LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Eric David KENNEDY
Service No: 420012
Born: Gloucester NSW, 21 July 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 10 October 1941
Unit: No. 615 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 615 Squadron Spitfire aircraft JG865), Burma, 15 June 1944, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James and Sarah Kennedy; husband of Mabel Colleen Kennedy, of Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Kempsey NSW
Remembered: Column 443, Singapore Memorial, Singapore
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Kempsey War Memorial, Kempsey NSW
On 15 June 1944 Spitfire JG865 was one of ten aircraft detailed to escort Dakota aircraft to the Indawgyi Lake area, Central Burma. On returning from the target area, JG865 became separated from the formation in thick cloud and all communication with the aircraft was lost. Other sections of the formation succeeded in making for a gap in the clouds, and came out north of the Imphal Valley. JG865 did not return to base. No trace of the missing aircraft or pilot was found from subsequent searches and Warrant Officer Kennedy has no known grave.
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, 166/22/271
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line