LEST WE FORGET

Sergeant John Allen BARRETT-LENNARD

Service No: 406709
Born: York WA, 6 November 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 31 March 1921
Unit: 1658 Conversion Unit RAF
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 1658 Conversion Unit Halifax aircraft R9531), Lincolnshire, 5 December 1942, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Brigg Cemetery, Lincolnshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Victor Dacre Barrett-Lennard and Blanche Isabell Barrett-Lennard, of York, Western Australia
Roll of Honour: York WA
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA

On 5 December 1942, Halifax R9531 was detailed to carry out a day cross-country exercise. The aircraft crashed at 1300 hours near Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, and all the crew were killed. A radio message was received from the aircraft at 1215 hours “Exercise abandoned, returning to base, reason icing.”  Ten minutes later a further message “Require assistance, returning to base.” The aircraft was observed approaching Scunthorpe from the south west.  It then went into a steep turn to starboard, losing height, and apparently stalled.  The pilot probably put on too much top rudder when he realized he was losing height.  A Flying Accident report concluded: “The aircraft stalled in a turn when low down and crashed before it could recover.”  Six of the crew were killed and Sergeant Pretty was injured.

The crew members of R9531 were:

Sergeant Carlos Frederick Bonorino (656732) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant John Allen Barrett-Lennard (406709) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Douglas Charles Cameron (R/103468) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant Herbert Gregory Jenkins (1132754) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant John Crichton Macaulay (1001911) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Robert John Marshall (1311937) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant R F Pretty (RAF) (Mid Upper Gunner) Injured

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, 163/90/468

Bibliography:

Gaston, Bruce DFC (406646), Harry Horner DFC OAM (406595), Raymond Storer (406666) (Editors), Aircrew for the Duration: of and by members of RAAF EATS Courses 10, 11, 12 & 13, Gaston Horner and Storer, Nedlands WA, 1990

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