LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Patrick DUNN
Service No: 412928
Born: Lewisham NSW, 23 December 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 15 August 1941
Unit: No. 301 Ferry Training Unit, RAF Station Lyneham, Wiltshire
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 54 Operational Training Unit Beaufighter aircraft V8897), St Ives Cornwall, 28 June 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Illogan (St Illogan) Churchyard, Cornwall
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Harry Fredrick and Ilma Dunn, of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Department of Motor Transport- Honour Roll, North Sydney NSW
At 1526 hours on 28 June 1943, Beaufighter V8897 took off from RAF Lyneham in transit to RAF Station Portreath. At 1630 hours the aircraft crashed at Geralavellan killing Flying Officer Dunn and dangerously injuring Pilot Officer Wiltshire. The Navigator had pinpointed Portreath and the Pilot commenced a left hand circuit preparatory to landing. The navigator noticed nothing unusual until the aircraft had lost considerable height and had changed direction out to sea. He then observed that the port propeller had stopped, and this was found later to be due to a bearing WO5 articulating connecting rod at the wrist pin and most probable that a local fire had started immediately. The aircraft was next observed by Lieutenant Goddard Gill at 50 feet above sea level flying straight towards him, when at about 400 yards away the aircraft started to climb and cleared a cliff edge by a few feet. The aircraft then continued to climb to about 200 feet and then lost height and crashed in a field. The Pilot must have attempted to lower the undercarriage which was partly retracted.
The crew members of V8897 were:
Flying Officer Patrick Dunn (412928) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer K F Wiltshire (130301) (RAFVR) (Navigator) Dangerously injured
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, 166/10/86
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line