LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant David Arthur GILES
Service No: 407270
Born: Adelaide SA, 20 October 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 17 august 1940
Unit: No. 203 Squadron (RAF), operating from Landing Ground 39, Egypt
Died: Air Operations (No. 203 Squadron Blenheim aircraft Z6421), off the Libyan Coast, 26 March 1942, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Lt.-Col. Felix Gordon Giles, D.S.O., V.D., and Elsie Kilpack Giles, of Walkerville, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Adelaide SA
Remembered: Column 266, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 122, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
On 26 March 1942 Blenheim Z6421 of No. 203 Squadron took off to carry out an operational flight in Libya. The aircraft was lost at sea off the Libyan coast at about 1210 hours. Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was recorded in 1948 that the missing crew had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of Z6421 were:
Flight Sergeant Christopher Dawson (622194) (RAF) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant David Arthur Giles (407270) (Observer)
Flight Lieutenant Vernon Vincent Green (41788) (RAF) (Pilot)
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, 163/117/140