LEST WE FORGET

Sergeant Sydney Kenneth ANNESLEY

Service No: 406282
Born: Collie WA, 27 December 1912
Enlisted in the RAAF: 7 October 1940
Unit: No. 223 Squadron (RAF), Maaten Bagush, Egypt
Died: Air Operations: (No. 223 Squadron Baltimore aircraft AG729), off the North African Coast, 26 April 1942, Aged 29 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Sydney Alexander Annesley and Daisy Gwendoline Annesley; husband of Gwendoline Annesley, of Subiaco, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Perth WA
Remembered: Column 266, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA

On 26 April 1942, Baltimore AG729 of 223 Squadron was detailed as one of a formation of 12 squadron aircraft on a cross country flight.  AG 729 was seen to fall away from the formation and descend to sea level heading for the coast.  It was last seen flying a parallel course to the formation.  One aircraft from the formation carried out a search, and a more extensive Air-Sea Rescue search was carried out, but no trace of the missing aircraft or crew members were found.  It was presumed that the aircraft came down in the sea.  Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was recorded in 1948 that the missing crew had lost their lives at sea.

The crew members of AG729 were:

Sergeant Sydney Kenneth Annesley (406282) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Sydney Eustace Hunt (591226) (RAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant Albert Machen Hunter (1365111) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Sergeant John Alan Nelson (778880) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)

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, 163/87/190

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