LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant George Stuart FAIRBAIRN
Service No: 420651
Born: Moree NSW, 4 September 1913
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 November 1941
Unit: No. 101 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Market Rasen
Died: Air Operations: (No. 101 Squadron Lancaster aircraft JB149), Germany, 4 September 1943, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Oscar and Beatrice Florence Fairbairn, of Moree, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Moree NSW
Remembered: Panel 192, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 122, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Jerilderie World War Two Roll of Honour, Jerilderie NSW
Remembered: Honour Roll of Old Newingtonians, Stanmore NSW
Remembered: Jerilderie Cenotaph, Jerilderie NSW
Lancaster JB149 took-off from Market Rasen at 1947 hours on 3 September 1943 to attack Berlin. The ETA back at base was 0430 hours on 4 September. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. The aircraft was lost over the target with five crew members killed and two taken Prisoner of War. Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was recorded in 1950 that the missing crew members had no known grave.
The crew members of JB149 were:
Flight Sergeant George Stuart Fairbairn (420651) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Francis James Hammond (1259544) (RAFVR) (Pilot) PoW
Sergeant Frederick David Paddon (1800480) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Archibald James Pepperrell (23113) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Kenneth William Sedman (1002165) (RAF) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Reginald James Singer (421134) (Bomb Aimer) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 12 December 1945
Sergeant William Arthur Southwell (1813414) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
In a statement by Flight Sergeant Hammond, he reported “owing to the circumstances of the destruction of the aircraft, I was unable to see or contact my Navigator. I believe he was killed, although I did not see him or hear him at all, before I finally was able to leave the very damaged aircraft.”
Flight Sergeant Singer reported “the aircraft crashed in the Berlin area. I baled out and was the first to leave the aircraft. The only knowledge of the other crew members is of the Pilot who was repatriated. I have never seen or heard of the other members.”
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, 166/13/114
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line