LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Leonard Anthony Lasseter BEAUCHAMP
Service No: 401266
Born: Elsternwick VIC, 12 February 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 5 January 1941
Unit: No. 113 Squadron (RAF), Comilla Main, Bangladesh
Died: Air Operations: (No. 113 Squadron Blenheim aircraft Z7892), Burma (Myanmar), 18 June 1942, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Leonard Lasseter Beauchamp and Helen Fraser Beauchamp, of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Brighton VIC
Remembered: Column 421, Singapore Memorial, Singapore
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Blenheim Z7892 took off from Tezpur on 18 June 1942 leading a formation of three aircraft over enemy territory. Z7892 was lost in cloud and not seen again. After the war the wreckage of the aircraft was found near the village of Ninglaw, which is north of Myitkina in north-east Burma. Local villagers who saw the aircraft crash state it exploded on impact and all occupants killed. No one had baled out. A search of the area failed to locate any bodies.
The crew members of Z7892 were:
Flying Officer Leonard Anthony Lasseter Beauchamp (401266) (Observer)
Squadron Leader Clifton Watt Harper (42221) (RAF) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Harold James Kevan (406040) (Wireless Operator/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, 163/23/135