LEST WE FORGET

Warrant Officer Edwin Erle BURTON

Service No: 405345
Born: Brisbane QLD, Date unavailable
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 March 1941
Unit: No. 14 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations:  (No. 14 Squadron Marauder aircraft FK112), off the Italian Coast, 3 June 1943, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Algernon Erle Burton and Marion Lucy Burton, of Hurstville, 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

On 3 June 1943 Marauder FK112 took off from Bone aerodrome detailed to carry out a ship reconnaissance in the Mediterranean and the coast of Sardinia. A signal was received from the aircraft at 1350 hours when FK112 was off the east coast of Sardinia. It was believed that FK112 had sighted an enemy convoy of one merchant ship and two destroyers escorted by three enemy fighters. The crew of another Marauder on the same mission believe that FK112 was intercepted by the enemy fighters while approaching the enemy convoy to take photos. No further messages were received from FK112 and the aircraft did not return to base. Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was recorded in 1948 that the missing crew members had lost their lives at sea.

The crew members of FK112 were:

Flight Sergeant Leonard John Austin (929361) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Warrant Officer Edwin Erle Burton (405345) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant John Liddle (943546) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant William Lister Lumsden (1347766) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Flight Sergeant James Holden Nuttall (1129545) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Henry Eric Rawlins (776183) (RAFVR) (Pilot)

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, 166/6/165

Bibliography:

Napier, Michael Winged Crusaders: the exploits of 14 Squadron RFC & RAF 1915-1945, Pen & Sword Books, Barnsley UK, 2012

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