LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Matthew Henry Ivor De COSIER
Service No: 405575
Born: Melbourne VIC, 3 October 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 April 1941 (at Brisbane QLD)
Unit: No. 453 Squadron, RAF Station Southend, Essex
Died: Air Operations: (No. 453 Squadron Spitfire aircraft BL899), off the Dutch Coast, 10 December 1942, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Matthew Norman and Carmen Christian de Cosier, of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 111, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 105, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 10 December 1942, Spitfire BL988 flown by Flying Officer De Cosier and Spitfire EN824 flown by Flight Lieutenant John William Yarra DFM (402823) were in one of three sections detailed to carry out a shipping reconnaissance in the Blankenberg-Flushing area, Netherlands. At about 1045 hours four enemy merchant ships protected by a flak ship were sighted 10 miles north west of Flushing. The ships were attacked with good results. EN824 was hit by anti-aircraft and Flight Lieutenant Yarra climbed the aircraft to 1000 feet and baled out but hit and became caught in the tail plane. He was then seen to fall into the sea with the chute streaming above him unopened. BL988 was also hit by anti-aircraft fire and Pilot Officer De Cosier attempted to gain height at a very low speed, stalled and the aircraft dived into the sea. Neither body was recovered.
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 A9300, DE COSIER M H I