LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Francis William DOUGLAS DFC
Service No: 425692
Born: Cloncurry QLD, 1 January 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 April 1942
Unit: No. 46 Squadron (RAF)
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 16 February 1945
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 46 Squadron Stirling aircraft PJ911), France, 24 March 1945, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Mazargues War Cemetery, Marseilles, Bouches-du-Rhone, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Thomas Douglas and Gladys Douglas, of Banyo, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
The DFC Citation was that of a General Citation promulgated on London Gazette of 16 February 1945, page 988.
On 24 March 1945, Stirling PJ911 took off from its North African Base at Castle Benito, on a non-operational day training flight, to Stoney Cross, via Toulouse, but the aircraft failed to reach Toulouse. There was a stretch of bad weather across the route and it was believed that the aircraft may have struck high ground. Nothing was heard from the aircraft, but a position report of 41.49N 003.41E given to Malta last placed the aircraft off the south coast of France.
The crew members of PJ911 were:
Flight Sergeant John Martin Coad (1391751) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner) crew member being screened
Flight Lieutenant C Cooper DFM (47657) (RAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Gordon Couldrey (J/24221) (RCAF) (Navigator) crew member being screened
Flying Officer Ian Rees Cowan DFC (425608) (Screening Pilot)
Flying Officer Francis William Douglas DFC (435692) (Second Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Frank Reginald Jones (1455046) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Pilot Officer Archibald Kenzie McMillan (J/92761) (RCAF) (Pilot) crew member being screened
Sergeant Alan Reginald Phipps (1895140) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Alexander McKenzie Ross (1822947) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) crew member being screened
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, 166/10/445