LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Eric Alfred BIRRELL
Service No: 416923
Born: Mount Gambier SA, 6 March 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 8 November 1941
Unit: No. 9 Squadron (RAF), RAF Bardney, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 9 Squadron Lancaster aircraft HK540), Germany, 15 March 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Durnbach War Cemetery, Bad Tolz, Bayern, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James and Emilie Minna Birrell, of Mount Gambier, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Mount Gambier SA
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Lancaster HK540 took off from RAF Bardney at 1918 hours on the night of 15 March 1944 to bomb Stuttgart, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base.
The crew members of HK540 were:
Flight Sergeant Eric Alfred Birrell (416923) (Rear Gunner)
Squadron Leader R Blackwell-Smith (37871) (RAF) (Pilot) PoW
Pilot Officer Douglas Raymond Eley (J/86764) (RCAF) (Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant Brian Glover (1588485) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer Herbert Keith Sheasby (134586) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Norman V Sirman (1612116) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) PoW
Sergeant Ronald West (1575466) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air)
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, 166/5/158