LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant James George EDWARDS
Service No: 403043
Born: Woollahra NSW, 29 September 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 December 1940
Unit: No. 457 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 457 Squadron Spitfire aircraft KL774), Calais area, France, 28 March 1942, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Dr. James George Edwards and Margaret Stewart Edwards, of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Condobolin NSW
Remembered: Panel 112, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 28 March 1942, Spitfire KL774 flown by Sergeant Edwards was one of 12 aircraft detailed to carry out a Rodeo sortie over enemy occupied territory in France. The aircraft took off at 1655 hours and remained in formation until engaged by enemy aircraft in the Calais area at about 17,000 feet. KL774 was shot down and Sergeant Edwards was killed.
No. 457 Squadron lost four aircraft in this engagement:
Flight Sergeant David I’Anson Bloomfield (402721) Spitfire AB187
Sergeant James George Edwards (403043) Spitfire KL774
Sergeant Stuart Walter Reilly (402396) Spitfire aircraft – Baled out, Rescued by High Speed Launch, Discharged from the RAAF: 17 August 1945
Sergeant William Henry Wright (402270) Spitfire AA928 – Returned with damaged aircraft, Discharged from the RAAF: 25 March 1946
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