LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Basil George Sheridan BRADLEY
Service No: 411736
Born: Mosman NSW, 18 January 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 25 May 1941
Unit: No. 608 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations (No. 608 Squadron Hudson aircraft AM710), off the Sicilian Coast, 14 September 1943, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Sheridan Bradley and Agnes Bradley; husband of Densal Isobel Bradley, of Petersham, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 11, Column 1, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Ku-ring-gai World War II Book of Remembrance, Gordon NSW
At 0252 hours on 14 September 1943 Hudson AM710 took off from its base in Sicily to conduct a U-Boat hunt. After takeoff the aircraft made two circuits of the aerodrome. On the second circuit the ACP stated that he saw a ‘vapour trail’ from the starboard engine. Thinking the aircraft would land immediately the ACP gave it a green. The aircraft then left the circuit area on a course of 290 degrees at an approximate height of 1000-1500 feet and was not seen again. At approximately 0310 hours a pilot of No. 235 Squadron (RAF) stated that he saw flames on the surface of the water in position 38.02N 012.22E, about four miles from the coast of Sicily. No trace of wreckage or the crew members was found.
The crew members of AM710 were:
Flying Officer Basil George Sheridan Bradley (411736) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Kenneth Claude Cherer (J/11622) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Eric Noel Pettitt (412679) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Leslie Thomas William Sheldon (412721) (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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/6/281
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line