LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Colin John BEATTY
Service No: 407888
Born: Orroroo SA, 6 September 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 February 1941
Unit: No. 1 Overseas Aircraft Delivery Unit (RAF)
Died: Air Operations (No. 1 Aircraft Delivery Unit Wellington aircraft HF849), Mediterranean, 22 April 1942, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Malachi Colman Beatty and Viola Louise Margaretha Beatty, of Whyalla, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Whyalla SA
Remembered: Panel 112, Runnymede Memorial Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Wellington HF849 was in transit from the UK to the Middle East. It left RAF Station Luqa, Malta on the 22 April 1942, but failed to arrive at its destination. 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 HF849 were:
Sergeant Colin John Beatty (407888) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant Edward Patrick Bradley (1375680) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Pilot Officer Alexander Stevenson Dryden (110135) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Robert Easton (980853) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Leslie Percy Douglas Fordham (1383271) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Andrew Porteous Westle (656085) (RAF) (Pilot)
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, 163/91/246