LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Russell Stuart JACK
Service No: 410340
Born: Wangaratta VIC, 9 March 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 December 1941
Unit: No. 79 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 79 Squadron Thunderbolt aircraft HD252), Myanmar, 21 April 1945, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Stuart Alexander Jack and Grace Millicent Jack, of North Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Wangaratta VIC
Remembered: Column 457, Singapore Memorial, Singapore
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 21 April 1945 Thunderbolt HD252 was detailed to fly No. 4 in a section on ‘Cab rank patrol’ in the Toungoo area, Southern Burma. After the Section was on patrol for some time, they were ordered by the V.C.P. to look out for suspected Japanese motor transports in the south portion of Toungoo town. While making a pass the section leader was hit in the fuselage by .5 machine gun fire and reported seeing some possible 20mm. On pulling away he noticed that Pilot Officer Jack was no longer following, so orbited the area again and saw that Jack had crashed in the vicinity of the target. The aircraft had completely broken up and many pieces were burning. Nothing was seen of the pilot and he was flying too low to be able to use his parachute. It was believed that he could not have survived the crash. In 1953 after searches and investigation proved unsuccessful, it was recorded that the grave of Pilot Officer Jack could not be located.
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, 166/20/265