LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer John Ashton GERRARD
Service No: 11853
Born: Melbourne VIC, 8 July 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 August 1940
Unit: No. 7 Service Flying Training School, Deniliquin NSW
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 7 Service Flying Training School Wirraway aircraft A20-576), near Deniliquin, 22 June 1944, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Deniliquin War Cemetery, NSW
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Archibald Primrose Gerrard and Nellie Gerrard, of Brighton, Victoria
Roll of Honour: Brighton VIC
Remembered: Panel 115, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1550 hours on 22 June 1944, Wirraway A20-576 crashed at Mundiwah station four miles east of Deniliquin, and the crew members were killed. The aircraft was on a test flight preparatory to night flying.
The crew members of A20-576 were:
Pilot Officer John Ashton Gerrard (11853) (Pilot)
Leading Aircraftman Kevin George Williams (134833) (Flight Mechanic)
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, 166/15/270; A9845, 197