LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Leslie Chester Master GARLING
Service No: 402333
Born: Sydney NSW, 7 September 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 August 1940
Unit: No. 25 Squadron, RAAF Station Pearce WA
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 25 Squadron Vultee Vengeance aircraft A27-246), RAAF Station Pearce, 19 September 1943
Buried: Karrakatta War Cemetery WA
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Henry Chester-Master Garling and Violette Beatrice Garling, of Double Bay, New South Wales.
Roll of Honour: Double Bay NSW
Remembered: Panel 102, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Vengeance aircraft A27-246 with Flying Officer Leslie Chester Master Garling (402233) as Pilot and Sergeant Frederick Cecil Smith (38259) as Observer crashed at a point approximately one mile east of PEARCE at 0830 hours. Both occupants of the aircraft were killed. Damage to aircraft – Totally destroyed, to be converted to salvage. This squadron’s form E/E. 24 Serial No. 18/43 refers. Meteorological equipment which was being used on this flight was destroyed, and as no other was available, Meteorological Flights were discontinued temporarily.
No. 25 Operations Record Book A50 Entry dated 19 September 1943
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
Metropolitan Cemeteries Board (Perth) On-Line Records
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A9845, 222
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