LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant William John GILFILLAN
Service No: 442384
Born: North Adelaide SA, 7 December 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 1 January 1944
Unit: No. 30 Squadron, Tarakan
Died: Air Operations (No. 30 Squadron Beaufighter aircraft A8-156), Labuan, 9 June 1945, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Labuan War Cemetery, Malaysia
CWGC Additional Information: on of John and Irene Gilfillan, of Tarlee, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 102, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
No. 30 Squadron lost a crew on 9th June (Flying Officer McKenzie and Sergeant Gilfillan). Four Beaufighters from the squadron were bombing Beaufort where they destroyed a building and damaged two others, when the aircraft piloted by McKenzie struck trees and crashed; it immediately burst into flames and other pilots reported “nil signs survivors”.
Extract from Odgers, G.J. (George James) (VX127783) Air War Against Japan 1943-1945, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1957 – Page 469
The crewmembers of A8-156 were:
Sergeant William John Gilfillan (442384) (Navigator)
Flying Officer Gordon Stewart McKenzie (434178) (Pilot)
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
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A9845, 56
Bibliography:
Parnell, N.M. (Neville M.) Whispering Death: A history of the RAAF’s Beaufighter Squadrons, AH & AW Reed Terry Hills NSW, 1980
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Beaufort, Beaufighter and Mosquito in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1990