LEST WE FORGET

Flight Sergeant Herbert Hargraves HARRIS

Service No: 402351
Born: Sydney NSW, 8 March 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 August 1940
Unit: No. 104 Squadron (RAF), Kabrit, Egypt
Died: Air Operations: (No. 104 Squadron Wellington aircraft Z8655), El Alamein area, 2 July 1942, Aged 23 Years
Buried: El Alamein War Cemetery, Egypt
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Herbert and Gertrude Irene Harris; husband of Vera Ivy Harris, of Maroubra, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Maroubra NSW
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: NSW Police Chapel War Memorial, Goulburn NSW

At 0046 hours on 2 July 1942 Wellington Z8655 took off from Kabrit landing ground detailed to attack enemy concentrations in the battle area at night. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. There was a very large explosion and it is thought that Z8655 collided with No. 162 Squadron Wellington aircraft X9986. Both aircraft crashed in the El Alamein area and all the crew members on both aircraft were killed.

The crew members of Z8655 were:

Sergeant Eric William Bond (1162554) (RAFVR) (Second Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Maurice Alfred Brett (1252400) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Flight Sergeant Herbert Hargraves Harris (402351) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant James Sheriff Kennedy (980725) (RAFVR) (First Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Garnet Graham Retallack (J/5336) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant Neville Todd (528532) (RAF) (Air Gunner)

The crew members of X9986 were:

Flight Sergeant Arthur William Doughty (917236) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Sergeant Reuben Leonard Hill (1286274) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Pilot Officer John Henry Moss (406047) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Joseph Wallace Neu (1174337) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Alphonse Peter Ouellette (J/15390) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Thomas George Wood (1378419) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)

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, 163/120/496
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line

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

Book Now Book Now