LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant George William FINCH
Service No: 417171
Born: Brompton SA, 22 January 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 31 January 1942
Unit: No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School, Evans Head NSW
Died: Aircraft Accident, (No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School Battle aircraft L5650), 7 June 1943, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Evans Head War Cemetery, NSW
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles Thomas Finch and Violet Elizabeth Finch, of Brompton, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Adelaide SA
Remembered: Panel 115, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
During an air-to-air gunnery exercise 30 kms south of Evans Head airfield on 7 June 1943, gunnery aircraft Fairey Battle L4941 approached towing aircraft Battle L 5650 to give a wash-out signal resulting from a gun stoppage. At 0800 hours the two aircraft collided with L4941 making a forced landing and L5650 crashing and killing its two crew members.
The crew members of L5650 were:
Sergeant George William Finch (417171) (Pilot)
Leading Aircraftman Cosmo Louis Mooney (44711) (Drogue Operator)
The crew members of L4941 were:
Flight Sergeant Neville Graham Monroe (404979) (Pilot) Discharged from the RAAF: 27 February 1945.
Leading Aircraftman Collin Henry Wheatley (425913) (Student) Discharged from the RAAF: 25 January 1946
Leading Aircraftman Noel White (434066) (Student) Discharged from the RAAF: 14 March 1946
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A9845, 178