LEST WE FORGET

Flying Officer Henry Burton KERSHAW

Service No: 420570
Born: Waverley NSW, 20 September 1912
Enlisted in the RAAF: 8 November 1941
Unit: No. 8 Communication Unit
Died: Air Operations: (No. 8 Communication Unit Boomerang aircraft A46-94), Samarai PNG, 24 December 1943, Aged 31 Years
Buried: Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery PNG
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Joseph Cuthbert and Emma Louisa Kershaw; husband of Sybil Edith Kershaw, of Bellevue Hill, New South Wales. LL.B.
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 112, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: University of Sydney World War II Roll of Honour, Camperdown NSW
Remembered: Honour Roll of Old Newingtonians, Stanmore NSW

Flying Officer Kershaw was tasked to proceed to Samurai in Boomerang A46-94 to drop a message from No. 9 Operational Group (RAAF) at Vivigani to the Advanced Headquarters USAAF Flying Boat Base at Samurai. At Samurai, Flying Officer Kershaw descended to about 100 feet with undercarriage extended and dropped the message, and while climbing away the aircraft struck tall trees, swung seawards, burst into flames and then crashed and sank about 200 metres off shore. Flying Officer Kershaw’s body was recovered by US Forces.

References:

Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A9845, 144
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line

Bibliography:

Wilson, S. (Stewart) Wirraway, Boomerang and CA-15 in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1991

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