LEST WE FORGET

Pilot Officer Kenneth Charles KINROSS

Service No: 409147
Born: Essendon VIC, 25 September 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 July 1941
Unit: No. 453 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 453 Squadron Spitfire aircraft FL206), France, 24 July 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Bayeux War Cemetery, Calvados, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles Osborne Kinross and Maggie Kinross, of Essendon, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Essendon VIC
Remembered: Panel 105, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

On 24 July 1944, Spitfire FL206 flown by Pilot Officer Kinross was Red 3 in a formation of four aircraft detailed to carry out an operational day patrol over the area between Cabourg, Caen and Bayeux, France. At about 1445 hours the Section led by Flying Officer Colin Russell Leith DFC (411790) (Discharged: 15 October 1945) , was ordered by Control to fly east about seven miles south west of Bayeux, with information that enemy aircraft were approaching Bayeux from St Lo below 1,000 feet. The Section Leader saw two aircraft he thought to be Thunderbolts, diving in from slightly above and one mile behind, and he warned the formation on the radio to watch them closely. As the aircraft approached to about 800 yards Flying Officer Leith ordered the formation to break starboard. Both Red 3 and 4 broke fairly sharply, while Red 1 and 2 turned more steadily and climbed slightly watching the two aircraft now positively identified as American Thunderbolts. One of the Thunderbolts opened fire on Red 3 flown by Pilot Officer Kinross and struck the starboard wing. Then a second burst hit the port wing, and FL206 streamed black smoke and glided down followed by the attacking aircraft. FL206 crashed in thickly wooded country and burnt. The three other Spitfires returned to base.

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, 166/22/295

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