LEST WE FORGET

Sergeant Henry Lincoln GIBSON

Service No: 400467
Born: Loxton SA, 27 May 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 September 1940 (at Melbourne VIC)
Unit: No. 2 Air Observers School (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 2 Air Observers School Anson aircraft 536), Cumberland, 10 January 1942, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Haverigg (St Luke) Churchyard, Millom, Cumberland
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas Fleming Gibson and Blanche Alice Gibson, of Largs Bay, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Port Lincoln SA
Remembered: Panel 122, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

On the 10th January 1943, Anson 536 crashed at 0420 hours, when it hit an obstruction on take off and crashed into the sea off the Cumberland coast. All the crew members were killed. The accident report stated “The cause of the accident was primarily lack of control during take off allowing the aircraft to swing. Secondly the undercarriage wheel striking the flare cover which in turn tilted or threw it into the air where it presumably struck the tail plane of the aircraft “

The crew members of 536 were:

Pilot Officer William John Henderson (106867) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant Henry Lincoln Gibson (400467) (Observer)
Flight Sergeant Joseph Lyon Roberts (551591) (RAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer Frank George Ernest Tizard (564418) (RAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant Maurice Henry Wadham (407740) (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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia on-Line Record A705, 163/117/119

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