LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer James Frederick Stamford KENT
Service No: 402124
Born: Sydney NSW, 17 July 1913
Enlisted in the RAAF: 27 May 1940
Unit: No. 250 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 250 Squadron Tomahawk aircraft AK376), of the North African Coast, 30 June 1941, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Harold Frederick and Winifred Irene Kent, of Haymarket, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Column 245, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
While on protective patrol over His Majesty’s ships during the afternoon of 30 June 1941, Tomahawks of No. 250 Squadron met about 40 enemy aircraft (a mix of dive bombers and German and Italian fighters) about to attack the convoy. One Tomahawk was seen diving vertically towards the sea with one elevator and the tail unit almost completely severed. No parachute was seen. As Tomahawk AK376 was the only aircraft to fail to return to base after the mission, it is certain that the missing aircraft was that flown by Pilot Officer Kent. It was later concluded that the aircraft and pilot were lost at sea.
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, 163/40/22
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