LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Michael Anthony HARLAND
Service No: 403336
Born: Aldershot, England, 1 October 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 January 1941 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 104 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 104 Squadron Wellington aircraft HK688), Tunisia, 16 April 1943, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Enfidaville War Cemetery, Tunisia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles James Harland and Lillian Louise Harland, of Aldershot, Hampshire, England
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 122, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1738 hours on 16 April 1943 Wellington HK688 took off to bomb Ste Marie du Zit Landing Ground, Tunisia. Nothing was heard from the aircraft and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was lost and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of HK688 were:
Flying Officer Michael Anthony Harland (403336) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant Lewis Lewis (1203653) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Dennis Brent Painting (114393) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Warrant Officer II Albert Roy Twiss (R/95449) (RCAF) (Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer II William John Watters (R/86348) (RCAF) (Navigator)
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, 166/17/107