LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Neville Thomas George BEACHAM
Service No: 405041
Born: Mountain Ash, Wales, 16 April 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 January 1941
Unit: No. 14 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 14 Squadron Marauder aircraft FK154), Algiers Harbour, 10 March 1943, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Albert and Gwenllian Beacham, of Bardon, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 271, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At approximately 1000 hours on 10 March 1943 Marauder FK154 took off on a ferry flight from Telergma to Blida. At approximately 1130 hours the aircraft was seen to come out of the cloud at 800 feet and it crashed out of control in Algiers Harbour. The cause of the accident is unknown.
Nine personnel were on board – five were missing lost at sea and four were recovered.
The crew members of FK154 were:
Flight Lieutenant Neville Thomas George Beacham (405041) (Air Observer) Missing
Sergeant Victor Brown (964042) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) Missing
Leading Aircraftman Donald Victor Bullen (649813) (RAF) (Fitter 11E) Buried at Sea
Flight Sergeant Reginald Arthur Clapson (931143) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot) Interred
Squadron Leader Peter Goode (62010) (RAFVR) (Pilot) Missing
Sergeant Leslie William Hunt (1387067) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner) Interred
Flight Lieutenant Henry Morgan Siewart (101607) (Intelligence Officer) Buried at Sea
Flight Sergeant Walter Tatlow MID (356802) (RAF) Missing
Flight Sergeant Clarence Victor Walkinshaw (910071) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) Missing
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, 166/5/73
Bibliography:
Napier, Michael Winged Crusaders: the exploits of 14 Squadron RFC & RAF 1915-1945, Pen & Sword Books, Barnsley UK, 2012