LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer William Emerson GILMORE
Service No: 8685
Born: Allora QLD, 10 October 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 5 February 1940
Unit: No. 78 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 78 Squadron Kittyhawk aircraft A29-487), Kai Island area, 14 October 1944, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William and Alice Ruth Gilmore, of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 9, Ambon Memorial, Indonesia
Remembered: Panel 104, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 14 October 1944, Kittyhawk A29-487 flown by Warrant Officer Gilmore was one of a formation of four aircraft covering a USAAF Catalina aircraft searching for a No. 80 Squadron pilot (Flying Officer Peter Parkinson (429992)) reported missing in the Kai Island area. Flight Lieutenant John Carmichael Griffith (408576) (Killed: 2 December 1944) reported that he led four aircraft with Warrant Officer Gilmore flying No. 4. The formation found the Catalina over the area at about 0900 hours and had covered it for 20 miles when he noticed A29-487 was missing. He heard Gilmore calling on radio but could not understand him and asked Gilmore to repeat several times but still could not read him. Flight Lieutenant Griffith also said that the Catalina replied to Gilmore “we cannot read you again.” After that contact was lost. The formation searched for the missing aircraft and another Catalina also searched but no trace was then found of A29-487 or Warrant Officer Gilmore. During the time spent over the Kai Island the formation had encountered anti-aircraft fire and it was considered probable that A29-487 had been holed.
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, 163/117/126; A9845, 159
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