LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Gilmour Sidney CATFORD
Service No: 416826
Born: Appila SA, 7 July 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 October 1941
Unit: No. 222 Squadron (RAF), Landing Ground B77 Gilze-Rijen, Netherlands
Died: Air Operations (No. 222 Squadron Tempest aircraft EJ873), Germany, 17 March 1945, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Sydney Arthur and Elizabeth Jane Catford, of Appila, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Appila SA
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Tempest EJ873 was flying No 4 in Squadron Leader Lyons’ (Commanding Officer) section on a sweep over enemy territory. The formation encountered a thick layer of cloud which the formation had to climb through. This was accomplished and it was then found that EJ873 was not with the Section. Both Ground Station and Squadron Leader Lyons repeatedly called Warrant Officer Catford over the radio but there was no reply. EJ873 did not return to bass.
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, 166/7/900