LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Francis John ENGLEFIELD
Service No: 410965
Born: Ouyen VIC, 20 December 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 24 April 1942
Unit: No. 75 Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 75 Operational Training Unit Baltimore aircraft AG899), Egypt, 1 August 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Alexandria (Chatby) Military & War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Harold and Rose Ann Englefield, of Merbein, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Mildura VIC
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 1 August 1944, Baltimore AG899 from RAF Station Gianaclis flown solo by Flying Officer Englefield took off on a non-operational day training exercise, and crashed at 0930 hours approximately half a mile south of the aerodrome. At 0930 hours the aircraft was seen making an approach to land with wheels and flaps down. When about 100 feet over the edge of a vineyard and in a position to land, the aircraft swung to port and the wheels were retracted. The aircraft started to climb and gradually swung to port and it could be seen that that the port engine was wind milling. At 150 feet the aircraft stopped climbing and began to lose height and yaw to port. At about 100 feet the aircraft went into a left hand spin and disappeared behind trees. The port airscrew was not feathered, and the flaps were not raised. The aircraft spun in and Flying Officer Englefield was killed.
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, 166/12/94