LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Douglas Walter Westlake BULL
Service No: 409023
Born: Hobart TAS, 5 May 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 June 1941 (at Melbourne VIC)
Unit: No. 56 Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 56 Operational Training Unit Hurricane aircraft P2754), Montrose Basin, Scotland, 27 April 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Victor Westlake Bull and Ada Winifred Bull; husband of Joyce Bull, of Prahan, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Toorak VIC
Remembered: Panel 192, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 27 April 1943, Hurricane P2754 was one of two aircraft detailed to carry out a practice attack at 6,000 feet. During the exercise P2754 collided with a third aircraft (Hurricane 6948 or 6913) returning to base on a training flight. P2754 crashed into Montrose Basin, Scotland, and despite continuing efforts over 4 days, the missing pilot could not be found. In 1948 it was recorded that Flight Sergeant Bull had lost his life at sea. The third aircraft was flown by Flight Sergeant Ball and recovered safely to base.
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, 166/6/124
Bibliography:
Ilbery, P.L.T. (Peter Leslie Thomas) (422957) Hatching an Air Force: 2SFTS, 5SFTS, 1BFTS Uranquinty and Wagga Wagga, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 2002