LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Thomas Jeffrey FORSYTH
Service No: 401430
Born: Hamilton VIC, 11 April 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 February 1941
Unit: No. 450 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 450 Squadron Kittyhawk aircraft AK805), Libya, 27 July 1942, Aged 22 years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas Brown Forsyth and Patience Forsyth, of Cavendish, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Hamilton VIC
Remembered: Column 264, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 105, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Brother of Flying Officer John Malcolm Forsyth (401935)
On 27 July 1942, Kittyhawk AK805 flown by Flying Officer Forsyth was part of a formation of 10 aircraft detailed to provide top cover for No. 3 Squadron RAAF who were detailed to bomb an area approximately one mile west of the El Dhib road. While bombing enemy motor transport, the formation was attacked by 2 MEI09s, and one Kittyhawk presumed to be AK805 was seen to spin in and burst into flames when it crashed. Fairly intense Breda anti-aircraft fire was also encountered. AK805 failed to return form the operation and Flying Officer Forsyth was missing.
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, 163/32/124
Bibliography:
Ilbery, P.L.T. (Peter Leslie Thomas) (422957) Hatching an Air Force: 2SFTS, 5SFTS, 1BFTS Uranquinty and Wagga Wagga, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 2002