LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer John Clarence FRANKCOMB
Service No: 401115
Born: Ranelagh TAS, 31 October 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 January 1941 (at Melbourne VIC)
Unit: No. 218 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Downham Market
Died: Air Operations: (No. 218 Squadron Stirling aircraft N3725), Norfolk, 15 September 1942, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Marham Cemetery, Norfolk
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas Amesbury Frankcomb and Maida M. Frankcomb; husband of Mary Frankcomb, of Palm Beach, New South Wales Australia
Roll of Honour: Ranelagh TAS
Remembered: Panel 122, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1955 hours on the night of 14 September 1942 Stirling N3725 took off from Downham Market detailed to bomb Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. While over the target the starboard inner engine failed. The crew succeeded in returning to base on three engines, but while preparing to land the starboard outer engine lost power and the aircraft spun in at 0055 hours on 14th September 1943, one mile east of Stoke Ferry and 9 miles south west of Swaffam, Norfolk. Six of the crew members were killed in the crash and two injured.
The crew members of N3725 were:
Sergeant E N Bell (1294539) (RAFVR) Injured
Flying Officer John Clarence Frankcomb (401115) (Pilot)
Sergeant Sidney Horace Ives (412529) (RNZAF) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant J J Marshall (41625) (RNZAF) Injured
Flight Sergeant Donald Ivor Pearce (1189938) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant Ernest Trevor Pellow (411776) (RNZAF) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Valentine Picken (574255) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Sergeant Ernest Watson (1073521) (RAFVR) (Observer)
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, 163/32/132