LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer James Frank DOERY
Service No: 410315
Born: Hawthorn VIC, 22 August 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 December 1941
Unit: No. 239 Wing (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 239 Wing Kittyhawk aircraft PH258), Italy, 15 February 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Bari War Cemetery, Italy
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Frank Edward and Muriel Doery, of Westmere, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Westmere VIC
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
During a non-operational day flying practice on 15 February 1944, Kittyhawk PH258 crashed at 1200 hours near Giusla airfield, Southern Italy and Flying Officer Doery was killed. PH258 was leading a formation of three aircraft in practice formation. The Section had just taken off and was formed up and making height through 6/10 cloud. Thick cloud was entered about 1,500/2,000 feet and No 3 broke away. No. 2 carried on, but was forced to pull away and dive through a small hole, when he realized that the Section Leader was not flying normally. The cloud base here was 200 feet, and No. 2 circled and saw fire which he recognized was an aircraft burning. A report into the accident it stated that “the Pilot lost control at too low an altitude to enable a successful pull out to be effected.”
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, 166/10/96