LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Donald Norman DAWSON
Service No: 405837
Born: Brisbane QLD, 3 May 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 June 1941
Unit: No. 40 Squadron (RAF), Gardabia South, Libya
Died: Air Operations: Conquest of Tunisia (No. 40 Squadron Wellington aircraft HZ248), Tunisia, 19 April 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Enfidaville War Cemetery, Tunisia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Richard Frederick and Minnie Fredericka Dawson, of Kangaroo Point, Queensland, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On the night of 19/20th April 1943 Wellington HZ248 was detailed to attack the landing ground at Soliman South. The target was at 36.39N 10.30E in Tunis in the vicinity of Zaghouan. HZ 248 took off at 1750 hours but nothing was heard from the aircraft and it failed to return to base. Other aircraft returning from the same mission reported seeing two aircraft shot down over the target and crash in flames at 2055 and 2105 hours. All crew members were killed.
The crew members of HZ 248 were:
Sergeant Alan Gordon Allwright (1324019) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Donald Norman Dawson (405837) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Ronald Bruce McIlroy (413319) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Walter Samuel Sinclair (415199) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Anthony St Clair Turner (411193) (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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/100/336