORDEN
Service No: 417551
Born: Port Pirie SA, 4 December 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 23 May 1942
Unit: No. 12 Operational Training Unit (RAF), RAF Chipping Warden, Northamptonshire
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 12 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft BJ587), Irish Sea, 19 August 1943, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Henry and Jane Worden, of Port Pirie, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Port Pirie SA
Remembered: Panel 197, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey
Remembered: Panel 133, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Wellington BJ587 of No 12 Operational Training Unit took off from RAF Chipping Warden on the night of 18/19th August 1943 on a non operational “Bullseye” training exercise. The route was from Chipping Warden – Grantham – Londonderry -56.10N, 20.10W – Rothsay – Belfast – Douglas – Honeybourne – Chipping Warden. The aircraft did not return to base after the exercise. The bodies of Sergeant Russell and Sergeant Hogan were later washed ashore and it was recorded in 1949 that the remaining members of the crew had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of BJ587 were:
Flight Sergeant Austin John Hogan (422559) (Second Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Adrian Mervyn Lovelle-Draper (413624) (Pilot)
Sergeant William Davies McDonald (1346452) (RAFVR)
Flight Sergeant David Russell (415684) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Stanley Walter Wood (1335616) (RAFVR)
Sergeant Frank Elliott Worden (417551) (Bomb Aimer)
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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/44/51