LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer George Robert DIBBS
Service No: 403562
Born: Barraba NSW, 10 January 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 February 1941
Unit: No. 33 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 33 Squadron Hurricane aircraft BN908), Egypt, 2 September 1942, Aged 23 years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Leonard Dalrymple Burton Dibbs and Linda Dorette A. Dibbs, of Barraba, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Barraba NSW
Remembered: Column 263, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Barraba and District War Memorial, Barraba NSW
On 2 September 1942 the aircraft of No. 33 Squadron were scrambled to intercept Stuka bombers over the forward area. Hurricane BN 908 flown by Flying Officer Dibbs took off at 0925 hours.
After vectors had been given and the formation was over a position about 10 miles south east of El Alamein, it was intercepted by 5 Me109s, which came out of the sun. During the ensuing fight, an aircraft was seen to hit the ground and burst into flames. After the formation returned to base, it was discovered that Flying Officer Dibbs was missing. No one saw him actually being attacked, nor was a parachute seen to open and Flying Officer Dibbs was recorded as missing with no known grave.
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, 163/28/115
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line