LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Allan Harold John HARRIS
Service No: 412513
Born: Haberfield NSW, 9 July 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 July 1941
Unit: No. 453 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 453 Squadron Spitfire aircraft PL315), near St Julien France, 27 July 1944, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, Calvados, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Allan Walter Edwin and Ellen Marjorie Harris, of Yenda, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Yenda NSW
Remembered: Panel 105, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Griffith Cenotaph, Griffith NSW
On 27 July 1944, Spitfire PL315 flown by Warrant Officer Harris was Red 3 in a formation of four aircraft detailed to carry out a day patrol between Port En Bassin and Cabourg, France. The Section were told that enemy aircraft were in the Caen area, and the formation flew towards Caen, where some Fw190s were seen diving away towards St Julien. Red Section gave chase at a very low altitude, and when in the St Julian area was fired on by enemy anti-aircraft fire. PL315 received a direct hit and was seen to crash in flames at St Julien some 20 miles south east of Caen, France. Also lost during this action were Flight Sergeant Ralph Allan Dutneall (418083) and Warrant Officer Joseph Armstrong Boulton DFC (420544) (Discharged: 17 April 1946) who was safe behind allied lines.
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, 166/13/612
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
Winter, V.A. (Vincent Adams) (408547) Noble Six Hundred: the story of the Empire Air Training Scheme with special reference to Australians who trained in Southern Rhodesia, V.A. Winter Brighton VIC 3186, 1982