LEST WE FORGET

Sergeant Douglas Elgin Withers BAIN

Service No: 21899
Born: Glasgow, Scotland, 3 September 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 13 February 1941 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 4 Squadron
Died: Air Operations (No. 4 Squadron Wirraway aircraft A20-485), Owen Stanley Ranges PNG, 11 December 1942, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: (Served as BAIN). Son of William Paul and Annie Johnstone Withers, of Marrickville, New South Wales.
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 9, Port Moresby Memorial PNG
Remembered: Panel 98, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

On 11 December 1942, Wirraway A20-485 took off from Berry aerodrome in a formation of six aircraft to bomb in the Buna area. The formation split up in cloud near the “Gap” in the Owen Stanley Ranges and A20-485 was not seen again.

The crew members of A20-485 were:

Sergeant Douglas Elgin Withers Bain (321898) (Observer)
Flying Officer Albert Thomas Smith (411613) (Pilot)

References:

Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/90/475

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