LEST WE FORGET

Pilot Officer John Alan BURSILL

Service No: 411119
Born: Campbelltown NSW, 6 October 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 April 1941
Unit: No. 31 Operational Training Unit (RAF), Debert, Nova Scotia, Canada
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 31 Operational Training Unit Hudson aircraft BW401), Nova Scotia, 10 August 1942, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Truro (Terrace Hill) Cemetery, Nova Scotia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Samuel and Eleanor Jane Bursill, of Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 133, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Light Horse Memorial Wall 1914 – 1918, Campbelltown NSW
Remembered: Commonwealth Bank of Australia Honour Rolls, Sydney NSW

At 0005 hours on 10 August 1942, Hudson BW401 took off from Debert on night cross-country navigation exercised No 8. The weather conditions deteriorated unexpectedly, and as the estimated time of arrival back at base was 0336 hours. At 0359 hours, the aircraft acknowledged a signal diverting it to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. This was the last contact with the aircraft, which crashed when it struck high ground in level flight on Dalhousie Mountain, Scotsburn, Picton County, Nova Scotia, and all the crew members were killed.

The crew members of BW401 were:

Pilot Officer John Alan Bursill (411119) (Pilot)
Sergeant Arnold William Cooke (R/108285) (RCAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer John Kenneth Hobson (J/11647) (RCAF) (Observer)
Pilot Officer Paul Amos Rogers (J/15115) (RCAF) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant Howard James Vincent (R/98849) (RCAF) (Wireless 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, 163/24/287
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line

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