LEST WE FORGET

Leading Aircraftman Geoffrey David ABBOTT

Service No: 423520
Born: Ashbury NSW, 5 September 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 July 1942
Unit: No. 2 Air Observers School
Died: Drowned (baled out from No. 2 Air Observers School Anson aircraft R9886), off Port McDonnell SA, 27 May 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Mount Gambier General Cemetery SA
CWGC Additional Information: Son of David Charles and Lilian Adelaide Cameron Abbott. of Ashbury, New South Wales
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 115, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

On 27 May 1943, Anson R9886 was setting course over Port MacDonnell, South Australia, on the second leg of a navigation exercise when Sergeant Daniels, the Pilot, felt a fainting fit coming on and warned Leading Aircraftman Abbott to prepare the crew for baling out. Leading Aircraftman Abbott evidently misunderstood the instruction and rushed to the rear door and baled out before he could be stopped. A slight northerly wind drifted him out to sea, and search parties operating by life boat and ground party were unable to recover his body until 0930 hours the following morning. His parachute had opened and was detached from his body and he had drowned. Sergeant Daniels recovered immediately after the incident and the aircraft returned to base where he was grounded pending a medical examination.

The crew members of R9886 were:

Leading Aircraftman Geoffrey David Abbott (423520) (Trainee Observer)
Sergeant Eddley Arthur Daniels (415022) (Pilot) Uninjured, Discharged from the RAAF: 4 February 1946
Leading Aircraftman Hudson Parker Grundy (429282) (Trainee Observer) Uninjured, Discharged from the RAAF: 3 January 1946
Leading Aircraftman Stanley Leslie Martin Guilfoyle (418395) (Trainee Wireless Air Gunner) Uninjured, Discharged from the RAAF: 9 May 1946

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, 166/3/57; A9845, 69

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